A Comparison of Primal, Paleo and Traditional Foods

The world of consumer health and nutrition is filled with diets of every kind. Over the past several years, three of those diets have become quite popular. The Primal Blueprint, The Paleolithic Diet and the Traditional Foods diet. You, or someone you know, have probably tried one or two of these popular diets. Maybe you’ve tried a variation of one of these diets such as the Ketogenic Diet, the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet, or the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) paleo diet.

Each of these diets has some components in common with the other diets. Many people wonder, “What is the difference between Primal and Paleo?” How does Primal or Paleo compare to Traditional Foods? What is allowed on the Primal diet? What is allowed on the Paleo Diet? I have compiled a handy chart that compares and contrasts each of the three main diets in their purest form.

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A Comparison of Primal Paleo Traditional Foods

NOTE: This chart was created from the original versions of each of these diets. The diets have changed a little over time as science and personal preferences dictate.

Before going any further, I want to make it clear that each of these so-called diets is actually a life-long way of eating and not a weight-loss diet. While it’s true that a person eating a Primal, Paleo or Traditional Foods diet may lose weight, the main reason that many people chose these ways of eating is to increase health, not decrease weight. These diets require a commitment to changing the way you eat for the rest of your life.

All of the information I used to make this chart was obtained from the following books and websites:

Mark’s Daily Apple
The Paleo Diet
The Weston A. Price Foundation

This chart is a quick guide to be used for comparison only. Do not use this chart to decide if any of these diets are right for you without first reading the books. There is an incredible amount of information in each book that you will need to know before making a truly informed decision about which diet is right for you. This chart simply addresses the differences between the Primal diet, the Paleo diet and the Traditional Foods diet.

Because this information is taken directly from the books listed above, there may be other acceptable foods for each diet that are not listed here because were not acceptable foods for the diet at the time of publishing. As science forges ahead and we learn more about various foods and drinks, they may be found acceptable as part of one or more of these ways of eating.

Food or Drink	PRIMAL BLUEPRINT	PALEOLITHIC DIET	TRADITIONAL FOODS
Grains	Wild Rice, Quinoa (technically a seed)	Not allowed	In moderation Soaked, sprouted or fermented grains
Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs	Locally grown, organic vegetables and herbs Locally grown, in season, high-antioxidant fruits	All low-glycemic fruits and vegetables allowed	Fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs Fermented vegetables
Meat, Poultry, Seafood, Eggs	Local, pasture raised meat, pork, poultry and pastured, free-range eggs Organ meats Wild-caught fish and select farm-raised seafood	Lean meats and pork Beef organ meats Lean poultry Seafood Eggs, enriched with omega-3, in moderation No fatty meats, such as bacon	Local, grass-fed meat Local pork Local, free-range poultry and eggs Organ meats Wild-caught fish
Beans and Legumes	Not allowed	Not allowed	Allowed when properly sprouted and/or soaked and cooked
Nuts and Seeds	Nuts and seeds, especially macadamia nuts, coconuts and certain coconut products Nut butters	Nuts and seeds allowed	Allowed when properly sprouted and/or soaked Nut butters made with coconut oil
Dairy	Grass-fed, raw (unpasteurized) and/or fermented milk and other dairy products	Not allowed	Raw (unpasteurized), grass-fed and/or fermented milk and other fermented or cultured dairy products
Fats and Oils	Saturated animal fats, including butter, ghee, lard and tallow for cooking Coconut oil for cooking Omega-3 oils such as olive oil, low heat cooking only No flax oil Reduce consumption of omega-6 oils	Olive oil, flax seed oil, walnut oil, and avocado oil Only olive oil for cooking(Many now include coconut oil, especially for cooking)	Liberal use of animal fats Saturated fats, such as coconut oil and other animal fats, are recommended for cooking Omega-3 fats are not recommended for cooking, but are allowed as dressings and in sauces Omega-6 oils are avoided or used rarely and are never used for cooking
Salt and Spices	Allowed	Salt not allowed (this has been relaxed to allow unrefined salt) Spices allowed	Unrefined natural salts and organic spices are allowed
Sweeteners	Not allowed (This has been relaxed to allow for unrefined sweetners, but in strict moderation)	Not allowed (This has been relaxed to allow for unrefined sweetners, but in very strict moderation — added sweeteners, even natural and unrefined are still discouraged in strict paleo diets)	In moderation Organic, Grade B, Maple syrup Molasses Sucanat (rapadura) Raw, organic honey coconut sugar
Beverages	Water Unsweetened tea Red wine, in moderation Coffee, in moderation	Water Herbal tea Alcoholic beverages, in moderation	Water Kombucha Kefir Herbal teas Wine or unpasteurized beers, in moderation