The Paleo Diet: A Whole Foods Approach to Better Health

Posted on January 8, 2018

by Amber B

The Paleolithic Diet, or Paleo for short, is a popular gluten-free diet with a focus on eating as our paleolithic ancestors ate: this includes lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. It is a gluten-free, dairy-free diet that does not require calorie counting or portioning, so it is perfect for busy people on the go. According to the Mayo Clinic, following the Paleo Diet has been clinically shown to have the following health benefits:

  • Weight loss
  • Improved glucose tolerance
  • Better blood pressure control
  • Lower triglycerides
  • Better appetite management

In January 2017, I read Loren Cordain’s The Paleo Diet after making a New Year’s resolution to eat more whole foods and lower my hereditary high cholesterol. After following the diet for a year, my cholesterol has decreased by fifty points, my sugar cravings are gone, I have more energy, and I have lost weight. Giving up the typical American diet was a challenge at first, but our library collection offers dozens of excellent Paleo cookbooks that help you find flavorful, satisfying alternatives.
Thinking of trying the Paleo Diet for better health and weight loss? Check out a list of my favorite cookbooks for the paleo beginner to the discerning foodie.

Getting Started: Paleo Diet Basics

The paleo approach cookbook : a detailed guide to heal your body and nourish your soul / Sarah Ballantyne, PhD of ThePaleoMom.com

The Paleo Approach Cookbook: a Detailed Guide to Heal your Body and Nourish your Soul by Sarah Ballantyne, PhD

The Paleo Approach Cookbook walks you through which foods you should eat to calm your immune system, reduce inflammation, and help your body heal itself. There’s no need to worry that “going Paleo” will break the bank or require too much time in the kitchen preparing special foods. In The Paleo Approach Cookbook, Dr. Ballantyne provides expert tips on how to make the switch easily and economically. She explains how to stay within your food budget, how to make the best use of your time in the kitchen, and where to shop for what you need. Complete food lists, shopping guides, and meal plans take the guesswork out of eating to maximize healing. Don’t know how to cook? Dr. Ballantyne walks you through essential kitchen techniques, from chopping vegetables to using a pressure cooker safely. Armed with more than 200 delicious recipes, from breakfast staples to decadent desserts, you can reverse your disease and love every bite!

The Paleo diet : lose weight and get healthy by eating the foods you were designed to eat / Loren Cordain

The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat by Loren Cordain, Ph.D.

Eat for better health and weight loss the Paleo way with this revised edition of the bestselling guide-over 100,000 copies sold to date! Healthy, delicious, and simple, the Paleo Diet is the diet we were designed to eat. If you want to lose weight-up to 75 pounds in six months-or if you want to attain optimal health, The Paleo Diet will work wonders. Dr. Loren Cordain demonstrates how, by eating your fill of satisfying and delicious lean meats and fish, fresh fruits, snacks, and non-starchy vegetables, you can lose weight and prevent and treat heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome, and many other illnesses. This bestselling guide written by the world’s leading expert on Paleolithic eating has been adopted as a bible of the CrossFit movement.

This title is also available in eBook.

The Paleo Primer: a Jump-Start Guide to Losing Body Fat and Living Primally by Keris Marsden and Matt Whitmore

The Paleo Primer: a Jump-Start Guide to Losing Body Fat and Living Primally by Keris Marsden

The Paleo Primer is a great resource to help readers get quickly acquainted with the principles of Primal/paleo/evolutionary health living and eating. The first half of the book lays out the basics, with humorous and memorable cartoons to convey the key messages and lay the foundation for an effective daily routine. You’ll learn how to get your mind right for lifestyle transformation, understand which foods to eliminate and why, follow step-by-step plan to get started, and even enjoy a list of “lifesaving books and websites.” The recipes section contains over one hundred delicious, easy to prepare dishes that are organized into enticing categories like, “How to Pimp a Salad” and “Cheats of Champions”. The Paleo Primer also offers preparations suitable for busy weekdays, and others for relaxing weekends.

Super paleo snacks : 100 delicious low-glycemic, gluten-free snacks that will make living your paleo lifestyle simple & satisfying / Landria Voigt, C.H.H.C

Super Paleo Snacks: 100 Delicious Low-Glycemic, Gluten-Free Snacks that Will Make Living Your Paleo Lifestyle Simple & Satisfying by Landria Voigt, C.H.H.C.

