Updated: May 1, 2019

This is the definitive paleo diet food list. In it, you’ll find a list of the paleo diet meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and oils that are allowed on the paleo diet. You can throw these into any delicious paleo recipe (or make up your own) and be 100% sure that you’re paleo diet compliant :). Let’s get started.

Paleo Diet Rules

We don’t specifically like to think of food as having “rules,” but when it comes to the paleo diet, there are foods that you should eat and ones you should avoid. For a quick “do eat” and “don’t eat” primer, see our quick reference guide below.

EAT THIS Grass-fed meats

Fish/seafood

Fresh fruits

Fresh vegetables

Eggs

Nuts

Seeds

Healthy oils (olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado, coconut)

DON’T EAT THAT Cereal grains

Legumes (including peanuts)

Dairy

Refined sugar

Potatoes

Processed foods

Overly salty foods

Refined vegetable oils

Candy/junk/processed food

Paleo Diet Food List App

If you thought that was easy, what if you could have a paleo reference app in your pocket – so you knew WITHOUT A DOUBT – whether every food you put in your body was paleo or not.



If you have more questions on specific foods, we’ve included a comprehensive list of paleo diet foods below. We’ve provided a list of the foods that are allowed on the paleo diet. We’ve also broken this list down into the specific food groups, so you can see which meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and fats are on the paleo diet. In addition to all of that, we’ve also included a comprehensive list of foods not allowed on the paleo diet.

There’s often confusion about what falls where, so we’ve tried to clarify that as much as possible. You can click on the links below to jump directly to whichever section of the food list you’re interested in.

Good luck and happy eating!

Paleo Diet Food List resource into a downloadable PDF that you can download, print off, and use on your next trip to the grocery store. Simply right click and download this After multiple requests, we’ve turned thisinto a downloadable PDF that you can download, print off, and use on your next trip to the grocery store. Simply right click and download this Paleo Diet Food List

Paleo Diet Foods

Meats

Almost all meats are paleo by definition. Of course, you’ll want to stay away from highly processed meats and meats that are very high in fat (stuff like spam, hot dogs, and other low-quality meats), but if it used to moo, oink, or make some other sound, it’s almost certainly paleo (and, yes, that means you can still have bacon). Here’s the full list of paleo diet meats.

Poultry

Turkey

Chicken breast

Pork tenderloin

Pork chops

Steak

Veal

Bacon

Pork

Ground beef

Grass-fed beef

Chicken thigh

Chicken leg

Chicken wings (yum!)

Lamb rack

Shrimp

Lobster

Clams

Salmon

Venison steaks

Buffalo

New York steak

Bison

Bison steaks

Bison jerky

Bison ribeye

Bison sirloin

Lamb chops

Rabbit

Goat

Elk

Emu

Goose

Kangaroo

Bear (good luck getting this!)

Beef jerky

Eggs (duck, chicken, or goose)

Wild boar

Reindeer

Turtle

Ostrich

Pheasant

Quail

Lean veal

Chuck steak

Rattlesnake

We recommend ButcherBox as an easy way to get high-quality, sustainably-sourced meat right to your doorstep. Click this link and use the code UltimatePaleo10 to get $10 off your order.

Fish

Fish are definitely on the paleo diet and they’re chock full of good stuff like omega-3s as well. If it swims and has fins, it’s definitely paleo diet food list worthy. Have it!

Bass

Salmon

Halibut

Mackerel

Sardines

Tuna

Red snapper

Shark

Sunfish

Swordfish

Tilapia

Trout

Walleye

Seafood

Down in New Orleans and want to have a crawfish boil? Paleo. Swap it out for shrimp? Ditto. Heck, even a stop at Red Lobster is good as long as you stay away from the rolls. Check out all the different seafood you can eat on the paleo diet.

Crab

Crawfish

Crayfish

Shrimp

Clams

Lobster

Scallops

Oysters

Vegetables

Almost all vegetables are paleo with some exceptions. Vegetables with a high starch content, such as potatoes and squashes, tend to have low nutritional value in comparison to the amount of starches/carbs/sugars they contain.

