This seven-day paleo meal plan offers breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas built around whole, unprocessed foods. It includes tips for cooking ahead and using leftovers, plus easy swaps to keep recipes paleo-friendly, so you can plan your week and simplify grocery shopping.
What is paleo?
The paleo diet is inspired by the foods available to hunter-gatherer societies before modern agriculture. Also called the caveman diet, paleo emphasizes foods like meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds.
That means foods such as bread, pasta, rice, beans, lentils and traditional dairy products typically don’t fit within a paleo diet. Highly processed foods and refined sugars are generally avoided. Others choose to avoid certain oils and alcohol. Paleo approaches can and do vary, so check ingredients and choose recipes that fit the guidelines you follow.
Tips and hacks
Before you start, make a grocery list and prep what you can. Roast vegetables, cook extra meat for tomorrow’s lunch and prepare sauces or dressings ahead of time. It’s also helpful to remember Whole Foods Market has a page dedicated to paleo friendly products and meals where you’re able to explore and shop for new favorite items that fit your plan.
What to have on hand
Each recipe above comes with its own ingredient list, so use those for exact amounts. These fresh staples show up again and again in this plan:
Protein: Wild-caught salmon (fresh or frozen) and grass-fed beef, such as ground beef
Produce: Sweet potatoes, avocados and leafy greens like kale and spinach
Vegetables and fruit: Broccoli and berries, such as strawberries, blueberries and blackberries
Paleo snack ideas
Keep a few easy snacks ready to grab between meals. Make a batch of Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, spread Raw Cashew Butter on fresh fruit or prepare Hemp Seed Tabbouleh ahead of time. Fresh fruit, nuts and seeds are also simple options to keep on hand.
Sunday
Breakfast: Start the week with Turmeric-Spiced Shakshuka with Delicata Squash, a savory combination of eggs and vegetables.
Lunch: Make a Paleo-Friendly Chicken and Veggie Bowl with Cauliflower “Rice”, topped with avocado and your favorite paleo-friendly additions.
Dinner: Cook Baked Salmon with Spinach and Strawberry Salsa with roasted vegetables.
Monday
Breakfast: Make Southwest Sweet Potato Hash with eggs for a savory breakfast.
Lunch: Turn leftover salmon into a Salmon Salad with Avocado or Salmon and Avocado Salad.
Dinner: Serve Coconut Milk Grilled Chicken with Roasted Root Vegetables.
Tuesday
Breakfast: Heat up leftover sweet potato hash or serve eggs with avocado and fresh fruit.
Lunch: Keep lunch fresh with No-Cook Zucchini Noodle Salad topped with grilled chicken or another protein.
Dinner: Try Zucchini Noodles with Almond Pesto with Neapolitan Meat Sauce. Skip the wine in the meat sauce to keep it paleo-friendly.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Scramble eggs with your favorite vegetables and serve with avocado.
Lunch: Use leftover chicken and vegetables to build a quick paleo bowl.
Dinner: Make Sheet Pan Fajitas with grilled meat and vegetables. Substitute the tortillas and serve with cauliflower rice instead.
Thursday
Breakfast: Start your morning with leftover Southwest Sweet Potato Hash or hardboiled eggs.
Lunch: Build a salad with leftover fajita vegetables, grilled chicken and avocado.
Dinner: Try Peruvian-Style Roasted Chicken with Sweet Onions with Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Macadamia Nuts.
Friday
Breakfast: Keep it simple with eggs, sautéed vegetables and avocado.
Lunch: Serve leftover roasted chicken with vegetables or turn it into a salad.
Dinner: Fire up the grill for New York Strip Steak with Chimichurri, served with roasted sweet potatoes and a green vegetable.
Saturday
Breakfast: Finish the week with strong with leftover sweet potato hash.
Lunch: Slice leftover steak over leafy greens and top with avocado and chimichurri from Friday’s dinner.
Dinner: Try Chile-Orange Swordfish Kabobs with Roasted Vegetable Ratatouille, or serve grilled seafood with cauliflower rice and seasonal vegetables.
More paleo recipe ideas
Keep your future meal plan interesting by rotating different proteins, vegetables and sauces. Here are a few more recipes to try:
