The Paleo diet in simple words is quoted as ” Eat like your ancestors and lose weight”. This is one of the most popular diets in the wellness world. Hence this Indian version of paleo diet was designed for our readers. It preaches to eat more of whole and unprocessed foods in the day to day routine. The diet claims that by eating like our ancestors, we will be leaner and less likely to get diabetes and other degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart problem, and various health complications.
So, in this health column, we are going to talk about Paleo diet, it’s pros and cons and most important about the Indian version of Paleo diet.
Indian Version of Paleo Diet
Paleo diet is all about eating like our ancestors. It is all about eating raw and unprocessed food. Meat, Fish, Eggs, chicken, fruits and vegetables,nuts,seeds,healthy fats and oils. While avoiding all Packaged and processed foods, soft drinks, most dairy products,legumes,artificial sweeteners,vegetable oils and trans fats.
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Foods to avoid while following Indian Version of Paleo Diet
- Packaged and Processed foods – Focus on food labeling. Do smart grocery shopping. Everything that is labeled “Fat-free or Low fat” or “Diet food” should be eliminated from the diet as they contain artificial ingredients which are bad for health.
- Vegetable oils – Canola oil, Soybean, Corn oil and other such oils should be avoided.
- Artificial sweeteners – Aspartame, Sucrose, Saccharin, Acesulfame, cyclamates and potassium.
- Trans Fats – Found in various processed foods and margarine.
- Sugary products- soft drinks, packaged juices, candy, pastries, fruit yogurt and much more.
- Grains and legumes – Beans, lentils, breads, pasta, buns etc.
Other products could be dairy products , refined products (as mentioned above), potatoes and much use of salt. If you want to avoid these ingredients, then do check the food label and encourage smart grocery shopping .
Foods To Eat While on Indian version of Paleo Diet
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Plan your Indian Version of Paleo Diet on basis of real and unprocessed food.
- Meats – Turkey, bacon, beef
- Poultry – chicken and Pasteurized and organic eggs
- Sea foods – Fish and other Sea foods
- Healthy Fats – cooking oils such as olive oil, coconut oil etc.
- Vegetables: Always choose seasonal vegetables
- Fruits: Always choose seasonal fruits
- Roots and Tubers: potatoes, yams, turnips etc.
- Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, cashew, walnuts , sunflower , flax seed seed etc.
- Salts and Spices:Himalayan salt, garlic, low sodium salt, turmeric, herbs etc.
Try to include organic, natural food groups if you can afford it, if not , then just make sure to reduce all the junk and process.
Indian Version Of Paleo diet Shopping List
This simple shopping list can give you the idea about paleo foods.
- Meat, beef, lamb, chicken
- Salmon, mackerel
- Eggs
- Fresh vegetables, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, broccoli, bell peppers
- Fruits such as apples, oranges, avocados, pears, pomegranate
- Berries such as strawberries.
- Nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashew
- Olive oil
- Sweet potatoes
- Coconut oil
It is a good idea to eliminate all unhealthy temptations from your homes like ice-creams, chocolates, candies, sodas, pastries, refined products, and breads.
A Sample One week Indian Version of Paleo Diet
This plan contains a balanced amount of paleo foods.You are free to change according to your preferences.
Monday
- Breakfast- Eggs and sauteed vegetables cooked in olive oil, 1 fruit, and 5 soaked almonds.
- Lunch– Chicken salad with handful of nuts.
- Dinner- Steamed /grilled fish with sauteed veggies.
Tuesday
- Breakfast- Scrambled egg with lot of vegetables.
- Lunch– Fish Salad/Chicken salad.
- Dinner– Roasted chicken and vegetables with a bowl of homemade mushroom soup.
Wednesday
- Breakfast-Egg omelet, 1 bowl of watermelon and ½ tsp flax seeds.
- Lunch–Green beans salad with grilled chicken pieces.
- Dinner–Baked fish with 1 bowl of cauliflower soup
Thursday
- Breakfast– Baked egg and broccoli
- Lunch– Fish avocado lettuce wraps
- Dinner– Stir fried meat and vegetables
Friday
- Breakfast: Bell pepper egg omelette
- Lunch: Spicy pepper chicken stir fry
- Dinner: Chicken Chettinad (South Indian dish) with sauteed veggies
Saturday
- Breakfast: Scrambled egg with sweet potato
- Lunch: Citrus and herb chicken
- Dinner: Baked fish with lemon and thyme
Sunday
- Breakfast: Boiled egg with tomatoes and onions
- Lunch: chicken with roasted tomatoes
- Dinner: keema with coconut curry and veggies
Simple Mid-day Snacks to include in your paleo diet
There is no need to stick to three meals a day. You can easily include mid-morning and evening snack depending upon your hunger.Here is some list of snacks which are easy and portable.
