Paleo Food List: What Are the Top Foods for the Ultimate Paleo Meal?

Ultra-processed foods are hyperpalatable, which often leads to cravings and overindulgence. Paleo-style eating claims to help break that cycle. 

Paleo is a whole-food approach that’s hypothetically closer to the way our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate. It may support weight loss, digestion, and improve energy. However, it can be restrictive, particularly if you enjoy dairy, grains, and legumes. 

Below, you’ll find a complete paleo food list of things to buy and avoid and information about the risks and downsides to expect. 

What Is a Paleo Food List?

Paleo is an eating pattern that takes a modern approach to an ancient diet. It’s designed to recreate the presumed meals of ancestral humans during the Paleolithic Era. The goal is to eat whole foods close to their natural states.

A paleo food list includes anything a typical hunter-gatherer could access before the invention of agriculture and food manufacturing. The modern nutritional plan consists of unprocessed meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, certain oils, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices.

Paleo dieters believe that many modern diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart problems stem from food processing and industrialization. To be healthier, leaner, fitter, and stronger, they believe that it’s important to rethink food choices and add or remove certain types of foods. 

This eating plan is high in protein, fiber, and plant sterols. It provides minerals, vitamins, anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering properties. Studies have suggested that these nutritional components may help reduce obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes (1).

Some benefits of the Paleo diet come from reducing refined carbohydrates and increasing healthy fats. You may lose weight and improve your glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Nutrient-dense whole foods may also reduce inflammation and balance the hormones (2). However, this diet restricts some important food groups, so it may not be the most healthy, balanced, or nutritionally complete approach to losing weight or improving your health through diet. 

Below are some foods you can add to your shopping list:

Read More: Paleo Diet 7-Day Meal Plan: The Beginner’s Guide to Eating Like Our Ancestors

How Much Weight Can I Lose on a Paleo Diet?

A paleo diet can help with weight loss and weight management. This nutritional plan is low in carbs and high in protein, fiber, and healthy fat, so it keeps you satiated. It avoids highly processed foods, calorie-dense meals, and refined sugars (3). This can naturally result in you eating fewer calories.

In one controlled trial from 2014, 70 obese postmenopausal followed a paleolithic diet or a diet according to the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations for 24 months. After 6 months, women on paleo shed 2.5 times more weight (on average) than the control group, although both groups lost weight (4). 

After two years, both groups gained back some of the lost weight, but the paleo group’s average weight loss was 1.6 times higher. 

Another study in 2020 found that the paleo diet alongside HIIT or standard exercise can shed excess pounds and decrease waist circumference. However, the diet was difficult to follow and had the lowest adherence rate and the least weight loss in comparison to IF and Mediterranean diets (5). 

Based on recent reports, paleo and a variety of other healthy diets can slim the waist and reduce body mass index (BMI) in athletes. However, the paleo diet is restrictive and difficult to maintain (6).

A different report from 2009 observed 13 participants with type 2 diabetes. They consumed a Paleolithic diet based on vegetables, fruits, fish, lean meat, nuts, and eggs for three months. They also followed a diabetes diet (moderate-to-high carb, low-fat diet) for three consecutive months either before or after the paleo diet (7). 

The paleo diet resulted in patients losing an extra 3kg (6.6 pounds) in weight and 4 cm (1.6 inches) in waist size compared to the diabetes diet. 

Due to the high protein intake, a paleo diet can be more satiating than a Mediterranean diet, but you can always adjust your protein intake on any diet. By eliminating processed foods, you cut back on calories and consume foods that provide more nutrients with fewer calories (8). 

Dietary fiber in paleo meals also increases feelings of fullness. This can lead to a reduction in calorie intake, regulate digestion, and over time, improve weight loss. High-fiber foods can stimulate regular bowel movements and reduce constipation and inflammation. However, they aren’t limited to a paleo diet.

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What Food Can You Eat on a Paleo Diet?

A paleo diet is a modern interpretation of the foods humans ate approximately 2.5 million years ago during the Stone Age. The goal isn’t to dissect ancient dietary traditions, but to create a diet that blends ancient ways with modern science.

Paleo meals focus on whole minimally processed foods that are as close to their natural form as possible. There is a higher consumption of potassium, protein, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. However, you must moderate your intake of healthy fat, low-carb foods, and sodium.

Compared to other diets, paleo doesn’t require calorie counting or portion control. In fact, you can eat until you feel full. 

The paleo diet food list for weight loss includes:

• Seafood
• Grass-fed meat
• Leafy vegetables
• Root vegetables
• Fruits
• Free-range eggs and poultry
• Dried and fresh herbs
• Water
• Herbal tea
• Certain healthy oils
• Seeds and nuts

The meals are nutrient-dense and provide a balance of proteins, healthy fats, and essential vitamins and minerals. 

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Foods that are acceptable in small amounts include:

• Natural sweeteners, such as organic honey, pure maple syrup, and molasses
• Red wine
• Coconut milk
• Grain-free flour such as coconut flour and almond flour
• Black coffee

Although these products are usually minimally processed, they are derived from paleo-approved foods. 