What’s a Paleo-lover to do? Snacks are essential for making sure we get the proper amount of nutrients. They refuel our bodies and allow us to be productive at work, school and during fitness activities, but it’s so difficult to find a snack that isn’t processed, boxed, or GMO. You need snacks to feel good about eating, that are portable, appealing, inexpensive, and easy to make. That’s a tall order. Luckily, there is Landria Voigt’s Super Paleo Snacks. With over 100 recipes using Paleo superfoods like coconut, avocado, sweet potatoes, and almond, you will be on your way to amazing health benefits including reduced incidence of diabetes, autoimmune illnesses, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. These recipes are quick and easy to make, most take under 15 minutes to prepare!

Quick and Easy Paleo Meals for Families and People on the Go

Easy paleo : 70 delicious recipes / Jane Francisco editor in chief (Good Housekeeping)

Easy Paleo: 70 Delicious Recipes – Good Food Guaranteed, Jane Francisco editor (Good Housekeeping).

Going paleo is a great way to cut down on processed foods, limit salt, and eat more healthfully. And Good Housekeeping’s take on the popular new diet is surprisingly simple and flexible. From soups to nuts, smart-choice meats to chicken, plus plenty of fruits and veggies, more than 60 recipes show you a deliciously different path to wellness. Find out about the paleo advantage, how to stock the paleo pantry, and how to stick to paleo in the real world. The dishes include such mouthwatering choices as Lemon-Oregano Chicken with Mint Zucchini, Skewered Shrimp, Kale Chips, and Grilled Sweet Potatoes.Fast-forward to a thoroughly modern way to cook! Going paleo is a great way to cut down on processed foods, limit salt, and eat more healthfully. And Good Housekeeping’s take on the popular new diet is surprisingly simple and flexible. Anyone can do it. From soups to nuts, smart-choice meats to chicken, plus plenty of fruits and veggies, more than 60 recipes show you a deliciously different path to wellness. Find out about the paleo advantage, what to put in the paleo pantry, and how to stick to paleo in the real world. The featured dishes include such mouthwatering choices as Savory Pumpkin and Sage Soup, Lemon-Oregano Chicken with Mint Zucchini, Skewered Shrimp, Kale Chips, Cauliflower Tapenade, and Grilled Sweet Potatoes.

The 163 best paleo slow cooker recipes : 100% gluten-free / Judith Finlayson

The 163 Best Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes: 100% Gluten-Free by Judith Finlayson

Slow cookers are hugely popular because they’re so convenient and the results so delicious — all the recipes in this book pay very close attention to Paleo guidelines while also recognizing that there’s a wide variety of reasons that people choose to eat Paleo that go beyond weight loss. So there’s room to be flexible depending on your personal requirements and expectations of the diet. Now even people who follow the Paleo lifestyle can enjoy easy delectable meals that reflect an outstanding variety of fresh flavors, cuisines and textures.

The frugal paleo cookbook : affordable, easy & delicious paleo cooking / Ciarra Hannah

The Frugal Paleo Cookbook: Affordable, Easy & Delicious Paleo Cooking by Ciarra Hannah

For those on the Paleo diet, one of the biggest concerns isn’t the variety but the price. Luckily, Ciarra Hannah, creator of PopularPaleo.com, has 100 easy, wallet-friendly Paleo recipes that’ll feed the whole family. Ciarra uses flavorful but less expensive cuts of meat in traditional yet approachable cooking methods, as well as her roll-forward technique for creating multiple dishes to maximize your time in the kitchen. You’ll love her keys to budgeting, tips for making items ahead of time, 5-ingredients-or-less seasoning blends and other money-saving pointers. Ciarra offers an incredible and practical selection of Paleo dishes for everyday eating including Tequila Carnitas, Stupid Easy Asian Beef, Chicken & Chorizo Stew, Cuban Tilapia in Mojo and Tater Tot Casserole with Sweet Potato Tater Tots! So, if you’re loving the Paleo diet but hating the amount of money you spend each month, this book is a must-have. Save your money, enjoy tasty grain-free meals and be healthy!

