Evolutionarily Appropriate, "Paleo" Foods

The best choices are at the top

Food Type Pros Cons
Sardines Seafood omega-3 fatty acids, sodium, iodine, lower on food chain = fewer environmental contaminants potential environmental contaminants
Buffalo Meat Grassfed = higher in omega-3 fatty acids and lower in omega-6, sustainable, wild, no drugs or hormones, high in iron
Wild Boar Meat Truly wild boar is sustainable, especially since it is an invasive and destructive species in many areas. High in healthy fats. farmed wild boar is often fed grain, which makes it too high in omega-6 fatty acids, really only good if it is actually wild wild boar. Relatively lean, so you can't cook it like regular pork.
Oysters Seafood zinc, iron, calcium, vitamin A, taurine, B12 environmental contamination
Wild Salmon Seafood Bioavailable omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, Alaskan fishery highly sustainable Potential environmental contaminants
Wild Shrimp Seafood Omega-3, minerals, tryptophan, vitamin D, protein Environmental contamination, common allergen
Pastured Lamb Meat Good omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, CLA, tons of vitamins and minerals
Shiitake mushrooms Fungi close to being a wild food, lentinan compound may strengthen immune system, antioxidants,
Grassfed and Finished Beef Meat Part of sustainable agricultural system, relatively high in omega-3 fatty acids/low in omega-6, conjugated linoleic acid (only found in pastured animals) known to reduce cancer risk, more vitamin E bovine serum albumin can cause allergies
Squash Fruit Vitamins, minerals, can calm upset stomach Can be high in sugars depending on type, some may quibble it's a "New World" food and would not have been available to our ancestors
Cumin Spice antioxidant, reduces blood glucose levels in diabetics, shown to have anticancer effects in some studies, animal studies show it could stimulate bile acid secretion and pancreatic enzymes Did paleolithic people use spices? Who knows, but either way they are outside efficient foraging theory because of medicinal and flavor value. Regardless, the evidence is that cumin is harmless.
Wakame, kombu, hijiki, and other seaweeds Sea Vegetable iodine, sodium, calcium, zinc, iron, bioavailable protein environmental contamination, too much iodine if eaten in excessive quantities, lignans (a phytoestrogen), some difficult to digest sugars
Coconut Nut High in healthy saturated fats, potassium some people are sensitive to fructose (digestive problems) and salicylates
Pastured Pork Meat High in delicious fat, sustainable A very small group of people is sensitive to amines, which are present in meat that is not perfectly fresh
Pastured Chicken Meat Protein, folate, tons of other vitamins and minerals Relatively high in omega-6, very different from wild fowl
Grain Finished Beef Meat high in omega-6 fatty acids
Macadamia nuts Nut High in monosaturated fats, low in omega-6 fats, relatively low in antinutrients compared to other nuts
Poultry Eggs Egg Choline, protein, fats membranolytic proteins, such as lysozyme16, that break cell membranes and may contribute to leaky gut
Chives and other wild and semi-wild alliums Root vitamin B, vitamin C and small amounts of minerals
Kale Leaf Large amounts of vitamins, anti-cancer phytonutrients Raffinose can cause gas, oxalates
Blueberries Fruit Vitamins Sugar, as always, the smaller and bluer wild blueberries are healthier
Onions Root vitamin B, vitamin C and small amounts of minerals relatively high in fructose and other fibers= can cause err...stomach problems, raw onions may disturb intestinal flora
Carrots (Daucus carota) Root High in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants Small amounts of oxalic acid, sugars
Yams Tuber Some anthropologists contend that tubers were a major part of the ancestral diet, Kitavans are healthy traditional diet population that relies on them, net base yielding Others point out that they contain no essential nutrients and make no sense in terms of human evolution, starch linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome, goitrogens
Taro (Colocasia esculenta) Root Eating by the Kitavans and other healthy tropical populations, fermented taro = poi is probiotic, rich in potassium Inedible raw, high in carbohydrates
Avocado Fruit tasty source of plant fats New world food that evolved to attract giant sloths probably consumed first by humans 10,000 years ago, very high in omega-6, persin toxin can cause allergic reactions, tyramine can cause high blood pressure (rare),
Cashews Nut high in copper and magnesium inedible in the wild, high in omega-6 fatty acids, oxalates present
Almonds Nut Vitamin E High in Omega-6 fatty acids, tannins (rob body of protein), phytic acid (rob body of minerals)
Peppers Fruit Vitamins, minerals, tasty, antioxidants Topical, mucosal, and GI irritations in sensitive individuals, solanine linked to arthritis, "New World"
Salt Mineral Some people (like me) have hypotension (seems to have a genetic factor), healthy kidneys (of person who eats the right diet, is not vitamin D deficient, exercises) should be able to deal with it Causes hypertension in some people = strokes and heart attacks, most diets net acid producing and do not have the sort of potassium to sodium ratio our ancestors did, would have been rare in ancestral diets, linked to stomach irritation
Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) Spice Some studies show anticancer properties Potential GI irritant, extreme amounts linked to esophageal cancer
Cinnamon Spice Shown to help diabetics lower blood sugar, antioxidant Can be a GI and kidney irritant, many people allergic, oil is the most harsh
Factory Farmed Pork Meat Cheap High in omega-6 fatty acids, added hormones, environmental contaminants

