Paleo

Paleo allows fresh meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, and eggs as primary protein sources, along with non-starchy vegetables, tubers like sweet potato, fruit, nuts and seeds (except peanuts), and oils such as olive, avocado, and coconut. Herbs, spices, vinegar, and unsweetened tea or coffee are generally accepted. Honey and maple syrup appear in some versions but are typically used sparingly.

Paleo excludes grains and legumes because they entered the human diet with agriculture and contain compounds like lectins, phytic acid, and gluten that the framework treats as problematic. Practically, this means no wheat, rice, oats, corn, lentils, chickpeas, beans, soy, or peanuts. The trade-off is losing inexpensive plant protein and the soluble fiber found in beans and oats, so vegetable and nut intake usually needs to rise to compensate.

Strict paleo excludes all dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, and butter, because dairying began with animal domestication. Some looser versions allow grass-fed butter, ghee, or fermented full-fat dairy if tolerated. Removing dairy lowers intake of calcium, vitamin D (when fortified), and iodine, so sardines with bones, leafy greens, almonds, and seafood become more important sources.

Paleo is lower in carbohydrates than a typical Western diet but not inherently low-carb like keto. Carbs come from fruit, sweet potato, squash, beets, and other vegetables, and intake can easily land in the 100–150 gram range or higher depending on portions. The glycemic load tends to be moderate because most carb sources arrive with fiber, water, and intact structure rather than as refined flour or sugar.