Paleo Diet Food List – The Ultimate Guide

Here’s the definitive paleo diet food list in which you’ll find a list of all the paleo diet fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, seeds, and oils that you are allowed to consume while on the paleo diet.

So with that being said let’s jump straight into this epic and comprehensive paleo diet food listing.

Paleo Diet Food List

Here’s a quick rundown of the foods you should and should not eat while on the paleo diet.

We’ll go into more detail about each category and any specific food and drink types in the next section below.

Eat

• Fish
• Seafood
• Grass-fed Meats
• Fresh Vegetables
• Nuts
• Eggs
• Seeds
• Healthy Oils

Do NOT Eat

• Dairy
• Potatoes
• Processed Foods
• Very Salty Foods and Snacks
• Refined Vegetable Oils
• Candy and Junk Food
• Cereal Grains
• Legumes

Paleo Diet Meats List

Here’s the complete listing of all the paleo diet meats that are allowed on the diet.

Technically, almost all meats are considered paleo, as long as they aren’t highly processed or high in fat such as hot dogs, spam, vienna sausages, or any of those other types of “meats.”

If the meat you are wanting to consume used to moo, oink, or make any other type of sound, there’s a very high chance that it’s paleo.

• bacon
• beef jerky
• bison (and bison steaks)
• bison jerky
• bison ribeye
• bison sirloin
• chicken
• chicken legs
• chicken thigh
• chicken wings
• eggs (including chicken, duck and goose)
• elk
• emu
• goat
• goose
• grass-fed beef
• ground beef
• kangaroo
• lamb chops
• lamb rack
• new york steak
• ostrich
• pork
• pork chops
• pork tenderloins
• poultry
• quail
• rabbit
• rattlesnake
• reindeer
• steak veal bacon
• turkey
• turtle
• veal
• venison
• wild boar

Paleo Diet Seafood and Fish List

Here are all the fish, shellfish, mollusks, and general seafood that are all acceptable on the paleo diet.

Basically if it swims and has fins, it’s paleo.

• abalone
• anchovies
• bass
• carp
• clams
• cod
• crab
• crawfish
• crayfish
• croaker
• cuttlefish
• grouper
• halibut
• lobster
• mackerel
• mahi mahi
• marlin
• mussels
• octopus
• oysters
• perch
• pike
• pollock
• prawn
• red snapper
• rockfish
• salmon
• sardines
• scallops
• shark
• shrimp
• snapper
• sunfish
• swordfish
• tilapia
• trout
• tuna
• walleye

Paleo Diet Fruit List

Here are all the fruits that are acceptable on the paleo diet. Now although fruits are super delicious and good for you, most do contain large amounts of fructose. Although it’s not high fructose corn syrup which is bad for you, it’s still sugar.

So if the main reason you’re on a paleo diet is to lose weight, you should consider reducing your fruit consumption and instead consume more vegetables.

But with that being said, here are all the paleo diet fruits.

• acai berry
• apple
• apricots
• avocado
• banana
• blackberries
• blueberries
• cantaloupe
• cherry
• clementine
• cranberry
• figs
• grapes
• guava
• kiwi
• kumquat
• lemon
• lime
• lychee
• mango
• oranges
• papaya
• passion fruit
• peach
• pear
• persimmon
• pineapple
• plums
• raspberries
• starfruit
• strawberries
• tangerine
• watermelon

Now although starchy fruits like bananas are a great way to replace any lost energy from physical activity, these fruits should be limited if you’re looking to lose weight while on the paleo diet.

Sure fruits are always good for you, but you should remember to eat them in moderation.

Paleo Diet Vegetable List

Here’s the complete listing of all paleo diet-friendly vegetables.

Now just remember, although vegetables are healthy and almost always paleo, they do contain a lot of starch, making them quite low in nutritional value.

But either way, they’re still not bad for you, just not great either.

• arugula
• artichoke
• asparagus
• avocado
• broccoli
• brussels sprouts
• cabbage
• carrots
• cauliflower
• celery
• collard greens
• corn
• cucumber
• eggplant
• green onions
• parsley
• peas
• peppers
• spinach
• swiss chard
• watercress

Paleo Diet Nuts List

Here’s the complete listing of all paleo diet friendly nuts. Now just remember to eat limited quantities of nuts that are high in fat such as cashews.

Also, if your main goal on the paleo diet is to lose weight and body fat, you should limit the amount of nuts that you eat.

So with that being said, here’s the paleo diet nut listing.

• almonds
• cashews
• hazelnuts
• macadamia nuts
• pecans
• pinenuts
• walnuts

Paleo Diet Oils List

One of the best things about natural fats and oils is the fact that they are your body’s primary source of creating energy.

So with that being said, here are all the oils and fats that are acceptable on the paleo diet.

• avocado oil
• coconut oil
• grass-fed butter
• macadamia nut oil
• olive oil

Foods to Avoid on Paleo Diet

Here’s the complete listing of all the foods that aren’t allowed on the paleo diet.

Sure it’ll be hard at first to give up these foods, but in the long run your body will thank you.

Plus, as an added bonus there are some better, healthier alternatives to some of these foods listed below.