Paleo lunches and breakfasts on the go : the solution to gluten-free eating all day long with delicious, easy and portable primal meals / Diana Rodgers

Paleo Lunches and Breakfasts on the Go: The Solution to Gluten-Free Eating all Day Long with Delicious, Easy and Portable Primal Meals by Diana Rodgers

Lunch and breakfast are often the hardest meals to eat without busting your Paleo, gluten-free diet, especially when most recipes call for gluten, processed oils, sliced bread or sandwich buns. Diana Rodgers, a nutritional therapist and Paleo community activist, solves the problem with Paleo Lunches and Breakfasts On the Go, containing 100 easy and delicious packable meals without bread. From lettuce-wrap sandwiches to egg muffins to creative uses for toothpicks and packaging, she takes the confusion out of how to make hand-friendly and fast Paleo meals. Recipes include her Chicken Salad with Fennel and Cranberries perfectly cradled by a leaf of romaine lettuce, the to-die for Cherry Tarragon Breakfast Sausages and even a Paleo-friendly Bubble and Squeak. These mouth-watering creations are perfect portable meals that are as healthy and easy to make as they are gourmet.

Paleo takes 5 - or fewer : healthy eating was never easier with these delicious 3, 4 and 5 ingredient recipes / Cindy Sexton

Paleo Takes 5 – or Fewer: Healthy Eating was Never Easier with These Delicious 3, 4 and 5 Ingredient Recipes by Cindy Sexton

Offers creative and simple recipes for those following a Paleo lifestyle using only 5 ingredients at a time, including Bacon-Wrapped Rosemary Sweet Potato Wedges, Dilly Tuna Salad and Not-So-Boring Meatloaf. Sticking to the Paleo diet can be hard, especially when the recipes call for a lot of ingredients. Luckily, Cindy Sexton, creator of PALEOdISH.com, has numerous creative and delicious recipes that use very few so shopping and cooking are a snap. You won’t believe the incredible dishes you can make with five or fewer ingredients, including: Gingered Balsamic Date Glazed Chicken Legs, Pork Belly With Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Bacon-Crusted Chicken Strips, Mushroom and Sausage Beef Roll and Buttery Lamb Chops Infused with Mint and Lemon. In Paleo Takes 5 – Or Fewer, Cindy gives you ingredients that have the most nutrient density so each recipe packs a healthy punch. Sticking to the Paleo diet has never been so easy.

Nom nom paleo : food for humans / Michelle Tam + Henry Fong
Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans by Michelle Tam and Henry Fong

There’s something for everyone in this cookbook, from small bites like Apple Chips and Kabalagala (Ugandan plantain fritters) to family-sized platters of Coconut Pineapple “Rice” and Siu Yoke (crispy roast pork belly). Crave exotic spices? You won’t be able to resist the fragrant aromas of Fast Pho or Mulligatawny Soup. In the mood for down-home comforts? Make some Yankee Pot Roast or Chicken Nuggets drizzled with Lemon Honey Sauce. When a quick weeknight meal is in order, Nom Nom Paleo can show you how to make Crispy Smashed Chicken or Whole-Roasted Branzini in less than 30 minutes. And for a cold treat on a hot day, nothing beats Paleo-diet-friendly Mocha Popsicles or a two-minute Strawberry Banana Ice Cream.

This title is also available in eBook.

Ready or not! : 150+ make-ahead, make-over, and make-now recipes by Nom Nom Paleo / Michelle Tam + Henry Fong

Ready or Not!: 150+ Make-Ahead, Make-Over, and Make-Now Recipes by Nom Nom Paleo by Michelle Tam

You know how it is: some days, you’re fired up and ready to cook; other days, you dread the thought of making dinner. More often than not, you find yourself floating somewhere between inspiration and desperation. What’s a crazy busy home cook to do? The answer: pick up this book. Ready or Not makes healthy Paleo home cooking a breeze, no matter if there’s time to prepare or just minutes to spare. Whether you’re a fastidious planner or a last-minute improviser, you’ll find plenty of deliciously nourishing options, from make-ahead feasts to lightning-fast leftover makeovers. Presented in Nom Nom Paleo’s deliriously fun comic book style, Ready or Not makes Paleo cooking easy, no matter how much time you have.

This title is also available in eBook.

Paleo Cuisine for People Who Love to Cook

Paleo takeout : restaurant favorites without the junk / Russ Crandall

Paleo Takeout: Restaurant Favorites Without the Junk by Russ Crandall

In Paleo Takeout: Restaurant Favorites Without the Junk, celebrated author Russ Crandall re-creates everyone’s favorite takeout meals, made in record time using wholesome ingredients, giving you all of the gratification and none of the regret! Inspired by beloved restaurant experiences, Paleo Takeout features more than 200 recipes expertly culled from Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Italian, Mexican, Greek, and American cuisines. Inside, you’ll find everything from Chow Mein to Moo Shu Pork, and Thai Red Curry to Buffalo Wings, all with a focus of “fridge to face” in under an hour. Also featured is an indispensable meal-planning guide to help you put everything together for a doable, lasting approach to cooking and health. Paleo Takeout: Restaurant Favorites Without the Junk proves that eating right in a way that satisfies even the choosiest of healthy eaters is not only possible, but also a lot of fun.