Asparagus

Avocado

Artichoke hearts

Brussels sprouts

Carrots

Spinach

Celery

Broccoli

Zucchini

Cabbage

Peppers (all kinds)

Cauliflower

Parsley

Eggplant

Green onions

Mushrooms

Starchy Vegetables*

These vegetables are quite starchy, so eat them in moderation especially if you’re trying to lose weight.

Butternut squash*

Acorn squash*

Oils and Fats

Contrary to popular belief, fat doesn’t make you fat; carbs do (and the Standard American Diet contains a ton of them!). Natural oils and fats are your body’s preferred sources of creating energy, so it’s best to give your body what it’s asking for. The following are some of the best types of paleo diet oils and fats that you can give your body if you’re in need of some additional energy.

Macadamia oil

Avocado oil

Grass-fed butter

Ghee

Nuts and Seeds

We love nuts and they are decidedly paleo diet friendly. Be careful though, as cashews are high in fat and, for some reason, it’s incredibly easy to eat an entire jar of them in one sitting (that’s not just us, is it?). If you’re trying to lose weight, limit the amount of nuts you’re consuming. Otherwise, have at it. I mean, you can’t beat a good almond/pecan/walnut mix, can you?

Almonds

Cashews

Hazelnuts

Pecans

Pine nuts

Sesame seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Sunflower seeds

Macadamia nuts

Walnuts

Chia seeds

Please note: peanuts are NOT paleo as they’re not actually a nut. They’re a legume! For more on this, see our article about legumes.

Fruits**

Fruits are not only delicious, but they’re also great for you. That said, fruits (even paleo-approved ones) contain large amounts of fructose which, while much better than HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup), is still sugar. If you’re looking to lose weight on the paleo diet, you’ll want to cut back on your fruit intake and focus more on the vegetables allowed on the paleo diet.

However, feel free to have one to three servings of fruit a day. Check out this list of paleo diet fruits and see if you’re not hungry by the end! (We’ll admit, we’re partial to blackberries!)

Apple

Avocado

Blackberries

Papaya

Peaches

Plums

Mango

Lychee

Blueberries

Grapes

Lemon

Strawberries

Watermelon

Pineapple guava

Lime

Raspberries

Cantaloupe

Tangerine

Figs

Oranges

Bananas*

*While these starchy foods are great for energy replacement for paleo diet athletes who are spending long periods of time exercising and who need some of the starchier foods to sustain their energy levels, if you’re trying to lose weight on the paleo diet, you’ll want to limit the quantities of these that you’re eating.

**Eat high-sugar fruits in moderation. They’re great for you, but it’s easy to overdo it. Remember, your caveman ancestors didn’t have access to Florida’s orange groves 24/7, so you probably shouldn’t try to eat a bushel of oranges in your next paleo diet meal.

Other Paleo-friendly Foods

This is a pretty comprehensive list of foods available on the paleo diet and we’re constantly updating it. If you’re looking for ways to eat these foods, check out some of the paleo recipes on our site.

Paleo Diet – Foods To Avoid

This is a complete list of foods not allowed on the paleo diet. It’s a sad day when you first have to say goodbye to these foods but, once you start, it’s much easier and you find there are even better paleo substitutes for these foods. The first few weeks might be tough, but if you stick with it over time, it’ll be worth it. We promise. Here’s the ultimate list of foods not allowed on the paleo diet.

Dairy

Cheese

Cottage cheese

Non-fat dairy creamer

Skim milk

2% milk

Whole milk (sometimes)

Dairy spreads

Butter – this is debatable in the Paleo community. Some argue that grass-fed butter does have a place in a well-balanced Paleo diet.

Cream cheese

Powdered milk

Yogurt

Pudding

Frozen yogurt

Ice milk

Low fat milk

Ice cream

Soft drinks

Soft drinks, pop, and Coke are packed with sugar and high-fructose corn syrup and are definitely NOT paleo diet friendly.

Coke

Sprite

Pepsi

Mountain Dew

Etc.

