"We are born to be fit, strong, and healthy." Robb Wolf

Primal Grocery List

Hopefully the following list can help get you started in the right direction as to what to buy when you're out grocery shopping. It is preferred that you buy grass-fed, free range, unpasteurized, and organic foods but don't go breaking the bank trying to do this. Buy what you can afford. The best thing to do is by what is in season and local. Therefore, if it's not organic, etc. you know it hasn't traveled a great distance and, since it's local, the chances of the food products being contaminated with an unknown quantity of pesticides, herbicides, etc are lessened or non-existent.


The Good Stuff:
  • Eggs – Eat the yolk, one of the most nutritious foods and affordable protein sources. Buy free range if you can find them and can afford them.
  • Meat - Buy the best you can afford (pastured), try new kinds (elk, bison, venison), include organ meats which are very affordable.
  • Poultry – Dark meat, light meat, skin on, buy it all. Pastured chickens/turkeys are the best choice but difficult to come by in cold climates (chickens can’t forage in the cold and snow).
  • Pork – All cuts including bacon. Try to look for bacon without nitrates/nitrites. Ham tends to have added sugar and other nasty additions – check the labels.
  • Fish – Wild fish is best. I eat a lot of canned salmon and tuna.
  • Vegetables – Whatever you love – but remember potatoes, beans and corn are not vegetables. Sweet potatoes are fine.
  • Fruit – Again, whatever you love, but limit how much you eat (can be very rich in carbs). Berries are a great choice (avocados are a fantastic berry, yes, they are a berry). Tropical fruits can be very high in carbs so be careful.
  • Oils/Fats – Olive, coconut, nut oils, butter, lard. Avoid soy, canola and vegetable oils of all kinds. I love nut oils for salad dressings, I prefer their lighter taste to olive oils. Render the fat from the bacon you cook.
  • Nuts/Seeds – Buy them raw and in bulk. Grind up in a food processor or blender (if it can handle it) to make nut butters, far superior in taste to the store-bought kind. Keep them in the freezer to extend their life. Peanuts are a legume so best to avoid.
  • Spices – Any kind, dry, fresh, whatever. They add incredible flavour and are nutrient dense. Be careful of the mixed steak spices and the like as they may have lots of added crap, check the labels.
  • Dairy – Don’t be afraid of heavy cream, the fats are good for you. Look for cheese without modified milk ingredients.


The Garbage:
  • Grains/Starches – Avoid all kinds, in all forms (even whole grain) including potatoes, pasta, rice, and corn. Eat vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, as they have more nutrition and fiber. They do not raise insulin levels. Sweet potatoes can be enjoyed in moderation.
  • Processed Foods – Anything made in a factory can't be good. Check the label - sugar, soy, canola, words you can't pronounce - avoid as mush as possible!
  • Low Fat – Anything with this label is BAD! Avoid it like the plague! They are loaded with sugar. When you remove the fat, you remove flavour. Sugar is added to put flavour back in.
  • Bad Oils/Fats – Avoid canola, margarine, vegetable, trans-fats (a given). Rule of thumb - if it had to be overly processed or hydrogenated to make it edible, stay away from it. Far, far away.
  • Sugar – Anything with sugar. I truly believe that sugar is the biggest culprit in obesity, modern diseases such as diabetes, cancer, etc. This category is usually the hardest to eliminate.