Paleo diet food list

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Food can easily become an habit and before you know it, you get bored by what you eat or you get out of ideas as to what to prepare to please your family or friends. Oftentimes, it’s not about having loads of recipes to use at all times, but simply about diversifying your food choices.

Some people will argue that being on the Paleo diet is very restrictive and doesn’t allow enough food to be satisfying for the taste buds. I think it’s practically the opposite that can happen, especially if you’re devoted to try new things out and experiment a bit.

Lets not forget that most people who argue that there is too much food groups that are not permitted on the Paleo diet are the ones who eat a diet based heavily on grains and oftentimes their meal plan doesn’t offer that much diversity.

I’ve compiled a paleo diet food list of the most popular and readily available foods that are paleo diet friendly and I think it might prove to be much useful to consult before doing your grocery for ideas of what to buy to change things up a bit.

For me personally, I don’t like the idea of always eating pork, beef or chicken and only one type of fat like coconut oil. Those foods are certainly good for you, but can lose their appeal if you eat too much of them. I try to eat a diversity of foods and choose cuts of meat I wouldn’t choose normally, even though I oftentimes have no idea how to prepare them. This is, in my opinion, what puts the fun back in eating and makes us more conscious of where our food comes from and what it does for us. This is the reason why this paleo diet food list includes meats, vegetables or fruits that are less popular, but still easy to get at a fair price.

The Paleo Diet Food List

Meat

Beef, pork, lamb, veal, rabbit, goat, sheep, horse, bison, wild boar, …

Game meat

Deer, pheasant, bear, moose, woodcock, elk, duck, rabbit, reindeer, wild turkey …

Poultry

Chicken, turkey, duck, quail, goose, …

Fish

Salmon, tuna, trout, bass, halibut, sole, haddock, turbot, walleye, tilapia, cod, flatfish, grouper, mackerel, anchovy, herring, …

Shellfish

Crab, lobster, shrimps, scallops, clams, oysters, mussels, …

Fats

Avocados, avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, butter, clarified butter (ghee), lard, tallow, duck fat, veal fat, lamb fat, fatty fishes (sardines, mackerel, salmon), nut butters, nut oils (walnut, macadamia), coconut flesh, coconut milk, …

Eggs

Chicken eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, quail eggs, …

Vegetables

Celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, leeks, kohlrabi, green onions, eggplants, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, cucumber, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, artichokes, okra, avocados, …

Green leafy vegetables

Lettuce, spinach, collard greens, kale, beet top, mustard greens, dandelion, swiss chard, watercress, turnip greens, seaweeds, endive, arugula (rocket), bok choy, rapini, chicory, radicchio…

Root vegetables

Carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, radish, jerusalem artichokes, yams, cassava, …

Winter squash

Butternut squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, pumpkin, buttercup squash, …

Summer squash

Zucchini, yellow summer squash, yellow crookneck squash, …

Fruits

Bananas, apples, oranges, berries (strawberry, cranberry, cranberry, blueberry, blackberry), grapefruit, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, pomegranates, pineapple, papaya, grapes, cantaloupe, cherries, apricot, water mellon, honeydew mellon, kiwi, lemon, lime, lychee, mango, tangerine, coconut, figs, dates, passion fruit, persimmon, …

Nuts and seeds

Pistachios, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, chestnuts, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts

Mushrooms

Button mushroom, portabello, oyster mushroom, shiitake, chanterelle, crimini, porcini, morel…

Fresh and dried herbs

Parsley, thyme, lavender, mint, basil, rosemary, chives, tarragon, oregano, sage, dill, bay leaves, coriander, …

Spices and other natural flavor enhancers

Ginger, garlic, onions, black pepper, hot peppers, star anise, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika, vanilla, cloves, chilies, …

I think this is about it! let me know if I forgot any popular item in there. I truly hope this list will help people new to the paleo diet know what they can eat exactly and make the shopping experience so much more enjoyable for everybody else.

P.S. Be sure to check out the Paleo Recipe Book. It’s a cookbook I’ve created to help you cook the best food for your health. It contains over 370 recipes and covers absolutely everything you need.

Photo credits: Turkey, salmon, quail eggs, vegetables, squash, strawberries