Easy Paleo Recipes: 8 Meals To Help You Nail The Caveman Diet

The caveman diet, also known as the Paleo diet, is a diet based on ancient eating practices. Basically, avoiding foods our early human ancestors wouldn’t have been able to cook, like beans and grains, or foods that just wouldn’t have been available to them, like milk and sugar. 

If you’ve decided to give the caveman diet a try, there are probably a few things you’ve already done. You may have cleaned out your pantry, done some grocery shopping, and maybe Googled what you can and can’t eat. You’ve probably discovered that old recipes you used to cook are not permissible under the caveman diet, and you may be wondering what recipes you can fall back on for easy cooking on a weeknight. That’s where we come in! The below recipes are great for those just starting out on the Paleo diet, but are just as useful for those further along on their Paleo journey. After all, who has time for complicated recipes?

Apple Cinnamon Chia Breakfast Bowl

The Paleo diet means saying goodbye to easy food staples like oatmeal, but this recipe will make saying goodbye a lot easier! This breakfast bowl mimics the taste and texture of oatmeal without any of the grains. All you need to do is place diced apples, dates, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a food processor, then stir in chia seeds and let that sit in a sealed container. 

You can leave it to chill in the refrigerator for overnight, or even just an hour. Scoop the apple-cinnamon deliciousness into two bowls and top with raw walnuts, raisins, dried cranberries, and hemp seeds.

What you get is a light, energizing, and delicious breakfast bowl that sets you up for the morning and won’t slow you down. This breakfast is so easy to make that incorporating it into your breakfast routine is a breeze. Plus, every ingredient is packed with nutritional goodness making this a real superhero breakfast! Each ingredient elevates this breakfast bowl to have you feeling your best, energized self in the morning. What more could you ask for from breakfast? 

Roasted Portobello Egg Toast

Hard-boiled eggs and avocado is a staple of the Paleo diet but, let’s face it, it can get old real quick. So why not try this savory, bread-free toast when you want something different? We know what you’re thinking. Bread-free toast? Is that a thing? Yes! This dish swaps out bread for a thick portobello mushroom, and layer juicy tomatoes and a fried egg on top. Garlic and thyme also give it a little extra flavor. Sprinkling some fresh thyme on this dish just gives the dish an incredible depth of flavor.

What makes this recipe even better though is how customizable it is. You don’t have to fry the egg, you can cook it however you want! You can also cook the portobello however you want, and whether you use fresh or roasted tomatoes is up to you too. You really can’t go wrong with this dish, but we would advise against eating it cold!

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Apples 

Speaking of versatile dishes, this dish can be enjoyed as a side dish, a snack, or a full meal with eggs on top, another protein on the side, or some sweet potatoes added to the mix. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty, thanks to the savory bacon, sea salt, and olive oil, and sweet, thanks to the Pink Lady apples.

Apple and pork is a tried and true combination, and this apple and bacon combo is no exception. Once you’ve tried this dish, we’re guaranteed you’ll be returning to it time and time again, it’s just that good. You can also modify the recipe with any veggies you want so it doesn’t get old, or elevate it into a fancy side dish. You can even turn it into a breakfast hash, by swapping out apples and replacing them with plantains, sweet potatoes, or butternut squash.

You can also add rosemary to the mix. Although some consider it an ingredient reserved for the holidays, rosemary is too good to only use once a year. It gets crisp in the skillet without burning, and elevates simple recipes like this one.

Easy Avocado Tuna Salad

Using thinly sliced apples as a cracker substitute is just inspired. You still get the crunch of a cracker without having to hunt for Paleo-approved crackers. The avocado also replaces the mayo in a traditional tuna salad, and is just as creamy, while the lemon juice and olive oil prevent it from being too dry. This makes for a great lunch or a quick dinner on a night when you don’t really feel like cooking.

A delicious, healthy twist on a traditional tuna salad recipe, this dish is full of flavor and easy to make. It’s ready in about 5 minutes and doesn’t require any cooking at all, but is still full of nutrition and protein. 

Paleo Asparagus Egg Cups

Egg cups are another Paleo staple, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be reinvented. Like, for example, switching out spinach for asparagus stalks. The only other ingredients needed are eggs, bacon, and salt and pepper, meaning these egg cups can be prepped and ready in no time. Perfect for making ahead of time! You can even make them the night before and warm them up for breakfast the next day. However, they are best enjoyed straight from the oven.

This protein-packed dish is sure to give you the energy boost you need in the morning, but the filling is also hearty and delicious enough to enjoy with some veggies for lunch or dinner.

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

This low-fat soup has a wonderfully creamy texture thanks to the pureed sweet potatoes. It can be prepared quickly in just under 15 minutes, making it perfect for a healthy lunch to take to work. The fact that the soup is microwaved, rather than roasted, is what makes it such a quick, simple, and delicious soup.

To make it Paleo-friendly, just omit the Parmesan cheese.

Blackened Steak Salad

Steak-centric salads are a staple of the American gastropub menu, even if the interpretation of salad is a bit loose. The lettuce is usually just a bed for a steak of truly caveman, prehistoric proportions! It also just gets lost under croutons, a creamy blanketing and a ton of cheese.

This recipe keeps the chargrilled steak, but tops it with healthy avocado and a vinaigrette that compliments the vegetables rather than conceals them. This dish isn’t just healthier than a traditional steak salad, but totally Paleo-friendly. A little meat goes a long way with this dish. For example, 12 ounces is plenty to serve 4.

Spiralized Puttanesca

Puttanesca is a super savory Italian pasta dish that typically includes capers, anchovies, olives, tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil. However, in this Paleo-friendly spin on the dish, spiralized sweet potatoes replace pasta for a dish that is just as hearty and delicious. 

Sweet, fresh tomatoes cut through this savory dish for a hearty, dairy-free pasta dish that is full of flavor while being light on calories. For a vegetarian twist, omit the anchovies and swap chicken broth for vegetable broth.