‘What should I eat?!’ The Paleo diet edition. [Infographic]

“What can I eat on the Paleo diet?!”

Eating like ancient humans sure sounds cool. But it brings up a lot of questions:

• Is grass-fed cattle similar to the wild game Paleolithic people hunted?
• Are potatoes okay? What about sweet potatoes? 
• What cooking oil should I use? (Did Uncle Grok even use cooking oil?)
• Do I have to give up all sweets? 

It can also be tricky to figure which foods fit into which macronutrient categories. Like bacon, for instance. Is it a protein? Or a fat? Or both? (More importantly, can I eat it?)

Questions like these are why we created this handy, Paleo food list infographic for folks who want to give it a go.

Fair warning: Most Paleo food lists give you a lot of hard-and-fast rules. So you might notice that our list… is a bit different.

First, we showcased minimally-processed foods typically encouraged on the Paleo diet in an “eat more” section. If you’re a Paleo purist, you’ll want to choose most (or all) of your foods from that category. 

If you’re more flexible, you’ll see that we’ve sorted highly-processed foods as well as some foods typically seen as Paleo “no-no’s” into “eat some” and “eat less” buckets.

Take ice cream. Ancient humans didn’t have freezers. Nor did they have Rocky Road. But maybe you want to have a small scoop once a week with your kids. Are you still on the Paleo diet? 

According to our Paleo food list, you are. 

By thinking of foods on a continuum from “eat more” to “eat less,” you’ll be able to occasionally indulge in ice cream and other cherished foods while staying true to Paleo ideals most of the time. You’ll also be able to ease into the Paleo diet rather than starting… and stopping… and starting… and stopping. 

Plus, as you put more focus on the “eat more” category, you’ll probably find that you naturally “eat less” from the other categories. 

Use our continuums to make Paleo choices that are “just a little bit better,” whether you’re browsing the grocery store aisles, cooking a homemade meal, or ordering from a menu.

(And if you want a FREE Paleo diet nutrition plan that instantly gives you the amounts of calories, protein, carbs, and fat you need to achieve your goals, check out the Precision Nutrition Calculator.)

Download this infographic for your tablet or printer and use the step-by-step process to decide which foods match your (or your clients’) Paleo goals.

If you’re a coach, or you want to be…

Learning how to coach clients, patients, friends, or family members through healthy eating and lifestyle changes—in a way that’s personalized for their unique body, preferences, and circumstances—is both an art and a science.

If you’d like to learn more about both, consider the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification. The next group kicks off shortly.