Everyone has different ideas about what eating healthy means. Some people fill their plates with veggies, while others avoid saturated fats. Your best nutritional options will always depend on your health goals, but comparing popular diets can make your decision easier. Learning what the paleo diet is and how you could enjoy it in your everyday life might broaden your nutritional horizon before making your next dietary change.

What Is the Paleo Diet?

The paleo diet is an eating style modeled after how humans likely ate during the Paleolithic era 2.5 million years ago. People became aware of the concept sometime during the 1970s, but it took off as a popular diet trend after a bestselling book described the process in 2002. The novel approach with a historical perspective intrigues people who may be tired of focusing on caloric deficits or restricted food groups.

Why Do People Love It?

People love eating paleo meals and snacks for a variety of reasons. Uncovering why it remains a popular eating style could show you if it’s the next best step for your nutritional needs.

1. It Includes Lots of Whole Foods

If you’re exhausted by restrictive eating or expensive diets, you’ll likely enjoy the numerous whole foods that fall under the paleo umbrella. Whenever it’s time to restock your groceries, you can fill your cart with things like:

• Veggies
• Fruits
• Eggs
• Nuts and seeds
• Fish
• Lean meats
• Fruit or nut oils

Choosing whole foods over processed groceries is the root of many paleo diet benefits. If you opt for more vegetables for snacks instead of sweet treats, you may decrease your risk of diabetes because you’re eating less added sugar. The results depend on your health history.

2. Recipes Are Typically Easy

Some diets come with elaborate meal preparation. You don’t need to deal with that if you eat a paleo diet. You’ll only have to throw a few ingredients together to make something to eat. Your day could start with sausage and fruit, continue with a cobb salad and end with steak and squash. Use canned meats or frozen paleo meals when you want. No matter how you like to cook, you can make paleolithic recipes work for you.

3. You Could Lose Weight Without Trying

Carb-heavy foods and sugary ingredients can cause blood sugar spikes. As your body tries to regulate your blood sugar, it may store the extra sweeteners in fat cells. When you’re eating paleo foods that are naturally lower in carbs and sugar, you could improve your insulin resistance, have fewer blood sugar increases and lose weight. Your diet may not affect your blood sugar as dramatically, helping your body reduce how much fat storage it needs to create.

4. There’s No Rush to Get It Perfect

You may have tried some diets that required a complete lifestyle overhaul. Some nutritional guidelines require perfection immediately, like going vegan. People who start eating paleo foods don’t share the same pressure. You can implement it slowly by changing one meal a day or even once a week. See what you like before continuing with another change. You’ll likely form new habits more easily and stick with your diet long-term if that’s your goal.

5. Paleo Options Are Widely Available

It might seem like a specialized diet would be challenging to maintain, but paleo eating has been around for decades. You’ll find many options available at restaurants, especially those already serving health-conscious crowds. Paleo foods are even part of many food delivery services, which simplifies the diet even more. You won’t have to worry about feeling too restricted when you want to order food or go to a restaurant.

Pros and Cons of Going Paleo

You should have a broad perspective of the paleo diet before trying it. Reading about the pros and cons will clarify what you might experience.

Pro: Heart Health Often Improves With Paleo Food

Strengthening your cardiovascular health is one of the potential paleo diet benefits you could experience if you stick with it long-term. Research from 2021 found that it can improve your heart health because it cuts out many foods that contribute to high cholesterol. If you’re not interested in keto or low-carb lifestyles to support your heart’s well-being, going paleo could be another alternative.

Con: You’ll Still Have to Cut Some Foods Out

Unfortunately, people who eat paleo meals and snacks still have to avoid some foods. The key is skipping anything you wouldn’t find in nature on its own. While you could come across eggs laid by wild chickens, you’re not going to find a loaf of bread or a bottle of milk in the woods. You’ll need to slowly remove some foods from your diet to be fully paleo, including:

• Processed grains
• Bread
• Pasta
• Legumes
• Dairy products
• Added salt

You don’t have to stop eating those foods simultaneously. The shock of your system might even make it harder to stick with paleo foods. If you start slowly, you’ll find other recipes you love that won’t make you feel like you’re missing out on tasty foods.

Pro: You May Feel Full Longer

Eating more vegetables means you’ll likely get more fiber in your daily diet. The change can help you feel full longer than before because fiber slows down the digestive processes. If you’ve tried sticking with guidelines from low-fat, carnivore or gluten-free diets and always felt hungry, the fiber naturally present in paleo foods could make this your most successful nutritional change yet.

Con: People Sometimes Need Vitamin Supplements

Opting out of dairy products means you’ll get less calcium and vitamin D in your diet if you enjoy milk and cheese every day before changing your eating habits. You may need to take some vitamin or nutrient supplements to find that balance again. Consult your doctor if you have any concerns about your nutrient intake. They can test a blood sample and tell you exactly which minerals you need, so you’re not guessing about your health.

Explore Potential New Ways of Eating

Eating like people may have done 2.5 million years ago could be a refreshing change of pace for your health. The paleo diet benefits may help you achieve your personal goals. Make an appointment with your primary care provider or a nutritionist if you have any questions.