7 Pegan Recipes That Combine the Best of Paleo and Vegan Diets (2024)

FAQs

What foods are both paleo and vegan? ›

"This diet encourages unlimited amounts of non-starchy veggies like lettuce, broccoli and artichokes, plenty of healthy fats like nuts and seeds, avocado and olive oil, high-quality protein like grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish and pastured-raised eggs, low-glycemic fruits like berries, starchy veggies like sweet ...

But a pegan diet severely limits or skips certain foods, including: Bread and most grains like barley, oats and wheat (except black rice or quinoa). Dairy products including milk, cheese, ice cream or yogurt.

The pegan diet is made up of 75% fruits and vegetables. The remaining 25% is divided primarily among meats, eggs, and healthy fats, such as nuts and seeds. Some legumes and gluten-free whole grains may be allowed in limited quantities.

The typical paleo diet focuses on naturally raised meat and fish, as well as vegetables and fruits. It promotes avoiding dairy products and grains. This diet can put you at risk for deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, which are critical to bone health.

The “pegan” diet is a hybrid, combining the paleo diet -- which focuses on whole foods that might have been hunted or gathered, like fruits, veggies, meats, and nuts -- and the vegan diet, in which you eat only plant-based foods.

Cons. Due to the needless cutting down on whole grains, beans, and dairy products, those following the Pegan diet might miss out on vital nutrients such as calcium, iron, B vitamins, and vitamin D if we don't swap them for something else.

More About the Pegan Diet

If you need a refresher, the paleo diet attempts to model what those living 2.6 million years ago in the Paleolithic era ate: vegetables, fruits, fish, meat and nuts. It excludes dairy, grains, legumes, sugar, oils, salt, alcohol and coffee.

Focus on Nuts & Seeds

Not so nuts for nuts? Luckily, the list of approved foods also includes sugar-free nut butter (e.g., almond butter, peanut butter), so long as it's sugar-free.

Eat mostly plants.

Stick with mostly nonstarchy veggies. Winter squashes and sweet potatoes are fine in moderation (1⁄2 cup a day). Not a ton of potatoes!

What does Mark Hyman eat in a day? ›

Dairy: All dairy products should be completely avoided, including cow's milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter. Gluten-containing grains: Gluten products are strictly prohibited while on the pegan diet, which includes ingredients like wheat, barley, and rye (and their derived products like bread, pasta, and rice).

The pegan diet is loaded with fiber-packed vegetables and satiating fats, helping you feel fuller longer, which can also help you lose weight, says Pam Bede, RD, sports dietitian for Abbott's EAS Sports Nutrition.

You can also eat small amounts of gluten-free grains like quinoa and oats and legumes like black beans and lentils (up to a cup daily). Like many other “clean eating” diets, the pegan diet keeps sweets to a minimum. “Sugar as an occasional treat is allowed but should be unprocessed and eaten very seldom,” Shupe said.

By that definition, a pescatarian is someone who chooses to eat a vegetarian diet, but who also eats fish and other seafood. It's a largely plant-based diet of whole grains, nuts, legumes, produce and healthy fats, with seafood playing a key role as a main protein source. Many pescatarians also eat dairy and eggs.

Many people on a paleo diet today also include some sources of full-fat dairy, such as butter, cream, yogurt or whole milk. It's ideal if the dairy you eat or drink is from grass-fed cows. People who have dairy allergies or sensitivities don't need to include it in their diet.

Quinoa isn't Paleo-friendly because it belongs to a group of pseudocereal grains. It has lots of nutritional goodness, like protein and amino acids, but if you're sticking to a strict Paleo diet, it's better to go for a Paleo-friendly option like broccoli rice or zucchini noodles.