68 Paleo Thanksgiving Recipes That Will Make the Diet Look Easy (2024)

FAQs

What is not allowed on a paleo diet? ›

Foods to avoid on the paleo diet

Legumes: beans, lentils, and many more. Dairy: most dairy, especially low fat dairy (some versions of paleo do include full-fat dairy like butter and cheese) Some vegetable oils: soybean oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil, and others.

A modern paleo diet includes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. These are foods that in the past people could get by hunting and gathering.

Eat white turkey meat rather than the dark stuff, which contains twice as much fat. If you're preparing the meal, cut back on salt and butter in the side dishes. Go for small amounts of cooked squash, sweet potato, white potato, beans and carrots.

Over time, people following the diet could see increases in cholesterol, particularly the less healthy cholesterol. This could increase the risk of heart disease. Not getting enough calcium increases the risk of osteoporosis, rickets, and bone fractures.

Foods allowed on the Paleo diet:

Grass-fed meat. Root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes. Free-range poultry and eggs. Nuts and seeds, plus unsalted butters made from them.

Many paleo followers wonder if bananas are paleo because of their higher sugar content. They are considered paleo. One medium banana has 113 calories, 2 grams of fiber and 26 grams of carbohydrates. Bananas are an unprocessed, whole food with a good source of potassium.

Peanuts are technically legumes, which are not paleo compliant, and that means peanut butter is off limits for paleo eaters. All other nuts and seeds are fair game, so if nuts and seeds are the only ingredients, snack away!

Nuts and seeds such as macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds play an important role on the paleo diet. As do healthy fats and oils from fruits or nuts (extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil coconut oil, walnut oil, etc.).

Mashed potatoes are a traditional Thanksgiving side dish for a reason, and we definitely look forward to serving up this delicious dish every November.

What is the unhealthiest Thanksgiving food? ›

Unhealthy: Stuffing

“Bacon, sausage, mince meat, giblets, and a variety of similar ingredients find their way into many a stuffing, which takes an already unhealthy dish — often topping 500 calories per serving, depending on the recipe — to an entirely new level of unhealthy,” she said.

It lacks nutrients

Healthy people who follow restrictive diets can be at risk of malnutrition. They risk mineral and vitamin deficiencies. Many non-paleo foods, such as legumes, dairy and grains, give you essential nutrients that keep you healthy.

While it has the benefit of promoting several high-protein and high-fiber foods that are also usually lower in fat and calories, experts say the paleo diet is too restrictive for long-term health and weight loss and doesn't have robust science backing up many of its purported health benefits.

Symptoms can include headaches, fatigue , weakness, hazy thinking (brain fog) and irritability, which can result from reducing carbohydrate intake. For somen, low-carb flu can take days to subside, but for others it can take a couple of weeks. Some may not even experience these symptoms are at all.

Risks with the paleo diet

“If you aren't getting dairy, legumes or whole grains, you may be at greater risk of deficiencies in calcium, vitamin D and B vitamins,” Shupe said. “Over time, this could put you at risk of developing osteoporosis and bone fractures .”