Fruit Juices

Fruit juices are super high in sugar (fructose) and will throw your paleo diet off track. Stay away from these.

Apple juice

Orange juice

Grape juice

Strawberry juice

Chinola juice

Starfruit juice

Mango juice

Grains

You should avoid anything that has a grain in it. Yes, anything. If you pretend that grains are the devil, you’ll find it’s much easier to avoid them.

Cereals

Bread

English muffins

Toast

Sandwiches

Triscuits

Wheat Thins

Crackers

Oatmeal

Cream of wheat

Corn

Corn syrup

High-fructose corn syrup

Wheat

Pancakes

Hash browns

Beer (and the world mourned)

Pasta

Fettuchini

Lasagne

Legumes

Don’t know what a legume is? That’s okay because we’ve put together a primer on what legumes are and why, unfortunately, they’re not paleo diet friendly. For the paleo diet, legumes are not on the menu. Sorry. Here are the ones you should avoid.

All beans Black beans Broad beans Fava beans Garbanzo beans Horse beans Kidney beans Lima beans Mung beans Adzuki beans Navy beans Pinto beans Red beans String beans White beans



Peas Black-eyed peas (and, yes, you should also avoid the band) Chickpeas Snow peas

Peanuts

Peanut butter

Miso

Lentils

Lupins

Mesquite

Soybeans

All soybean products and derivatives

Tofu

Caveat – fresh green beans and green peas can be consumed in moderation on the Paleo diet. Compared to other legumes, their phytic acid content is way lower, and these vegetables offer beneficial vitamins and minerals.

Artificial Sweeteners

Bad news – sweeteners aren’t paleo, sweetie. All artificial sweeteners are, by definition, artificial and not paleo. If you’d like to sweeten your foods, use honey, maple syrup, or (if you’re really in a pinch) Stevia.

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

Neotame

Polydextrose 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”



Fatty Meats

If you’re going to eat meat, go ahead and spring for some steak. Stay far away from these non-paleo foods.

Spam

Hot dogs

Other low-quality meats (if you do eat them, eat them in moderation)

Salty Foods

These overly salty foods fall outside the paleo diet guidelines.

French fries

Ketchup

Potato chips

Popcorn

Snacks

These easy, cheap, and pre-packaged snacks could last years on their own. That means they’re definitely not paleo.

Pretzels

Chips

Triscuits

Wheat Thins

Cookies

SunChips

Pastries

Fruit gummies

Energy Drinks

These are not good for you and are definitely not approved for our paleo diet food list. Stay far, far away.

Red Bull

Monster

Rockstar

Starbucks Refreshers

Mountain Dew MDX

Vault

XS Energy Drink

5-Hour Energy

Alcohol

Unfortunately, almost all alcohol does not work with the paleo diet. Yes, this includes, but isn’t limited to:

Beer

Whiskey

Tequila

Rum

Vodka

If you need a paleo-friendly alcohol alternative, we are big fans of Dry Farm Wines. Check out our official review here. And if you want to jump on board, use this link to get a bottle of wine for just a PENNY.

Sweets

Sugar is almost always manufactured and should be avoided on the paleo diet. This means you’ll need to cut out the delicious but destructive sweets and sugars that are standard in the Standard American Diet. The rule of thumb here is: if it contains a ton of sugar, it’s probably not on the paleo diet friendly. That said, here’s a specific lists of sweets that are not on the paleo diet food list. You might want to take a moment to say goodbye to them before you start your paleo diet journey.

Candy bars

Snickers

Snickers Peanut Butter

100 Grand

Butterfinger

Milky Way

Reese’s (NOOOO!)

Payday

M&Ms

Skittles

Red Vines

Twizzlers

Hershey’s

Nestle Crunch

Almond Joy

Mounds

Reese’s Fast Break

Reeses’s Pieces

Twix

Twix Peanut Butter

Any other refined sugars.

What about gluten free foods?

If you’ve got questions about adopting a gluten free lifestyle, check out: The Ultimate Guide to a Gluten Free Diet. This will answer all the questions you have about going gluten free (including which foods you should eat and avoid.)

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