Paleo
The Paleolithic diet is built around the foods our hunter-gatherer ancestors might have eaten — meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds. Modern foods (grains, dairy, legumes, processed sugar) are excluded.
The evolutionary logic is debated, but the practical effect is a whole-foods diet that eliminates most processed and refined foods.
Macro split
Carbs
20–40%
Protein
30–35%
Fat
30–45%
- Meat (preferably grass-fed)
- Fish (preferably wild)
- Eggs
- Vegetables (any)
- Fruit (any)
- Nuts and seeds
- Healthy oils (olive, coconut, avocado)
- × Grains (wheat, rice, oats, corn)
- × Legumes (beans, peanuts, soy)
- × Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt)
- × Refined sugar
- × Processed foods
- × Vegetable oils (canola, soybean, corn)
CalPilot
Track Paleo in CalPilot
CalPilot logs your food in 3 seconds and auto-checks compatibility with your set diet. No manual lookup. No second-guessing.
What it is
A whole-foods diet that excludes grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugar, and processed foods. No specific macro split — eat the approved foods until satiety.
Pros
- Eliminates most processed foods naturally
- Whole-food focus simplifies decisions
- High protein and vegetable content
- Compatible with low-carb or higher-carb approaches
Cons
- ! Eliminates major food groups (legumes, dairy) without strong evidence
- ! Can be expensive (grass-fed meat, wild fish)
- ! Restrictive at restaurants
- ! Long-term sustainability for some
Best for
Anyone wanting a whole-foods elimination diet without strict carb restriction. Especially good for people sensitive to grains or dairy.
Research
Mixed. RCTs show paleo improves cardiometabolic markers in 6-12 weeks. Long-term outcomes equivalent to other whole-food diets.
How CalPilot helps
Paleo-compliant foods tagged in the database. Recipes flag any non-paleo ingredients. Photo logging spots grains, legumes, dairy automatically.