In recent years the Paleo diet has become hugely popular among celebrities, with A-listers from Christina Aguilera to Anne Hathaway all touting the benefits of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
But what exactly does going Paleo involve, and what can you eat on the diet?
The Paleo diet – also known as the hunter gatherer or caveman diet – is an eating plan based on foods similar to what might have been eaten during the Paleolithic era, which took place between 2.5 million and 10,000 years ago.
Followers of the Paleo diet primarily consume whole foods such as lean meats, fish, seafood, poultry, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Food stuffs and ingredients which are to be avoided on the Paleo diet include processed sugars, legumes, grains, most dairy and anything else that became readily available when farming was introduced roughly 10,000 years ago.
This includes processed vegetables oils like soy, canola and peanut – and as Everyday Health remind, you can’t drink any alcohol on the Paleo diet.
The premise of the Paleo diet is that eating whole foods and leading a physically active lifestyle will reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, arthritis and diabetes.
Several studies indicate the diet boosts metabolic function to enable significant weight loss without calorie or macro counting.
It is also said to boost sleep quality, reduce stress and eliminate toxins in the body.
Okay, so what food can I eat on the Paleo diet?
Meat and Poultry
According to Eat Drink Paleo, all forms of lean, grass-fed meat is suitable for Paleo adherents.
Chicken is a great option thanks to its low calorie content.
Shred Happens, a US-based healthy eating Instagram account, shared a quick and easy recipe for a Paleo-friendly stuffed chicken breast packed with delicious dairy-free cheese and cauliflower filling and served with rocket, tomato, radish and olive oil – pictured here!
Simply cut a raw breast of chicken with deep slices and fill the space with your cheese and cauliflower filling, blended beforehand in a food processor.
Add a quarter of a green jalapeno if you feel like some extra zing and bake in the oven for 15 minutes!
Vegetables and Healthy Fats
An assortment of vegetables including broccoli, kale, capsicums, onions, carrots and tomatoes are all great choices suitable for the Paleo diet.
Tubers, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and turnips are also allowed on the caveman meal plan provided they are the whole food, unprocessed variety.
Likewise, healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and avocado are permitted for Paleo dieters.
Paleo followers are free to consume – more or less – as many vegetables as they like.
A Loaded Veggie Salad like the one shown below is a simple and delicious option for Paleo dieters with limited time and budget.
All you need is a packet of frozen Brussels sprouts, fresh spinach, fresh broccoli, sweet potato – roughly chopped – and an oven.
Heat the oven to broil and place all veggies on a tray to roast for 10 minutes.
If you’re extra hungry, add half an avocado and season the lot with sriracha, pepper or paprika.
Fish and Seafood
Good news for Paleo dieters: essentially all wild-caught fish and seafood is suitable to eat on this particular meal plan.
Salmon, haddock, prawns, mussels, crab, trout and barramundi are all tasty and nutritious whole food options suitable for the diet.
It’s important to remember that eating Paleo does NOT mean eating plain or boring.
Seafood lovers should try this recipe for Mango BBQ prawns served with lashings of vegetables and avocado.
Seriously, how good does this look!
For the mango BBQ sauce, all you need is a full mango (finely chopped), a tablespoon of organic tomato paste, two tablespoons of water, a chili powder and a quarter of an onion (diced).
Heat all ingredients over a medium heat, stirring every so often until soft.
Blend the mixture in a food processor and use to marinate the prawns for a couple of hours before cooking.
Add some broccolini and substitute cauliflower rice for traditional processed white grains on the side and voila – you’re good to go!
Eggs
Free-range, pastured or omega-3 enriched eggs are all a Paleo dieters best friend!
Dubbed “nature’s perfect food” by Paleo Leap, eggs are essential for proper functioning brain, cell and nervous system health as well as aiding bone growth and general energy production.
Eggs can be cooked in a variety of ways – boiled, baked, poached or fried.
They are also great to use as the focal point of a meal in place of heavy, refined carbs.
Take the loaded sweet potato and egg recipe from Star Infinite Food below.
Packed with goodness, all you need are two sweet potatoes, asparagus, fresh kale, avocado, egg and some chili flakes to garnish.
Bake the sweet potatoes – skins still on – for 22 minutes and steam the vegetables.
Mash the avocado and hard boil two or three eggs to fill the potatoes with.
Season with salt, pepper and chili for a simple, easy Paleo lunch.
The Paleo diet sounds a bit tricky – what snacks can I eat on the go?
Sonya Angelone, spokeswoman for the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietitics, admitted “snacks can seem like a challenge” on the Paleo diet.
But for every challenge there is a solution, and Women’s Health have helpfully created a list of Paleo-approved light bites to keep you going throughout the day.
Some of the favourite snacks among Paleo dieters include deviled eggs topped with paprika, sriracha, lemon or avocado; baked chicken tenders with a (Paleo-friendly) honey mustard dip; crispy sweet potato fries cooked with natural oil; and low-carb hummus made from cauliflower, lemon and tahini.
You can read the full list here, which includes delicious Paleo desserts like gluten-free, dairy-free lemon bars, homemade grain-free protein bars and more-ish apple and almond butter bites.
Banana pancakes made with unsweetened almond milk are another favourite in the Paleo community – just like the ones below!
If you simply haven’t got time to rustle up Paleo treats, you can always opt for some naturally Paleo snacks like..
Fruit, nuts and seeds
Apples, bananas, oranges, pears, strawberries, blueberries and plenty more are all acceptable light bites for Paleo dieters.
Likewise, nuts including almonds, macadamias, walnuts and hazelnuts are great simple solutions to hunger pangs.
Organic sunflower and pumpkin seeds are another easy snack that won’t add much to your waistline.
Are there any other treats I can enjoy on the Paleo diet?
A glass of good quality red wine is A-OK for Paleo dieters thanks to its rich nutrients and many antioxidants.
Dark chocolate – provided it is at least 70 percent cocoa – is also permitted in moderation.
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