If you adhere to a Paleo diet, meal planning and grocery shopping are key.

Commonly typified as a Caveman Diet, this weight-loss plan only allows foods available in the Paleolithic age. Back then, there was little agriculture to speak of. Therefore, common staples, such as grains, sugar, or dairy, are prohibited by the Paleo Diet. Basically, if a Neanderthal couldn’t eat it, neither can you.

Not sure what this covers? Don’t run to Google just yet!

The Ultimate Paleo Diet Grocery List

Natural Meats

• Bacon
• Turkey
• Steak
• Bison
• Ground beef
• Chicken
• Pork

Eggs

Seafood and Fish

• Halibut
• Shrimp
• Lobster
• Salmon
• Tuna
• Tilapia
• Oysters
• Crab
• Clams

Fresh vegetables

• Spinach
• Carrots
• Artichoke hearts
• Peppers
• Cabbage
• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Brussels sprouts
• Broccoli
• Celery
• Cauliflower
• Parsley
• Zucchini
• Eggplant
• Celery

Starch-Heavy Vegetables

• Sweet potato
• Acorn squash
• Butternut squash
• Spaghetti squash
• Beets
• Yam

Fresh fruits

• Figs
• Apple
• Avocado
• Tangerine
• Bananas
• Mango
• Blackberries
• Oranges
• Papaya
• Peaches
• Plums
• Blueberries
• Grapes
• Strawberries
• Watermelon
• Pineapple
• Guava
• Lime
• Lemon
• Raspberries
• Cantaloupe
• Figs

Seeds and Nuts

• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Hazelnuts
• Cashews
• Pumpkin seeds
• Pecans
• Walnuts
• Pine nuts
• Macadamia nuts
• Sunflower seeds

Oils

• Walnut oil
• Coconut oil
• Avocado oil
• Macadamia oil
• Flaxseed
• Olive oil

Avoid These Foods While On the Paleo Diet:

• White Potatoes
• Dairy
• Grains
• Legumes
• Refined Sugar
• White Potatoes
• Salty Foods
• Processed Foods
• Refined Vegetable Oils

Does Paleo Eating Work?

The Paleo diet sprung from a belief that our bodies are slow to adapt to change. While we’re millenia past hunting and gatherings, our guts continue to live in the stone age. Robb Wolf, a well-known advocate of the Paleo diet puts it like this: “think of a 100-yard football field. The first 99.5 yards are how long Homo-Sapiens spent as hunter-gatherers. As they became REALLY good at hunting and gathering our bodies adapted to that lifestyle over thousands of years. That last half-yard represents our species after the agricultural revolution, where our diet has shifted (but our genetics haven’t).” This means that our bodies have no idea what to do with the processed foods so key to modern society.

Now you know the philosophy behind the Paleo diet. But, you may still be asking an important question: does it work? Authority Nutrition compiled the results from five Paleo diet studies in a recent article. Here’s what they found:

• Individuals on this diet lost weight and reduced their overall blood pressure.
• This diet amplified weight loss in diabetic patients
• The Paleo diet drastically reduced liver fat.
• Eating this diet leads to greater levels of sugar control

In short, the health benefits of the Paleo diet are well-established. Try it for a week and see how you feel!