- Carrots/cucumbers
- Eggs in boiled form
- Handful of nuts/seeds
- Any seasonal fruit e.g in summers-grab oranges, banana, kiwis, pomegranate, apples
- Home-made soups such as broccoli, mushroom, vegetable soup and clear soup. Avoid using various sauces and creams during its preparation.To make it more healthy and light, you can easily add natural herbs in the soup with less spices.
Visiting a restaurant while on Paleo diet
- Order chicken /grilled fish with a lot of side veggies.
- You can order soup but without any creamy dressing.
- Get extra vegetables instead of breads and rice.
- If possible, ask them to cook food in olive oil.
Does Paleo Diet really work?
Eliminating all the processed foods and grains from diet will definitely give you results in weight management. But on the other hand, it would be tough to take it in long run. As there is a lot of dietary restrictions and limitations.
Is it good for certain medical conditions?
There are many foreign authors who research and quoted this diet to be useful in many medical conditions.They claim that paleo diet lowers the risk of blood pressure, heart problem, acne, inflammation and weight loss. But it is always better to check with your nutritionist/doctor before starting any new diet plan.
Final word on Indian Version of Paleo Diet
If you’re ready to spend money on whole and unprocessed foods, also ready to dedicate time in the kitchen.And more over , you are a non -vegetarian, Then this Indian version of Paleo diet is perfect for your weight management issues.
To fill your nutrition needs, you can add various supplements to your diet only on an advice of your nutritionist. These supplements could be calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B, and folate.
Lastly, if you prefer more flexible approach for weight loss that focuses less on meat intake and offers more variety in plan, then look for another plan. After doing Indian version of paleo diet plan , you can shift to our various other weight loss plans
- Indian version of Ketogenic Diet
- GM diet plan for weight loss for vegetarians
- Indian version of GM diet plan for Non vegetarians
- General 1200 calorie Indian diet plan for weight loss
- How to lose weight effectively
Hi , Myself mini & i want to reduce around 7 Kg weight with Paleo Diet . Can u please help me with the diet chart for me.
I can eat egg but intake of fish & chicken is limited for me as i dont intake that too much.
Can u pls help me with the diet plan
Hi Mini ,
you can use the pdiet plan mentioned above . paleo acually consists of eating too much non – veg , hence you will have to eat these foods.
Hello,
I would like to know the time gap between each meal if you can mention.
Rajasree
it is 3 hours .
Did sugar patient follow this diet method?
Hi Radha ,
For a diabetic , it is always best to follow a balanced low cal diet for weight loss. check this – https://www.dietburrp.com/indian-diet-plan-for-diabetes/
hi am thyroid patient with PCOD. I want reduce 20kg. please advise.
Thank you for reading at Dietburrp. Walking or exercising for 45 mins everyday will help you in a good way to lose weight. along with the exercise you also need follow a healthy regime. You can find some basic and important tips for weight loss in this article here – http://www.dietburrp.com/top-10-weight-loss-tips/ if you want me to analyse your regime and plan a diet plan personalized for you, please see this page. – http://www.dietburrp.com/diet-services/
Or You can try following the diet plan mentioned above in the article.- http://www.dietburrp.com/indian-diet-plan-for-weight-loss/ this is a general 1200 calorie diet plan and has helped many. it may be of help to you as well.
I’m a vegetarian, could suggest me more choices of food in the Paleo diet?
Shall rice and rice batter allowed in this diet?
Hi Madan ,
i am afraid not allowed
Hi,I’m patient of autoimmune disease granulumatosis polyangititis.i am on steroids and immunosuppressant medicines.kindly guide me about anti inflammatory diet.
Hi Fareeha ,
Thank you for reading at dietburrp . i am afraid , we will not be able to help you in this regard . please contact any clinical dietician in your city
Hi I would like to reduce my weight,My height is 165 Cms and weight is 78 kgs.I know i am in the entry level of obesity but i would like to reduce it using paleo diet.I am non vegetarian and can you please chart a diet plan for 30 days (indian version).Kindly do the needful.
Hi Karthikeyan , check this – https://www.dietburrp.com/diet-services/
My husband is 129 kg and height of 172 cm.Can he have veg salads in between ,incase he feels it’s not sufficient for him.
As per Myfitness Pal he can have 2200 calories a day to lose .5kg a week .
Hi Priya , yes he can have.
i hope he is exercising too , at this weight , exercise it important to make sure the fat calories are burnt first . Rather , he does not need to follow paleo or keto , or any sch set diet so early in his weight loss journey . If he is free from medical conditions , he should just follow a restrictive 1500 calorie diet plan along with walking as exercises . this will make him lose the frst 15 – 20 kgs easily without having to go into hardships of such strict diet charts.
Payal, you advise not to eat processed food like all purpose flour (maida), sugar and butter. But your soup recipes given above has all these ingredients. Its contradictory. How do you justify?
