Paleo Diet Food List

The paleo diet takes what you know about hunter–gathering to a new level. It emphasizes foods that our ancestors had access to, such as fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, and nuts. Using your paleo diet food list will be helpful when you are trying to stick to the paleo diet plan when making or purchasing meals.

Click here for Paleo-Friendly Tips for Carb Lovers slideshow.

A basic overview of the paleo diet food list highlights grass-fed meats, fish, seafood, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, eggs, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils. Almost all meats are paleo by definition, but you want to stay away from meats that are high in fat, as well as processed meats, such as hot dogs. Wild-caught fish is always on the paleo diet food list, especially fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon.

In terms of fruits and vegetables, you have a lot to choose from, and all fruits and vegetables are fair game on the paleo diet food list. If you want to be stricter with your vegetable intake, choose vegetables that have a low starch content, and eat high-starch vegetables, such as potatoes and squash, in moderation. For fruits, it's a similar rule, except the focus is on sugar. High-sugar fruits, such as grapes and mangos, should be consumed, but in moderation.

Nuts and seeds are great for an on-the-go snack, and they contain healthy fats. Portion control is important when it comes to nuts. Many nuts, such as cashews, are high in fat and calories, and it's very easy to consume more than your body needs. You can buy snack packs of mixed nuts — just make sure that they are plain nuts and not drenched in salt or sugar. Spoiler alert: Peanuts are not nuts, they are actually legumes, so they are not on the approved paleo diet food list. In addition to legumes, grains, dairy, refined sugar, processed food, and refined oils should be avoided on the paleo diet.

The accompanying slideshow is provided by special contributor Dana McMahan.