Paleo Diet: Macros, Tips, and Sample Meal Plans

The Paleo diet became widely popular in the early 2000s after scientist Loren Cordain wrote a book about the eating plan and sold hundreds of thousands of copies. He has since written several more books on the diet, but when the eating style became associated with the CrossFit community, it took off and became a commonly chosen meal plan for CrossFit athletes.

The diet isn’t necessarily based on a strict macronutrient ratio. Rather, Paleo diet followers choose foods that their Paleolithic ancestors would have consumed. The belief is that this eating style leads to a healthier body and better athletic performance. However, through the years, estimated Paleo diet macros have been established in studies and everyday use. If you’re deciding whether or not to try this eating style, it’s essential to consider a range of factors, including typical foods, sample meals, and macros on the Paleo diet.

What Is the Paleo Diet?

The Paleo diet is sometimes called the Stone Age diet or the caveman diet, because it is based on foods cavemen would have consumed. When you follow a Paleo diet, you choose foods that our primitive ancestors could have eaten. Specifically, it focuses on low-carbohydrate food sources that may have been available to hunter-gatherers. The premise is based on the principles of evolutionary biology, even though researchers acknowledge that “there is no expertise in the history or determination of what Paleolithic hominins ate.”

On the Paleo diet, there are foods to consume, some to limit, and some foods to avoid.

Foods to consume:

• Eggs (free-range, pastured, or omega-3 enriched)

• Fish (such as wild-caught salmon, trout, shrimp, or shellfish)

• Fruit (such as berries, citrus fruit, apples, melon)

• Fungi (mushrooms)

• Meat (grass-fed and pasture-raised)

• Nuts (such as almonds, cashews, pecans)

• Roots (such as sweet potatoes or yams)

• Vegetables (such as brocolli, cauliflower, or spinach)

Foods to limit:

• Oils (choose unrefined oils and healthy fats such as avocado or avocado oil)

• Refined sugars and sweeteners

• Starches (like rice, pasta, or bread)

Foods to avoid:

• Dairy products

• Grains (such as bread, pasta, and even whole grains)

• Legumes (beans, chickpeas, peanuts, lentils)

• Processed foods (such as foods with artificial sweeteners and many oils)

Since the paleo diet is based on foods that our primitive ancestors consumed, foods that became available after the development of modern farming are not included in the eating plan.

Paleo Diet Macros - The Research

Several research studies have investigated Paleo diet macros and the potential health benefits of this eating style, especially for athletes. Studies range from clinical trials involving just a handful of subjects to a large-scale literature review that evaluated results from 21 human clinical trials. The study authors detail the parameters of the meal plan, including Paleo diet macros and food lists (including both compliant and non-compliant foods).

“On average, the (study) authors estimate the following ratio of macronutrients: 35% energy from fats, 35% from carbohydrates, and 30% from protein (although no specific amount is the goal). Currently, researchers evaluating the nutritional value of the Paleo diet classify it as a moderate-carbohydrate diet.”

It should be noted that the Paleo diet macros deviate from recommendations provided by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) which state that adults should consume 20-35% of calories from fat, 45-65% of calories from carbohydrates, and 10-35% of calories from protein. It is higher in fat and lower in carbohydrates than the guidelines suggest. Furthermore, the diet is not widely accepted by health experts. In fact, 2021 dietary guidance from the American Heart Association ranked the paleolithic diet as one of the worst diets for metabolic and heart health.

But proponents of the diet stand by it, sometimes adding a degree of flexibility. Many Paleo diet followers will suggest only moderate compliance with the diet. In fact, some CrossFit bloggers suggest taking an 80/20 approach to the diet. That is, following the diet 80% of the time and eating whatever you want 20% of the time. If you take the 80/20 approach, then your Paleo diet macros may be very different than the macronutrient balance mentioned in the published studies.

Sample Balanced-Macro Paleo Meals

So, how do your meals look when you are following the Paleo diet? You may find that you eat more meat and fish than you would on a typical American diet. You’ll also consume far fewer starchy foods, like bread and pasta. And finally, your fat intake will be higher than is typical on many diet plans.

Sample Breakfasts

• 2 eggs cooked in avocado oil, spinach, and grapefruit 500 calories, 38g fat, 29g carbs, 16g protein (67%fat/22% carbs/13% fat)

• Breakfast hash with 1 sweet potato, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 4 ounces cubed sirloin steak, 1 tablespoon olive oil 475 calories, 28g fat, 29g carbs, 25g protein, (53% fat, 24% carbs, 21% protein)

Sample Lunches

• Tuna salad (1 can tuna, 1/4 cup almonds, 1/8 cup paleo mayo, 1 chopped dill pickle, 1/4 cup chopped celery) 589 calories, 41g fat, 8g carbs, 48g protein, (62% fat, 4% carbs, 32% protein)

• Paleo cobb salad (with eggs, bacon, olives, tomato, avocado, chicken breast, romaine lettuce and Dijon vinaigrette) 418 calories, 33g fat, 8g carbs, 24g protein, (71% fat, 6% carbs, 22% protein)

Sample Dinners

• Paleo burger bowl (1/4 cup seasoned ground beef with lettuce, mayo-based sauce, chopped cherry tomatoes, pickle and onion) 454 calories 31g fat 12g carbs, 33g protein (61% fat, 10% carbs, 29% protein)

• Grilled salmon (5 ounces), baked sweet potato, steamed broccoli 676 calories 46g fat ,32g carbs, 33g protein (61% fat, 19% carbs, 19% protein)

Keep in mind, that you will snack throughout the day on this (or any) diet, which will help to balance your paleo diet macros. But in general, your meals will be relatively high in fat and protein and lower in carbs than typical American meals.

Tips for Balancing Macros on a Paleo Diet

The core foundation of the Paleo diet is centered on the type of food you consume, not the nutritional make-up of that food. So, this eating plan has no specific “rule” about consuming a particular macronutrient ratio. If you are new to the Paleo diet, you might want to start with a macronutrient balance closer to your current diet to make it more sustainable as you adjust to Paleo foods. You may also find that you need more high-quality carbs throughout the day to sustain your energy levels.

If you want to pursue more balanced macros on the Paleo diet, simply dial back the fat slightly and increase the carbohydrates. You can also use a macro calculator to determine your macro needs while following the Paleo diet.

👉Use the Paleo Macro Calculator 👈

When using the calculator, simply input your desired macro balance in the custom settings or choose from one of the ratios in the dropdown menu.

These tips can help you achieve more balanced Paleo diet macros:

• Increase your fruit intake by focusing on berries, apples, bananas, or melon at snack time.

• Be sure to consume vegetables at every meal and try to double the size of your servings of veggies like spinach, kale, and broccoli, which can also help you add more protein to your meal.

• Build meals with squash, like butternut squash or acorn squash, or add cooked squash to casseroles or Paleo bowls.

• Learn to cook with beets, plantains, cassava root(tapioca), and sweet potatoes. Some paleo-followers also include white potatoes in their Paleo diet as long as they are not processed (such as frozen French fries or tater tots)

Studies evaluating the Paleo diet have found that the meal plan can provide health benefits especially in the short term. For example, the literature review suggested that you may see a decrease in waist circumference, lower cholesterol, and lower blood glucose. But, other studies (and dozens of anecdotal reports) also show that the diet is hard to follow over time. Be sure to evaluate the sustainability of this food plan before you invest in it. Generally, diets that are sustainable are more likely to be effective in the long term.