So with that being said, here are all the foods you shouldn’t eat while following the paleo diet:

Meats With High Fat

Here are all the fatty meats that aren’t paleo:

• hot dogs
• spam
• vienna sausages

Dairy

Here are all the dairy products you should avoid while paleo:

• 2% milk
• butter
• cheese
• cottage cheese
• cream cheese
• creamer
• dairy spreads
• frozen yogurt
• ice cream
• low fat milk
• powdered milk
• pudding
• pudding
• skim milk
• yogurt

Soft Drinks

Here are all the soft drinks and sodas that are not paleo due to their high amounts of high fructose corn syrup:

• coke
• cream soda
• dr pepper
• fanta
• mellow yellow
• mountain dew
• pepsi
• root beer
• sierra mist
• sprite

Energy Drinks

Here are all the energy drinks that aren’t paleo:

• 5 hour energy
• monster
• mountain dew kickstart
• red bull
• rockstar
• starbucks iced coffees and frappuccinos

Fruit Juice

Here are all the fruit juices that aren’t allowed on the paleo diet due to their high sugar content:

• apple juice
• cranberry cocktail
• grape juice
• mango juice
• orange juice
• passion fruit juice
• strawberry juice

Alcohol

Here are all the alcohols that aren’t paleo:

• beer
• bourbon
• cognac
• rum
• whiskey

Alcohols that are typically fine to consume on a paleo diet include tequila, vodka, gin, low-sugar hard cider, and wine.

Vegetables High in Starch

Here are all the vegetables that are high in starch that you should stay away from whilst on the paleo diet:

• acorn squash
• beets
• butternut squash
• potatoes (including french fries, even though they aren’t technically a “vegetable”)
• sweet potatoes
• yams
• yucca

Grains

While on the paleo diet, you should avoid all grains, as if you were on the gluten free diet.

So with that being said, here are all the grains and grain products that aren’t paleo:

• bread
• cereal
• corn
• crackers
• english muffins
• oatmeal
• pancakes
• pasta noodles
• sandwich bread
• toast
• wheat

Legumes

Here are all the legumes (all peas, beans, lentils, soybean products, etc) that you should definitely consider avoiding whilst on the paleo diet.

• black beans
• black eyed peas
• broad beans
• chickpeas
• fava beans
• garbanzo beans
• green beans
• horse beans
• kidney beans
• lentils
• lima beans
• miso
• mung beans
• navy beans
• peanuts
• pinto beans
• red beans
• snowpeas
• soybeans
• string beans
• sugarsnap peas
• tofu
• white beans

Artificial Sweetners

No artificial sweetener is considered paleo mainly because they are artificial. Goodbye Splenda….

So if you really need to sweeten your foods, you should consider using natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup.

Acesulfame potassium

• ACK
• Ace K
• Equal Spoonful (also +aspartame)
• Sweet One
• Sunett

Aspartame

• APM
• AminoSweet (but not in US)
• Aspartyl-phenylalanine-1-methyl ester
• Canderel (not in US)
• Equal Classic
• NatraTaste Blue
• NutraSweet

Aspartame-acesulfame salt

• TwinSweet (Europe only)

Cyclamate

• Not in US as per FDA
• Calcium cyclamate
• Cologran = cyclamate and saccharin (not in US)
• Sucaryl

Erythritol

• Sugar alcohol
• Zerose
• ZSweet

Glycerol

• Glycerin
• Glycerine

Glycyrrhizin

• Licorice

Hydrogenated starch hydrolysate (HSH)

• Sugar alcohol

Isomalt

• Sugar alcohol
• ClearCut Isomalt
• Decomalt
• DiabetiSweet (also contains Acesulfame-K)
• Hydrogenated Isomaltulose
• Isomaltitol

Lactitol

• Sugar alcohol

Maltitol

• Sugar alcohol
• Maltitol syrup
• Maltitol powder
• Hydrogenated High Maltose Content Glucose Syrup
• Hydrogenated maltose
• Lesys
• MaltiSweet (hard to purchase)
• SweetPearl

Mannitol

• Sugar alcohol

NeotamePolydextrose

• Sugar alcohol
• (Derived from glucose and sorbitol)

Saccharin

• Acid saccharin
• Equal Saccharin
• Necta Sweet
• Sodium Saccharin
• Sweet N Low
• Sweet Twin

Sorbitol

• Sugar alcohol
• D-glucitol
• D-glucitol syrup

Steviol glycoside

• Rebiana

Sucralose

• 1′,4,6′-Trichlorogalactosucrose
• Trichlorosucrose
• Equal Sucralose
• NatraTaste Gold
• Splenda

Tagatose

• Natrulose

Xylitol

• Sugar alcohol
• Smart Sweet
• Xylipure
• Xylosweet
• Anything that says “artificial”

Snacks

Here are all the snacks and pre-packaged eats that you need to avoid while paleo:

• chips
• crackers (such as wheat thins)
• cookies
• pastries
• pretzels

Sweets and Candies

Here are all the sweets and candies that should be avoided while you’re on a paleo diet.

And honestly, no matter what diet you’re on, chances are you’ll need to cut these sweet out completely.

• candy bars
• chocolate bars
• gummy bears (worms, etc)

Basically any candy bar or candy you can think of needs to be cut out.

 

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Well that’s the full paleo diet food list.

Hopefully you enjoyed it and found it to be extremely beneficial.

Thanks for reading and please share this with anyone on a paleo diet that you just know will absolutely love this.

Cheers.

H/T Ultimate Paleo Guide