Paleo Diet Tips for Beginners
A Paleo diet draws on the lines of the dietary habits of our ancestors to stay healthy. However, in ancient times, since the availability of food depended on the climate and soil of the land where one lived, there is no standard Paleo diet. Slight adaptations can be made to this diet according to your tastes and preferences, so you can go ahead and create your version of this natural diet. This article lists out some foods you can eat while on a Paleo diet. You just have to ensure that you choose whole foods that are unprocessed and organic. The meat, on the other hand, should be grass-fed and pasture-raised, or it should be from wild-caught sources. Here are some dietary tips for following a Paleo diet:
Vegetables
Fresh vegetables are an important part of your meals when on a Paleo diet, and these include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, celery, kale, cauliflower, yellow and gray squash, cabbage, rutabaga, turnips, and their greens. These are important sources of vitamins and various other nutrients required for the healthy functioning of the body.
Fruits
Fresh fruits and berries are packed with antioxidants and flavonoids, making them essential sources of vitamins and minerals like iron. Apples, avocados, blueberries, blackberries, goji and elderberries, Acai berries, raspberries, tomatoes, cantaloupes, lingonberries, cranberries, and figs are all great additions to your meal plan when on the Paleo diet.
Nuts and seeds
Macadamia, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, and pine nuts, along with flaxseeds, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds are part of this diet plan.
Meat
Cattle meat, old and young (beef and veal, respectively), lamb or sheep, goat, pigs, and venison can be included in this diet plan.
Poultry
Chicken, turkey, geese, pheasant, quail, ostrich, pigeon, emu, fowl, and partridge can also be included.
Fish and seafood
Another tip for following a Paleo diet is to include salmon, cod, lobster, crab, anchovy, prawn, squid, herring, sardine, trout, mussels, oyster, haddock, shrimp, clam, shellfish, barracuda, octopus, crayfish, scallops, and tuna in the daily diet.
Eggs, turmeric, rosemary, and other such edible herbs and spices are also an integral part of this diet.
Foods to avoid when on a Paleo diet
Among the important tips for following a Paleo diet, here are some foods to be avoided:
- Cereal grains like wheat, buckwheat, maize, rye, corn, rice, oats, barley, sorghum, millet, quinoa, amaranth, polenta, semolina, pasta, and all highly processed and enriched flours.
- Legumes like lentils, all kinds of beans, including garbanzo, kidney, lima, red, and pinto, soy and its products, peanuts, and peas.
- Refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, and all kinds of processed and junk foods, along with baked goods like cakes, cookies, chips, ice creams, and pretzels.
- The inclusion of dairy products is, however, not very clear in a paleo diet. While mass-produced chemical-laden milk and yogurt are not advised, good-quality natural milk, yogurt, and kefir might be better options.