Encouraged Paleo Foods

If you are new to the Paleo diet, you may have some difficulty determining what foods are acceptable and what foods you should avoid. In theory, if the people living in the Stone Age did not consume a certain food, then you shouldn’t, either. That being said, there are many foods available today that are nutritious and beneficial to your health that were not consumed by our ancestors. Whether you choose to strictly follow the Paleo diet, or follow it with a bit more liberty, there are core foods that are encouraged.

One of the basic foods in the Paleo diet is lean meat. Lean meats are high in protein, which promotes optimum growth. Some lean meats that are encouraged in the Paleo diet are lean beef, flank steak, London broil, lean pork, pork chops, and essentially any lean cut meat. Lean poultry, like chicken breast or turkey breast are encouraged too. Eggs are also a beneficial food to include in your diet, but make sure you limit yourself to 6 eggs a week.

Seafood lovers have no fear -- fish is an essential part of the Paleo diet! There are many kinds of fish you can choose from, all of which are encouraged in the Paleo diet. Some of the encouraged fishes are bass, cod, eel, haddock, halibut, mackerel, red snapper, salmon, striped bass, and tuna. Note that basically any other commercially available fish is acceptable. You may also choose from a variety of shellfish such as clams, lobster, scallops, and shrimp.

Fruits and vegetables are also a core part of the Paleo diet. For the fruit portion of your diet, most fruits are encouraged. You have the liberty to choose anything from an apricot to a papaya to a star fruit! Basically, if it’s a fruit, then it’s included in the diet. To fulfill the vegetable portion of your diet, there are many vegetables to choose from. Root vegetables, aside from potatoes, are especially encouraged. Some vegetables you may want to try are artichokes, beets, broccoli, celery, mushrooms, onions, pumpkin, squash, and all kinds of peppers.

The last category of encouraged Paleo diet foods are nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are very healthy for you and also serve as a great snack. There are various kinds of nuts and seeds to choose from. Some nuts you may want to consider incorporating into your diet are almonds, cashews, chestnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, and unsalted pistachios. Some seeds you can choose from are pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds. Remember, when picking out which nuts and seeds you like best, make sure that you choose the unsalted kind.

Lastly, there are a few categories of food you want to avoid. When choosing Paleo diet foods, steer away from dairy foods, cereal grains, legumes, starchy vegetables, salt-containing foods, fatty meats, soft drinks, and sweets.

There is a vast array of foods that are encouraged in the Paleo diet. You can use resources such as the Internet or books to check what foods are encouraged and what foods are not. You can also use these resources to find ways to turn the encouraged foods into delicious, Paleo-friendly meals!

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