Paleo Diet Cheat Sheet - Food List, Meal Plan, Recipes & Books

What is the Paleo Diet?

The paleo diet, also known as the caveman diet, is a nutritional approach centered around eating foods thought to resemble the diets of early hunter-gatherer human ancestors. This means focusing on whole, unprocessed foods like meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and healthy fats while eliminating grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugar, and highly processed foods.

Benefits of Following a Paleo Diet

There are many proposed benefits to following a paleo style diet plan:

Increased energy levels
Improved blood sugar regulation
Weight loss or management
Reduced inflammation
Better digestive function
Decreased disease risk factors

The paleo diet eliminates food triggers known to cause inflammation, bloating, fatigue and unhealthy spikes and drops in blood sugar. By removing processed foods, people often report improved focus and concentration as well.

Paleo Diet Food List

These are the basic food groups that make up a standard paleo diet:

Allowed Foods

Unprocessed meat and poultry
Fish and seafood
Eggs
Vegetables
Fruits
Nuts and seeds
Healthy fats and oils
Herbs, spices, vinegars

Foods to Avoid

Grains - wheat, oats, rice
Legumes - beans, peanuts, peas
Dairy - milk, cheese, yogurt
Refined sugar
Processed foods
Vegetable/seed oils

There are some grey areas to the restrictions above. For example potato and sweet potato are allowed but other starchy tubers like yams and parsnips are excluded on some paleo plans. Some types of rice may also be allowed.

Paleo Diet Meal Plan & Recipes

Eating paleo does require some adjustment from a standard American diet in terms of changing food choices and preparation methods. Here is a sample paleo diet weekly meal plan and some sources for great recipes to help you transition seamlessly:

Sample Paleo Weekly Meal Plan

Monday

Breakfast: Broccoli egg muffins, berries, avocado
Lunch: Paleo chicken caesar salad
Dinner: Chili lime salmon, roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potato

Tuesday

Breakfast: Leftover salmon with spinach, onion, mushrooms
Lunch: Paleo turkey wraps with greens, tomatoes, avocado
Dinner: Zucchini noodle bolognese with meatballs

Wednesday

Breakfast: Breakfast sausage with bell peppers and onions, side of berries
Lunch: Tuna salad lettuce wraps
Dinner: Chicken fajitas with peppers and onions, served with guacamole

Thursday

Breakfast: Leftover fajita vegetables with eggs scrambled
Lunch: Thai coconut chicken soup
Dinner: Grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce, mashed cauliflower

Friday

Breakfast: Bacon fried brussels sprouts topped with eggs
Lunch: Leftover flank steak salad
Dinner: Baked salmon fillet, roasted asparagus with lemon

5 Sources for Paleo Recipes

Finding interesting paleo diet recipes can help keep you excited about maintaining this way of eating long term. Check out these top paleo recipe websites and food bloggers:

Paleo Grubs - 1,600+ tasty paleo recipes searchable by meal type or ingredient
Nom Nom Paleo - Creative paleo recipes from top food blogger Michelle Tam
The Paleo Mom - Recipes focused on AIP paleo diets to reduce inflammation
The Domestic Man - Paleo recipes men will love with simple ingredients
Paleo Leap - Easy paleo dinner ideas, desserts, snacks and more

Paleo Diet Book Recommendations

Reading up on the paleo diet can help give you the tools, knowledge, and motivation to follow this style of eating successfully. Here are 5 top rated paleo diet books to explore:

The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf

One of the seminal books in the modern paleo movement, Wolf’s book gives the science and background behind why eating paleo helps address chronic disease. It outlines implementation strategies as well.

Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo

Sanfilippo’s highly regarded book offers an excellent intro guide to paleo concepts and how to adopt this way of eating for improved health. Contains paleo recipes and meal planning guidance.

The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain

Cordain's book is considered one of the original guides to the paleo diet, outlining its origins and benefits for health and weight loss. It debunks common myths about eating paleo as well.

The Paleo Cure by Chris Kresser

For those struggling with specific health issues or autoimmunity and inflammation, Kresser’s book details how a paleo framework can help provide solutions when other diets have failed.

It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig

An excellent practical guide for paleo beginners from the founders of the popular Whole30 program. It explains fundamentals of the diet and science in straightforward language.

Combining these paleo diet book recommendations with online recipes, meal plans, and paleo blogs can set you up for success eating and living paleo long term.

FAQs

What foods are allowed on the paleo diet?

The paleo diet includes meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats like olive oil. It excludes grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugar, vegetable/seed oils, and processed foods.

Can you eat potatoes on the paleo diet?

Rules vary, but most versions of the paleo diet permit sweet potatoes and sometimes white potatoes if tolerated. Other starchy tubers like yams or parsnips are typically excluded though.

Is rice paleo diet approved?

Generally white rice is excluded from paleo diet plans. Some versions allow white rice or wild rice in moderation based on individual tolerance. But rice and grains are restrictively limited in any paleo framework.

Can you drink alcohol eating paleo?

Some alcohol like wine or spirits are usually allowed in moderation on the paleo diet, but beer and some mixed drinks are prohibited due to gluten-grains or added sugars. Drinks should emphasize minimal ingredients.

How much does the paleo diet cost?

Many staples of the paleo diet like produce, meat, poultry and eggs are affordable. But the diet can cost more overall than standard diets because of reliance on fresh foods, grass-fed meats, and certain nuts/oils.