Paleo Foods

I know there are a lot of other Paleo Food Lists out there, but why not make one up of my own?

These are foods that you can eat as much as you want of

Spices and Herbs – can be freely used.  This includes garlic and ginger.

Most vegetables – remember, corn is a grain, not a vegetable even if it is eaten like one.  Also avoid the starchy vegetables such as potatoes and sweet potatoes.  Aim to buy seasonally, organic and local for preference.

Artichokes

Arugula (Rocket)

Asparagus

Avocado

Beets including the tops

Bell Peppers

Bok Choy and other asian greens such as Gai-lan

Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Chicory

Chili Peppers

Collard Greens

Cucumber

Dandelion greens

Eggplant

Endive

Fennel

Green Beans – technically a legume but can be eaten raw, and low in the anti-nutrients that most legumes contain.

Green Onions

Jerusalem Artichokes

Jicama

Kale

Kohlrabi

Leeks

Lettuce

Mushrooms (All Kinds)

Mustard Greens

Okra

Onions

Parsley

Parsnips

Pea-pods (mange-tout/snap-peas) – technically a legume, but can be eaten raw and are low in the anti-nutrients that most legumes contain.

Pumpkin

Radicchio

Radish

Rapini

Seaweed

Spaghetti Squash

Spinach

Squash (all kinds)

Swiss Chard

Tomatoes

Turnip Greens

Watercress

Yellow Summer Squash

Zucchini

Fruits – most fruits are high in sugar and should be eaten in moderation.  These are the ones that are best to eat.  Aim to buy seasonally, organic and local for preference.

Berries (all types)

Coconut

Melon (all types)

Meat – if possible buy only grass-fed/pastured/wild meats.  Eat the fat and the skin where possible as well and consider nose to tail eating including the organ meats.  If you are having to buy meat that is not grass-fed/pastured (most standard grocery store meat), choose the leanest cuts possible and trim the excess fat as it will be very high in inflammatory-causing omega 6 fats.

Alligator

Beef

Bison

Chicken

Deer

Duck

Elk

Goat

Goose

Lamb

Moose

Pheasant

Pork

Quail

Rabbit

Reindeer

Sheep

Turkey

Veal

Wild Boar

Blood

Brains

Heart

Liver

Kidney

Bone Marrow

Sweetbreads

Testicles

Tongue

Tripe

Fish and Seafood –  choose sustainable wild-caught fish and seafood where possible.  Avoid farmed fish such as salmon as the flesh will be low in omega 3 and relatively high in omega 6.  Consider eating the roe (eggs/caviar) from fish.

Anchovies

Bass

Black Cod (Sablefish)

Cod

Eel

Haddock

Halibut

Mackerel

Mahi Mahi

Orange Roughy

Perch

Red Snapper

Rockfish

Salmon

Sardines

Tuna

Sole

Grouper

Turbot

Trout

Abalone

Clams

Crab

Lobster

Mussels

Oysters

Shrimp

Scallops

Caviar (fish eggs/roe) – avoid sturgeon caviar as they are rapidly becoming an endangered species.  Choose caviar from other fish instead and consider eating the roe/eggs you find in your fish when gutting it.

Eggs – The eggs of all birds are Paleo.  Where possible eat only pastured eggs or omega 3 enriched eggs.  If necessary, eat organic eggs as a third choice.  Avoid standard grocery store eggs as they will be laid by unhealthy hens that are raised in very overcrowded conditions.

Cooking Oils/Fats  – Avoid the grain based oils, most nut and seed oils and “vegetable oil”.  Also avoid all trans-fats (including margarine).  Where possible use only animal fats that are pastured/grass-fed/free-range.  Consider saving the fat that renders out of the meat you are cooking.

Avocado Oil

Coconut Oil

Lard (pork fat)

Tallow (mutton/lamb fat)

Schmaltz (chicken fat)

Beef Dripping

Suet (ok if you can find it where it has not been tossed with flour) – this is the rendered fat from around the kidneys

Olive Oil

Macadamia Oil

Palm Oil

Duck Fat

These Foods Should Be Eaten In Moderation

Vegetables – these are the more carb-heavy vegetables.  Best avoided or eaten in moderation if you are wanting to loose weight.  Aim to buy seasonally, organic and local for preference.