As this eating plan is incredibly restrictive, it’s best to ease into it. For example, start with a few paleo-friendly meals and then slowly reduce the additives, salt, and sugar. As your body adjusts to the new eating pattern, you can adopt a diet that’s closer to that of early humans.

What Foods Aren’t Allowed on Paleo?

The Paleo movement began as an elimination diet. It removes categories of food that early humans likely didn’t eat. While we can’t know exactly what humans consumed millions of years ago, we know that they didn’t have access to:

• Processed foods (e.g. canned meats, refined oils, condensed soups, chips, and biscuits)
• Legumes (e.g. lentils, beans, peas, chickpeas, peanuts, soy, and soy products)
• Artificial sweeteners
• Grains (e.g. refined cereals, rice, wheat, barley, and corn)
• Carbonated or sweetened drinks
• Added or refined sugar
• Table salt
• Dairy products (e.g. butter, cheese, milk, and cream)

Many versions of paleo exist. Some people use the meal concepts of early humans as a base to create their meal plans. However, certain practitioners are more lenient with the paleo diet rules. 

For example, some eat white rice, natural sweeteners, and fermented dairy products, while others avoid them completely.

Read More: 1,200-Calorie Paleo Meal Plans: Caveman Diet But Make It Delicious

Are There Any Hidden Dangers with the Paleo Diet?

Paleo eliminates many nutritious products that have beneficial qualities for your overall health. 

For most people, there’s nothing bad about consuming dairy or grains, especially whole grains. Research has shown these foods provide a good amount of fiber, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and other nutrients the body needs to function (9). 

Removing entire food groups may help you shed those excess pounds, but it could also lead to a nutrient deficiency. 

For example, a strict Paleolithic diet avoids milk and dairy. These foods have a high vitamin D and calcium content. The nutrients help you maintain strong bones and bone density and prevent you from losing bone mass. Cutting them out can weaken your bones and increase the risk of osteoporosis (10).

Most paleo diets exclude legumes due to the increased levels of phytic acid and lectins. However, as long as you don’t have problems with bowel movements, autoimmune disease, or feeling worse after eating them, legumes are incredibly nutritious.

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Studies have found that lentils, beans, chickpeas, and other legumes provide protein, fiber, copper, magnesium, iron, and other nutrients. They are low in fat, relatively free of saturated fat, and rich in antioxidants, which can help prevent chronic diseases (11, 12).

Many paleo practitioners claim this diet can be good for your gut. However, a recent study found the exact opposite. Following a strict regimen provides less resistant starch, a type of fiber that’s beneficial for your digestive tract (13). 

Resistant starch is present in foods such as whole grains, starchy vegetables, and beans. Paleo changes the gut bacteria after long-term use. Practitioners have increased amounts of TMAO (trimethylamine-N-oxide), a compound linked to a greater risk of heart problems (14). 

The study found that eating whole grains (e.g. brown rice, oats, and quinoa) could lower TMAO levels and provide optimal colon function. It’s best to plan a balanced diet and organize your meals around a nutrient-dense paleo food list. In this way, you can prevent deficiencies.

Paleo is more expensive than a standard Western diet. You purchase organic fruits and vegetables, free-range eggs, and organic, grass-fed meat. The meals are also less convenient as they take longer to buy, cook, and prepare.

Before deciding to implement Paleo, or adopt a different dietary regimen, consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is rice OK for paleo?

White rice isn’t paleo because it’s a grain. Strict paleo eliminates all grains such as oats, pasta, wheat, etc. Other substitutes you can use instead of rice include shredded cauliflower or paleo-friendly starches, such as yams, potatoes, parsnips, and plantains. However, some practitioners do occasionally eat white rice. It’s easy to cook and excellent for meal prep. 

• Is coffee paleo?

That’s debatable. Technically, brewed coffee isn’t allowed on a strict paleo diet. It often contains milk and sugar. Instant coffee, for example, is processed, brewed, and preserved in packaging. However, coffee beans come from the coffee tree, which is inherently paleo-friendly so some people may prefer to drink black coffee. It’s free of additives and slightly deviates from the core principles of the diet, but it’s your diet, so you make the rules. 

• Can you eat oats on paleo?

No. Strict paleo avoids all grains, including oats. Even though cereal grains are a great source of dietary fiber and energy, strict dieters avoid them as they believe they may affect gut inflammation and insulin regulation, which isn’t backed by the totality of scientific evidence. The diet also excludes anything with high levels of avenin, lectin, and phytic acid, which again isn’t evidence-based. 

• Can you eat cheese on paleo?

No. Early humans during the Paleolithic era didn’t have cattle. They relied on hunting and gathering. Therefore, the paleo diet excludes products such as cheese, milk, cream-based products, ghee, and yogurt. Even if some practitioners may enjoy occasional dairy, a standard paleo diet is centered on fruits, vegetables, seafood, and grass-fed meat.

The Bottom Line

A paleo food list consists mainly of fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, roots, and nuts. It provides a satiating effect and eliminates processed foods. The idea is to focus on a diet that’s closely aligned with what early humans ate before the advent of agriculture. 

The meals tend to be lower in calories, refined sugars, oils, and salt than a standard diet. They’re also satiating and rich in protein and healthy fats. Although the diet can help with weight loss, it has some drawbacks. Therefore, you should choose an option that suits your dietary needs.