Nourish Paleo Foods - Paleo Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What do I eat in a day on paleo? ›

The diet excludes cereal grains, legumes, dairy, processed oils, refined sugar, alcohol, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and trans fats. Some paleo-friendly foods include lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

Many paleo followers wonder if bananas are paleo because of their higher sugar content. They are considered paleo. One medium banana has 113 calories, 2 grams of fiber and 26 grams of carbohydrates. Bananas are an unprocessed, whole food with a good source of potassium.

The typical paleo diet focuses on naturally raised meat and fish, as well as vegetables and fruits. It promotes avoiding dairy products and grains. This diet can put you at risk for deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, which are critical to bone health.

Peanuts are technically legumes, which are not paleo compliant, and that means peanut butter is off limits for paleo eaters. All other nuts and seeds are fair game, so if nuts and seeds are the only ingredients, snack away!

Sparkling waters, mineral waters and soda water are all paleo-friendly, so long as you check the additives for processed ingredients to ensure the natural flavor really is natural.

Many Paleo Diet followers report that they fair much better with only decaffeinated coffee since the main problems in coffee come from caffeine, the main stimulant in coffee, so decaffeinated coffee should prove to be a wise choice in the long-term.

Of course, any and all fruits are welcome on the paleo diet including apples, oranges, pears, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and more. And don't forget tubers such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, yams, and so on.

Popcorn is technically not considered paleo since it's a whole grain. However, most paleo experts agree that it's not a horrible snack to have in moderation, especially when it's prepared fresh and cooked in a healthy fat like coconut oil.

Why are Oats not Paleo-friendly? Although oats are a non-fattening healthy food for a more mainstream diet, oats do contain anti-nutrients that the Paleo diet aims to avoid such as phytic acid, lectins, and avenin. Not only do oats contain a few anti-nutrients, but they are also often contaminated with gluten.

Is olive oil paleo? ›

The answer is yes! Paleo diets focus on whole, unrefined foods. Extra virgin olive oil is a whole food made by pressing olives. No heat or solvents are used in the making of extra virgin olive oil.

Over the past few years, the bacon craze has surged in the Paleo community. While bacon is very tasty; unfortunately, bacon is not Paleo. Bacon is high in added salt, nitrates, and other unhealthy chemicals that are injected into the meat to help preserve it.

Wait, I can eat pizza on the paleo diet?!

Sure can! You just have to make sure you skip a dough with wheat and gluten and dairy (dairy-free mozzarella is surprisingly easy to find these days). But vegetables and pepperoni are totally allowed for topping.

“Other alternatives include almond milk creamer, coconut milk, and coconut creamer, which are not usually fortified and not as nutritionally rich.” If you like sweeteners or sugar in your coffee, go for honey, coconut sugar, maple syrup, or stevia. A sprinkle of cinnamon in your coffee tastes great, too!

There really is no need to eat more than 3 meals per day, but if you get hungry then here are some paleo snacks that are simple and easily portable: Baby carrots. Hard boiled eggs. A piece of fruit.

Food Items You Can Easily Consume

Meats: Beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork and others. Fish and Seafood: Salmon, trout, haddock, shrimp, shellfish, etc. Choose wild-caught if you can. Eggs: Choose free-range, pastured or omega-3 enriched eggs. Vegetables: Broccoli, kale, peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, etc.

Studies have shown that the paleo diet is effective at reducing belly fat. In one study, 10 healthy women followed a paleo diet for five weeks. On average, they experienced a 3-inch (8-cm) reduction in waist circumference, which is an indicator of belly fat, and around a 10-pound (4.6-kg) weight loss overall ( 23 ).

You can follow Dr. Cordain's suggestion and eat 2 or 3 “cheat meals” each week, where you get to eat whatever you want for that meal. Some other advocates of Paleolithic nutrition suggest one whole cheat day every 1-2 weeks, where you eat whatever you want all day.