Hello Mrs Rao ,
Thank you for reading at dietburrp. I am grateful to you for bringing it to my notice . Actually the links given for the soup recipes. These soup receipes are general soup. They were not specially planned for paleo diet . hence my linking these recipes to paleo was not right. But you have brought it to my notice , and i shall remove them . Thank you once again .
Hello Mam,
Myself Faizan Malik. I am 20 years old and I am training to be a boxer.
I was following the normal diet plan of low carbs and high protein, and recently I found that I’m losing my strength and not able to complete my tasks and perform properly.
A friend of mine recommended the palio diet and I found your article here.
I personally feel it’s quite expensive and time-consuming as I go to college as well.
So is there any easy and an alternative way to gain my strength back?
I’d appreciate any kind of help from your side.
Hi Faizan ,
no , you dont need a paleo odiet for your boxing . eat healthy and balanced diet carbs are important as pre practice meal . so if you practise in the evening , your pre practice meal should be 1 hour before the practice time , and you need to include some complex carbs in this meal for strength . rest of the day have more protein .
Hi there ..
i hav underactive thyroid .. i excercise too and trying to follow a reasonable diet.. but my weight loss is very slow and comes back even with a Little bit of cheat meal .. iam 5 ‘3 and my weight is 76 kg .. can I start with paleo diet??
Hi Heena ,
yes you can start with paleo diet . it should help . but follow it for a short span .
hi payal,
iam 42 years old. my height is 165 cms. my weight is 71kgs. i would like to know what my ideal weight is. i would like to follow paleo diet for reducing my weight. plse let me know what i should do
Hi Asha ,
you ideal weight is height in cm minus 100 . so your ideal weight range is (55-65 kgs ) you will be in your normal BMI if you are in this weight range . Yes you can follow paleo diet . if you are a non – vegetarian , you must try our keto diet .
I’m 27years old. My weight is 65′. I want to reduce my tummy.I have a big tummy. I have two kids. After two kids I got a big tummy .Will this diet will be k for me. Or else the exercise.
Hi Balgees ,
Yes you can use this diet plan for weight loss . this indian paleo diet will also help in losing belly fat / tummy fat . you can also check these articles . –
https://www.dietburrp.com/how-to-lose-tummy-fat/
https://www.dietburrp.com/tips-to-lose-belly-fat/
Hi,
I have few questions
1. Is there any limit for chicken/meat intake per day or is it unlimited ?
2. What can be approximate weight loss I can expect if I follow paleo for a month ?
3. Is barbecue, grill and tandoori chicken/meat paleo? Can I intake mayonnaise along with it?
4. Should I exercise parallely along with my paleo diet plan ?
Hi Mam,
This is Sibi, Iam 20 years old. My weight is 80 kgs ,I want to reduce my weight by 5 to 10 kgs. I have few doubts about paleo diet.
1. What is the limit for meat/chicken intake per day or is it unlimited ?
2. Does grill and tandoori meat/ chicken varieties paleo? can we intake mayonnaise along with it ?
3. Approximately How much weight loss I can expect if I follow paleo for 30 days ?
4. Should I exercise parallely along with my paleo diet ?
Hi Sibi ,
Please find my replies below .
1. What is the limit for meat/chicken intake per day or is it unlimited ?
– there isnt any set limit as such . but our mind itself knows where to stop . the moment you feel that you are going over board , you should stop .
2. Does grill and tandoori meat/ chicken varieties paleo? can we intake mayonnaise along with it ?
– yes grilled , tandoori and barbequed chicken is allowed . no mayonnaise , cheese , and any other fattening dips are not allowed.
3. Approximately How much weight loss I can expect if I follow paleo for 30 days ?
– 4 kgs in a month . or even more , depending on your body type. the rate differs in person to person .
4. Should I exercise parallely along with my paleo diet ?
– ofcourse . a 45 mins workout session is a must .
I am a 20 year old with a weight of 86 kg,being obese from my childhood,is it possible to reduce around 20 kg,by following paleo diet.
People say since you are obese from an young age, paleo does not work with you.Is this true?
Many of my friends who follow paleo diet intake lots of butter and paneer,but in the above diet regime you told,you should not take butter or fatty dips.Is that so?
Hi Apeksha ,
Your friends are probably following keto diet . Looking at your age , i will ask you to not get duped by any such diets . the best approach for your weight loss will be by following a 1 hour workout routine every day along with a balanced diet with less calories.
I am 42 and 71 kgs. I I would like to follow paleo diet. Generally I drink 2teas and 1 coffee. Is this allowed in the diet.
Also is palm sugar allowed?
Hi Monica ,
sugar in any form is better avoided in this diet . caffeine too is not allowed in this . however , if you cannot do without it , you can have 1 cup of tea or coffee once in a day .
Hi Payal,
Can u suggest is there any restriction on the vegetable or fruit we consume? If yes, what is the restriction?
none , just use fresh veggies and fruits , naturally grown / organic !