Cassava

Sweet Potato

Taro

Turnips

Yam

Potato

Fruits – these fruits are higher in sugar, so limit your consumption, especially if you want to loose weight.  Remember, drying fruits concentrates the sugar, and each dried fruit counts as one whole fruit.  Eat your fruit as whole fruits not fruit juice as that way you get the benefit of the fiber.  Aim to buy seasonally.  Organic and local for preference.

Apples

Apricot

Bananas

Cherries

Dates

Figs

Goji Berry

Grapefruit

Grapes

Guava

Kiwi

Lemon

Lime

Lychee

Mango

Nectarines

Oranges

Papaya

Passion Fruit

Peaches

Pears

Persimmon

Pineapple

Plums

Pomegranates

Rhubarb

Star Fruit

Tangerine

Nuts and Seeds – these should be considered more of a condiment.  Nuts and seeds, with the exception of macadamia nuts are very high in Omega 6 and chestnuts are very starchy and high in carbs.

Almonds

Brazil Nuts

Chia Seeds

Flax Seeds

Hazelnuts

Macadamias

Pecans

Pine Nuts

Pistachios

Pumpkin Seeds

Sesame Seeds

Sunflower Seeds

Walnuts

Chestnuts

Meats and Fats  – these are ok to eat in moderation as long as you can source quality bacon/ham that has been cured without sugar.  For preference choose meats that are nitrate free and made from pastured pork.

Bacon

Ham

Bacon Fat

Ham Fat

Dairy – These foods are Primal rather than Paleo.  For some people they can be problematic, others will have no issue with them.  Where possible, buy only organic or pastured dairy.  If raw unpasteurized dairy is available buy that as a first preference.   (Not possible in Canada where it is illegal to sell raw dairy).

Butter

Ghee

Milk

Kefir

Full-Fat Yogurt

Cheese

Sweeteners –  these natural sweeteners can still cause a spike in insulin levels, so keep the use to a minimum.  Their saving grace is that they contain some trace nutrients.

Fruit juice (may be used in moderation as sweetener. It contains none of the fiber from the original fruits and is essentially sugar-water)

Raw Honey

Real Maple Syrup

Stevia – sugar free, but can contribute to maintaining a “sweet-tooth”.

Other Foods – some of these foods can cause a problem for some people, others don’t have a problem with them at all.

Dark Chocolate (choose types with 85% cocoa solids)

Coffee

Alcohol – dry wines and spirits not made from grains  (tequila, wheat free vodka, brandy).  Use only club-soda/soda water as a mixer with a little citrus juice for flavour

Salt

Vinegars

Avoid These Foods

Oils and Fats –

corn oil

canola oil

vegetable oil

soybean oil

shortening

sunflower oil

safflower oil

cottonseed oil

grapeseed oil

peanut oil

margarine

Grains – low in nutrients, high in carbs and anti-nutrients, these are best avoided.

Wheat

Barley

Buckwheat

Corn

Millet

Oats

Quinoa

Rice

Rye

Sorghum

Spelt

Any Pasta

Any Bread

Any Crackers

Anything made from flour from any of the above grains

Legumes – the only exceptions I make to these are green beans and pea-pods.  While technically still legumes, these do not contain many of the anti-nutrients that the rest of the legumes contain.  They can also be consumed raw.

Garbanzo Beans

Black Beans

Kidney Beans

Mung Beans

Lima Beans

Chickpeas

Black-Eyed Peas

Lentils

Peanuts

Soybeans

Tofu

Soymilk

White Beans

Pinto Beans

Fava Beans

Red Beans

Sweeteners – these foods contain mostly empty calories and will cause a spike in your blood sugar, with a resulting rise in your insulin levels.

Sugar (all forms)

Coconut Sugar

Dextrose (glucose)

Fructose (fruit sugar)

High Fructose Corn Syrup (may be listed on labels as glucose/fructose)

Artificial Sweeteners (all types)

Agave

Maltodextrin

Corn Syrup

Molasses

Rice Syrup

Any Soda (with the exception of soda water/club soda)

Any Candy

Other Foods

Beer and spirits made from grains (Whisky, Rum, Vodka etc), sweet wines.

Most condiments and relishes (read the labels)

Highly Processed Meats (Hot dogs, most deli meats, salami etc)

And finally all highly processed food.  If your great-grandma would not recognize it as food don’t eat it.  Read the labels.  If it contains any ingredients listed in the “Do not eat” category above, do not eat it.  If there are more than 5 ingredients on the label don’t eat it (most processed foods contain far more than 5 ingredients).  If it contains ingredients that you don’t recognize or cannot pronounce don’t eat it.