Not Paleo

Food Type Pros Cons
Dairy, in general Definitely Not Paleo tons of nutrients, especially in raw milk, delicious, nomads who rely on it are generally pretty healthy Large % of the population is lactose intolerant= damage to digestive system for those who are lactose intolerant, cocktail of hormones meant for growing cow, betacellulin = hormone tied to cancers, casein shown to be addictive in some studies = esp. dangerous when combined with sugar like in milk chocolate
Potatoes Definitely Not Paleo Delicious....yes, that's a legit pro! High in carbohydrates, glycoalkaloid antinutrient can lead to leaky gut and possibly contribute to arthritis, paleolithic people would probably have eaten tubers, but not stem tubers like potatoes
Fermented Soy Definitely Not Paleo folate, vitamins, minerals, protein, sometimes probiotic fermentation destroys some, but not all of soy's toxic compounds, can still cause stomach upset
Olives and Olive Oil Definitely Not Paleo antioxidants, tasty high in omega-6 fatty acids, olives are only edible when pickled or made into oil, high in sodium
Legumes: peas, beans, peanuts, etc. Definitely Not Paleo Protein, vitamins, minerals, when soaked/fermented they have fewer cons Lectins and saponins linked to leaky gut syndrome (possible cause of autoimmune issues and digestive disorders), can cause upset and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, high in omega-6 fatty acids that can cause inflammation and spoil easily
Chocolate Definitely Not Paleo extremely delicious to most humans, antioxidants, a few minerals caffeine, addictive, definitely not paleo as it is a new world food and also must undergo a fermentation for consumption, may be a digestive system irritant, most chocolate contains small amounts of lead, not appetizing unless consumed with large amounts of sugars
Sesame Seeds Definitely Not Paleo iron, antioxidants Paleolithic people would probably not have bothered/been able to gather tiny seeds like this esp. in large amts, high in omega-6 fatty acids, large amounts of antinutrient phytic acid which inhibit mineral absorption,
Flaxseeds Definitely Not Paleo omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, manganese omega 3 fatty acids barely bioavailable by human body compared to those found in fish, high fiber can cause bloating, cyanogenic compounds in raw seeds, fats spoil quickly in ground seed, potential prostate cancer risk
Hemp Definitely Not Paleo Has some omega-3 fatty acids, protein High in omega-6 fatty acids, prone to oxidation (spoilage) especially since ridiculous US law prohibits selling intact seeds and most products sold in the US have been sitting unrefrigerated on shelves for who knows how long
Unfermented Soy Definitely Not Paleo folate, vitamins, minerals, protein Phytoestrogens that disrupt endocrine function and are potent antithyroid agents, pesticides used on non-organic soy, reduced bioavailablity of minerals due to phytic acid, protease inhibitors tied to cancer
Wheat and other gluten grains Definitely Not Paleo fermented grains may have fewer antinutrients, prebiotic 1 out of 100 people is gluten intolerant (celiac) and many more may be gluten sensitive = both conditions very much underdiagnosed and can cause longterm damage and death, antinutrients like phytic acid and lectins are known to damage the gut, high in omega-3 fatty acids, other foods have more nutrients without the downsides of gluten