Fuel

What foods are considered primal? In a nutshell: the foods that provide the true fuel our bodies need. We can get all of our nutritional needs from meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts and berries.

Numerous articles on this site discuss in detail the wonderful foods our ancestors ate to replenish their bodies. These are the foods we should still be eating, instead of the non-nutritional, empty "foods" we find in boxes at the grocery stores today.

Below are some basic primal fuel guidelines. You can also download our Live Primal Fuels and Recipe Book that includes these lists.

Good Fuel

MEATS:

Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Beef, Pork, Lamb, Veal, Venison, Elk, All other types of game meat, All types of: Fish, Crustaceans, Mollusks (avoid canned and smoked due to salt)

FRUIT/SWEETENERS:

Tomato, Avocado, Lemon/lime, Apple, Apricot, Banana, All berries, All melons, Fig, Grapefruit, Guava, Mango, Kiwi, Nectarine, Orange, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Plum, Pomegranate, Tangerine, Watermelon, Dried fruits (in moderation due to sugar content), Raw honey (in moderation), Stevia herb (in moderation)

VEGETABLES:

Artichoke, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Collards, Cucumber, Eggplant, Endive, Kale, Lettuce, Mushroom, Mustard greens, Onions, Parsley, Parsnip, All peppers, Pumpkin, Radish, Seaweed, Spinach, Squash (all kinds). Watercress

NUTS/SEEDS/OILS/EGGS:

All eggs, Almonds, Brazil nuts, Chestnuts, Hazelnuts, Macadamia nuts, Pecans, Pine nuts, Pistachios, Walnuts, Chia seeds, Flax seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, Almond butter, Nut flours (almond, pecan, chestnut), Olive oil, Coconut oil

Not So Good Fuel


GRAINS:

barley, bran, bulgur, corn (maize), hominy, oats, rice, rye, wheat, wheat germ this includes all processed breads, pastas, noodles, cereals, flours, baked goods, etc.), grain-like seeds including amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa

BEANS/LEGUMES:

alfalfa, beans (string, kidney, garbanzo, black, etc.), peas, black-eye peas, chickpeas, snow peas, snap peas, lentils, peanuts, peanut butter, cashews, soybeans and all soy products, including tofu, carob, clover, lupins, mesquite

TUBERS/STARCH:

potatoes and all potato products (french fries, potato chips, etc.), sweet potatoes, tapioca pudding, yamsarrowroot, water chestnuts

DAIRY/SUGAR/ADDITIVES/FATS:

milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, cream, all processed foods made with dairy, salt and all processed foods coated with salt (dressings, bacon, hot dogs, pickled foods, salted nuts, etc.), sugar and all foods made with sugar (including soft drinks and "fruit" drinks), honey, vinegar, fermented food/beverages (wine, beer, spirits), vegetable oils, trans fat (shortening, margarine), chemical food additives, excessive added fat and preservatives (pretty much anything you find in a box)