35 Essential Paleo-Friendly Groceries to Stock Up on — Whether or Not You’ve Gone Paleo

published Jan 16, 2020
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The premise of the Paleo diet is that you eat the way that your Paleolithic (or Stone Age-era) ancestors ate. That means choosing grass-fed meat, free-range poultry, wild-caught seafood, lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts, and so-called natural sweeteners (honey, maple syrup, etc.).

What can’t you eat when you’re on the Paleo diet? Legumes, grains, processed foods, artificial sweeteners, or vegetable oils. Some Paleo followers say you also need to be mindful of your salt intake because our Paleolithic ancestors didn’t consume nearly as much sodium as we do. 

Our Best Paleo Recipes

If you channel what your cavemen ancestors had access to and stick to whole foods, closest to their original or natural state, shopping shouldn’t be all that hard. To help you, though, we’ve put together this grocery list.  

Credit: Joe Lingeman

Produce

All fruits and vegetables are OK when you’re following the Paleo diet. Ideally, you’ll purchase fresh, in-season produce at your local grocery store. These packaged products, however, can help make sticking to your Paleo plan a little easier. 

Credit: Joe Lingeman

Meat, Poultry, Eggs, and Other Proteins

Look for terms like “wild,” “line-caught,” “grass-fed,” and “free range,” when selecting proteins. And remember, soy is off limits.  

Dairy

There’s no dairy on the Paleo diet because our ancestors didn’t eat it. But you can consume dairy alternatives so long as they’re grain- and legume-free. 

Credit: Lauren Masur

Pantry Staples

A stocked pantry is key to making sure you can cook all those meats and veggies. You clearly won’t need all of these items, so take your pick!

Credit: Grace Rasmus

Snacks

Because you’re supposed to avoid processed foods on the Paleo diet (ahem, our ancestors did not have them!), you’ll want to choose snacks that are as close to their whole food state as possible. You also want to avoid additives and “non-natural” sugars. Here are a few Paleo snacks we couldn’t live without.

Are you going Paleo in 2020? What’s on your grocery list?

Credit: Kitchn