Quick answer: Include meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds, healthy fats, dairy alternatives, grain-free flours, small amounts of natural sweeteners, and herbs and spices. Exclude grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugars and artificial sweeteners, processed foods, refined vegetable and seed oils, alcohol and grain-based snacks.
Key takeaways
The cheat sheet fits the whole plan on one page, with foods to include and foods to exclude side by side.
Included foods are meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and healthy fats such as olive and avocado oil.
Excluded foods are grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, processed foods, seed oils and alcohol.
Foods to include
- Meat and poultry, ideally pasture-raised
- Seafood, ideally wild-caught
- Eggs
- Vegetables of all kinds
- Fruits
- Nuts and seeds
- Healthy fats: olive, avocado and coconut oil, ghee
- Dairy alternatives: coconut, almond or cashew milk
- Grain-free flours: almond, coconut, cassava, arrowroot
- Sweeteners in small amounts: raw honey, maple syrup
- Herbs and spices
Foods to exclude
- Grains
- Legumes
- Dairy
- Refined sugars and artificial sweeteners
- Processed foods and additives
- Refined vegetable and seed oils
- Alcohol
- Grain-based snacks and sweets
More detail
See foods to eat, foods to avoid and food swaps.
Healthy aging lens
A simple list makes whole-food eating easier to sustain.
What the research shows
This cheat sheet summarizes eating patterns that have been compared in trials.
Ultra-processed vs. unprocessed food (Hall 2019, inpatient randomized crossover trial). 20 adults lived at the NIH Clinical Center and ate an ultra-processed diet for 2 weeks and an unprocessed diet for 2 weeks, with meals matched for calories, sugar, fat, fiber and sodium and eaten as freely as they liked. On the ultra-processed diet they ate about 508 kcal more per day and gained 0.9 kg; on the unprocessed diet they lost 0.9 kg. A limitation is that it was a small, short study in a controlled setting, not real life.
A Mediterranean-style pattern (Estruch 2018, PREDIMED randomized trial). 7,447 adults aged 55 to 80 at high cardiovascular risk in Spain followed a Mediterranean diet with extra olive oil, a Mediterranean diet with extra nuts, or a lower-fat control diet for a median of 4.8 years. Major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death) occurred in 3.8% of the olive oil group, 3.4% of the nut group and 4.4% of the control group, about 30% lower risk with either Mediterranean diet. A limitation is that the trial had to be re-analyzed in 2018 because some participants were not properly randomized; the results held after that correction.
Paleo-style eating across trials (Manheimer 2015, meta-analysis). This review pooled 4 randomized trials with 159 people who had at least one feature of metabolic syndrome. Compared with guideline-based diets, the Paleo-style diets produced short-term improvements in waist size (about 2.4 cm) and triglycerides (about 0.4 mmol/L), with smaller, uncertain changes in blood pressure, HDL and fasting glucose. A limitation is that only 4 small trials lasting up to 6 months were available.
Strength of the evidence: Short trials and one large long-term trial support whole-food, minimally processed eating; individual food rules are less well studied.
When to see a naturopathic doctor
It may be time to see a naturopathic doctor if you have a chronic inflammatory, autoimmune or digestive condition, or if you have diabetes, kidney disease or take medications affected by diet changes. The same is true if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a history of disordered eating, or if you want a plan tailored to your labs, symptoms and goals.
See a medical provider promptly for severe abdominal pain, signs of an allergic reaction such as swelling or trouble breathing, or fainting.
Want an anti-inflammatory eating plan built for you?
A free 15-minute consultation with Dr. Kneessi. No cost, no obligation. In-office in Odenton, MD or by telehealth.
Questions to bring to your clinician
These questions can help you get the most out of your next visit.
Should I adjust this food list for any allergies, sensitivities or nutrient needs I have?
How could I use the cheat sheet when grocery shopping?
Which foods on the cheat sheet matter most for my goals?
Is there anything on the cheat sheet I should adjust for my own needs?
Frequently asked questions
What can I eat on the challenge?
Meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and healthy fats.
What should I avoid?
Grains, legumes, dairy, sugar, processed foods, refined oils and alcohol.
Are sweeteners allowed?
Small amounts of raw honey or maple syrup.
Can I print this list?
Yes, keep it on your fridge.
Sources
- MedlinePlus: Nutrition
- MedlinePlus: Food Labeling
- Hall KD, et al. Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake. Cell Metab 2019. PMID: 31105044. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31105044/
- Estruch R, et al. Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts. N Engl J Med 2018. PMID: 29897866. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29897866/
- Manheimer EW, et al. Paleolithic nutrition for metabolic syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 2015. PMID: 26269362. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26269362/
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It does not replace an individual evaluation. Talk with your healthcare provider before starting supplements or changing medications, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or managing a health condition.
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