The Adventures of JuJu and LaLa: October 2013

Paleo Diet Vegetables

Paleo diet vegetables. Almost all vegetables foods are on the paleo diet as well – but you need to be careful in discerning the difference here. 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. While they’re not bad for you, they’re not always that great for you either.

Asparagus
Avocado
Artichoke hearts
Brussels sprouts
Carrots
Spinach
Celery
Broccoli
Zucchini
Cabbage
Green, yellow and red Peppers. No spicy peppers. It hurts the bladder.
Cauliflower
Parsley
Eggplant
Green Onions, but small amounts. Onions hurt the bladder.

—–

Butternut Squash*
Acorn Squash*
Yam*
Sweet Potato*
Beets*

Paleo Diet Oils/Fats

Paleo diet oils. Contrary to popular belief, fat doesn’t make you fat – carbs do (and the standard american diet has a ton of them!). Natural oils and fats are your body’s preferred way 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 oils and fats that you can give your body if you’re in need of some additional sustained energy.

Coconut oil
Olive oil
Macadamia Oil
Avocado Oil
Grass fed Butter

Paleo Diet Nuts

We love nuts! (does that sound bad?) Nuts are decidedly paleo. Be careful as cashews and peanuts are high in fat and for some reason, they’re incredibly easy to eat an entire jar in one sitting (that’s just not us, is it?). If you’re trying to lose weight, limit the amount of nuts you’re consuming – otherwise have it. I mean, after all, you can’t beat a good almond/pecan/walnut nut mix can you?

Almonds
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Pecans
Pine Nuts
Pumpkin Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Macadamia Nut
Walnuts

Paleo Fruits

Paleo diet fruits are not only delicious, but they’re great for you. 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 lookign to lose weight on the paleo diet, you’ll want to cut back on the fruit intake and focus more on the vegetables allowed on the paleo diet. However, feel free to have 1-3 servings of fruit a day and enjoy yourself. 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 the blackberries).

Apple
Avocado
Blackberries
Peaches
Plums
Mango
Lychee
Blueberries
Watermelon
Raspberries
Figs

Paleo Diet Meats

I removed Red Meat. Red meat is known to inflame Endo.

This is a list of paleo diet meats allowed on the diet. 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 are other low-quality meat), 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 – although don’t do anything too crazy with it). Here’s the full list below:

Poultry
Turkey
Chicken Breast
Chicken Thigh
Chicken Leg
Chicken Wings (yum!)
Shrimp
Lobster
Clams
Salmon
Eggs (duck, chicken or goose)
Turtle
Ostrich
Pheasant
Quail

Paleo Diet 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. Have at it!

Bass
Salmon
Halibut
Mackerel
Sardines
Tuna
Red Snapper
Shark
Sunfish
Swordfish
Tilapia
Trout
Walleye

Paleo Diet 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 the tons of different seafood you can eat on the paleo diet.

Crab
Crawfish
Crayfish
Shrimp
Clams
Lobster
Scallops
Oysters

List of Foods NOT!! Allowed on The Paleo Diet

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 while starting out on your paleo diet journey, but once you start, it’s much easier and you find there are even better paleo substitutes for these. 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

Butter
Cheese
Cottage Cheese
Non fat dairy creamer
Skim milk
2% milk
Whole mil (sometimes)
Dairy spreads
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.

Coke
Sprite
Pepsi
Mountain Dew
[insert list of soft drinks here]

Fruit Juices

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

Apple Juice
Orange Juice
Grape Juice
Strawberry Juice
Chinola Juice
Starfruit Juice
Mango Juice

Grains

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

Cereals
Bread
English Muffin
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
Lasagna

Legumes

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

All beans (listed below)
- Black Beans
- Broad Beans
- Fava Beans
- Garbanzo Beans
- Horse Beans
- Kidney Beans
- Lima Beans
- Mung Beans
- Adzuki Beans
- Navy Beans
- Pinto Beans
- Red Beans
- Green Beans
- String Beans
- White Beans
Peas (listed below)
- Black Eyed Peas (and yes, you should also avoid the band)
- Chickpeas
- Snowpeas
- Sugar snap peas
Peanuts
Peanut butter
Miso
Lentils
Lupins
Mesquite
Soybeans
All soybean products and derivatives
Tofu

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 guidelines.

French Fries
Ketchup

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
Sun Chips
Pastries

Starchy Vegetables

While these starchy vegetables are still vegetables, you’ll want to stay away from them due to their high starch content.

Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Yucca
Batata
Butternut Squash*
Acorn Squash*
Yam*
Beets*

Energy Drinks

These are not good for you and are definitely not paleo. 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 is not paleo. Yes, this includes, but isn’t limited to:

Beer
Whiskey
Tequila
Rum
Vodka
Alcohol + Mixers

Sweets

Sugar is almost all manufactured and should be avoided in the paleo diet. This means cutting out delicious but destructive sweets and sugars that are standard in the Standard American Diet. The rule of thumb here is: if it has a ton of sugar – it’s probably not paleo. 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 (Listed Below)
- Snickers
- Snickers Peanut Butter
- 100 Grand
- Butterfinger
- Milky Way
- Reeses (NOOOO!)
- Payday
- M&Ms
- Skittles
- Red Vines
- Twizzlers
- Hershey’s
- Nestle Crunch
- Almond Joy
- Mounds
- Reese’s Fast Break
- Reeses’ Pieces
- Twix
- Twix Peanut Butter
Sugars
Honey (sometimes allowed in moderation)