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.
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.