The Paleo chef : quick, flavorful paleo meals for eating well / Pete Evans ; photography by Mark Roper

The Paleo Chef: Quick, Flavorful Paleo Meals for Eating Well by Pete Evans

Acclaimed chef Pete Evans takes a whole new approach to making gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free meals that are worthy of a restaurant but effortless to prepare. The Paleo diet has taken America by storm as more and more people discover the health benefits of cutting out processed, sugary foods and instead eating quality proteins and fats, fresh vegetables and fruits, and nuts and seeds. However, following this way of eating doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor or spending a long time in the kitchen. In The Paleo Chef, Pete Evans, one of Australia’s leading chefs and food personalities, shows readers how to prepare gorgeous food that is satisfying, flavor-forward, and good for you. A graduate of New York’s Institute of Integrative Nutrition and an enthusiastic supporter of the Paleo movement, Pete’s mission is to revolutionize the way we eat and live.

Paleo perfected : a revolution in eating well with 150 kitchen-tested recipes / by the editors at America's Test Kitchen

Paleo Perfected: A Revolution in Eating Well with 150 Kitchen-Tested Recipes by the editors at America’s Test Kitchen

Eating paleo doesn’t have to be boring. Whether you’re a strict paleo adherent or you just want to eat paleo from time to time, this collection of foolproof, practical, and innovative recipes is an invaluable resource. We’ve tackled the challenges of cooking paleo-friendly meals that taste great so that your time in the kitchen is guaranteed to be well spent. Packed with test kitchen expertise, this book not only contains 150 foolproof recipes but will also teach you how to bake with nut flours, how to make a pan sauce without butter or wine, and how to make paleo-friendly pantry staples like crackers, coconut yogurt, and even barbecue sauce. With recipes that taste this good, you won’t

The paleo foodie cookbook : 120 food lover's recipes for healthy, gluten-free, grain-free & delicious meals / Arsy Vartanian with Amy Kubal

The Paleo Foodie Cookbook : 120 Food Lover’s Recipes for Healthy, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free & Delicious Meals by Arsy Vartanian

Arsy Vartanian, Paleo Foodie and author of the bestselling cookbook The Paleo Slow Cooker, is ready to share only the best of the best Paleo recipes that’ll have your mouth watering. Arsy’s delicious and nutritious recipes range from modern twists on traditional dishes to a wide range of ethnic influences from both her Armenian background and her culinary curiosity. With 120 tried-and-true recipes, The Paleo Foodie Cookbook includes Salmon Ceviche with Mango and Cucumber, Sun-Dried-Tomato-And Fennel-Braised Short Ribs and Wine-Braised Duck Legs, among other culinary delights. Looking for the perfect gluten-free and grain-free recipes to keep you healthy while your family and friends keep asking for more? Jam-packed with recipes that don’t skimp on nutrition or taste, The Paleo Foodie Cookbook is your one-stop destination for delicious Paleo fare.

Useful Websites for Paleo Recipe Hacks and New Meal Ideas

Nom Nom Paleo

Michelle Tam has created an extensive website for those who want to follow the Paleo Diet, but are limited on time and ideas. She has created hundreds of recipes for families and people on the go, and the results are delicious and easy. She has also published two cookbooks which are available from the library. This is the go-to website for Paleo food hacks and picky eaters.

Paleo Leap

Fantastic no frills guide to jump starting the Paleo Diet – check out the Q&A section, it’s a great resource for Paleo newbies!

Rubies and Radishes

Craving a specific treat? Chances are that you can find a Paleo friendly version of everything from chicken fingers to key lime pie on this blog.

Primally Inspired

Not sure where to get started or what to buy? This website offers free meal plans and grocery lists to take guesswork out of the equation.

The Spunky Coconut

Looking for the best Paleo friendly desserts and sweets? This website offers a wide array of options made with gluten-free flours, natural sweeteners, and whole food ingredient substitutions.


Disclaimer: This blog provides information for educational purposes only. Always consult a medical professional before starting any new diet or exercise plan.


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