Can you eat peanut butter on paleo?
In this paper, I will answer the question: “Can you eat peanut butter on paleo?” and I will cover some important information about the paleo diet.
Can you eat peanut butter on paleo?
No, You can’t eat peanut butter on paleo.
Peanut butter is not allowed on the paleo diet. While the paleo diet allows for the consumption of nuts and seeds, peanuts must be avoided.
This is due to the fact that peanuts aren’t really nuts, but rather legumes, which aren’t paleo friendly. As a result, persons following a paleo diet should avoid peanut butter.
Peanuts are avoided on the paleo diet because of a component called phytic acid. Phytic acid is a unique natural chemical found in plant seeds that is sometimes referred to as an “anti-nutrient.”
Phytic acid inhibits iron and zinc absorption, as well as calcium absorption, which is one of the reasons why the paleo diet eliminates peanuts and other legumes.
What is a paleo diet?
A paleo diet is a nutritional plan based on foods that were likely consumed during the Paleolithic era, which lasted from 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago.
A paleo diet typically consists of lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, all of which were previously only available through hunting and gathering. A paleo diet restricts foods that became popular around 10,000 years ago, when farming began. Dairy products, legumes, and grains are among these foods.
The goal of a paleo diet is to eat in a way that is more similar to what early humans ate. The discordance hypothesis claims that the human body is genetically unsuited to the current diet that arose from farming techniques.
Farming altered people’s diets by introducing dairy, grains, and legumes as new staples in the human diet. According to the theory, the body’s ability to adjust was outrun by the late and quick shift in nutrition. Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are all on the rise, and this mismatch is thought to be a contributing fa
People may choose to follow a paleo diet for two reasons: to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight or to make meal preparation easier.
What to eat in a paleo diet?
Paleo foods are whole, unprocessed foods that should be the foundation of your diet:
- Meat: Beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork, and a variety of other meats.
- Seafood and fish, such as salmon, trout, haddock, shrimp, and shellfish If possible, choose wild-caught fish.
- Eggs: Choose free-range, pastured, or omega-3-enriched eggs for your eggs.
- Veggies: Broccoli, kale, peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, and other vegetables.
- Fruits: Apples, bananas, oranges, pears, avocados, strawberries, blueberries, etc.
- Tubers include potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, and other root vegetables.
- Nuts: Almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds.
- Healthy oils: Extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil.
- Salt and spices: sea salt, garlic, turmeric, rosemary, and so forth.
If you can, choose grass-fed, pasture-raised, and organic products. If not, make sure you choose the ones with the least amount of processing.
What should you not eat on a paleo diet?
These foods and ingredients should be avoided:
- Sugar: Soft beverages, fruit juices, table sugar, candies, pastries, ice cream, and a variety of other products containing sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.
- Grains like wheat, spelt, rye, barley, and other grains used in breads and pastas.
- Legumes: Beans, lentils, and a variety of other legumes.
- Dairy products: Avoid most dairy products, especially low-fat varieties (although some paleo diets can contain full-fat dairy such as butter and cheese).
- Some vegetable oils: Soybean oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil, and other vegetable oils
- Margarine and other processed foods contain trans fats. Oils that have been “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated”.
- Artificial sweeteners: Aspartame, sucralose, cyclamates, saccharin, and acesulfame potassium. Use natural sweeteners instead.
What nuts can you eat on paleo?
When following a paleo diet, you can eat a wide range of nuts. These are some of them:
- Nuts from Brazil
- Macadamia nuts
- Almonds and Hazelnuts
- Cashews
- Pistachios / Coconut
If you’re paleo, you can eat seeds in addition to nuts:
- Hemp seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Flax seeds
- Chia seeds
- Pumpkins seeds
What nut butters can you eat on paleo?
If you loved nut butters before going paleo, you’ll be happy to know that there are several paleo-friendly nut butters to choose from.
Here are a few paleo-friendly nut butters:
Almond butter
Almond butter is the healthiest of all nut butters. It contains 7 grams of protein per serving (two tablespoons), 12 grams of monounsaturated fats, healthy fats, and a variety of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, magnesium, and calcium.
Always look for almond butter with no added sugar – flavored almond butter is popular, but it’s more likely to contain sugar.
Cashew butter
Cashew butter, as one of the creamiest nut butters, can be used as a dairy substitute in vegan desserts and recipes. They are, however, the highest carbohydrate nut, so individuals on a keto diet would have to eat them only occasionally.
Macadamia butter
This butter is perfect for individuals on keto and paleo diets, as well as those looking to improve their health.
This nut has a similar creamy taste to cashew but with better nutrition. It has nearly three times as much fiber, 40% less carbohydrates, more monounsaturated fats, and has been shown to lower many inflammatory indicators. Macadamia butter can help lower cholesterol and improve heart health.
Walnut butter
Walnut butter has the richest omega-3 fatty acids, making it a must-have for vegetarians and vegans who don’t obtain enough omega-3 from animal sources. Omega-3 fatty acids aid to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, raise HDL cholesterol, and reduce inflammation.
Walnut butter, on the other hand, is lacking in protein and good fats. Despite the fact that it contains various vitamins and minerals, it doesn’t have the same nutritional value as other nut butters.
Sunflower seed butter
Sunflower butter is made from nutrient-dense sunflower seeds, which are high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and magnesium. Protein and healthy fats keep you feeling nourished, full, and energized.
Apart from peanuts, all other nuts and seeds are acceptable on the paleo diet.
Having stated that, you should always conduct research. If you’re not sure whether a nut butter is paleo-friendly, make sure to read the contents thoroughly before buying it.
Conclusion
In this essay, I answered the question: “Can you eat peanut butter on paleo?” and I presented some paleo-friendly alternatives to peanut butter.
Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about this topic.
References
[1] Can You Eat Peanut Butter On Paleo (What Nut Butters Are Paleo)? – Paleo Comfort Foods
[2] Paleo diet: What is it and why is it so popular? – Mayo Clinic