What is the Pegan Diet? – Food Insight (2024)

FAQs

What is the Pegan Diet? – Food Insight? ›

The main principle of the pegan diet is its emphasis on whole foods and its limitation of processed foods. Specifically, the pegan diet encourages its followers to make 75 percent of their diet plant-based, with the remaining 25 percent of foods coming from animal sources.

Summary. The pegan diet combines a paleo and vegan diet. Nutritional aspects of the diet, such as an abundance of plant foods and avoiding sugar, may help prevent chronic diseases, weight gain, and inflammation. However, the pegan diet restricts grains, beans, and dairy products and may be too limiting for some people.

The pegan diet is made up of 75% fruits and vegetables. The remaining 25% is divided primarily among meats, eggs, and healthy fats, such as nuts and seeds. Some legumes and gluten-free whole grains may be allowed in limited quantities.

Cons. Due to the needless cutting down on whole grains, beans, and dairy products, those following the Pegan diet might miss out on vital nutrients such as calcium, iron, B vitamins, and vitamin D if we don't swap them for something else.

Foods to avoid on the pegan diet

Bread and most grains like barley, oats and wheat (except black rice or quinoa). Dairy products including milk, cheese, ice cream or yogurt. Foods with added sugar or a high glycemic index.

"This diet encourages unlimited amounts of non-starchy veggies like lettuce, broccoli and artichokes, plenty of healthy fats like nuts and seeds, avocado and olive oil, high-quality protein like grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish and pastured-raised eggs, low-glycemic fruits like berries, starchy veggies like sweet ...

Focus on Nuts & Seeds

Not so nuts for nuts? Luckily, the list of approved foods also includes sugar-free nut butter (e.g., almond butter, peanut butter), so long as it's sugar-free.

More About the Pegan Diet

If you need a refresher, the paleo diet attempts to model what those living 2.6 million years ago in the Paleolithic era ate: vegetables, fruits, fish, meat and nuts. It excludes dairy, grains, legumes, sugar, oils, salt, alcohol and coffee.

Eat mostly plants.

Stick with mostly nonstarchy veggies. Winter squashes and sweet potatoes are fine in moderation (1⁄2 cup a day). Not a ton of potatoes! French fries don't count even though they are the No.

Additionally, the pegan diet details what foods you should eat in moderation or completely erase from your diet. Here's what foods to avoid or limit while on the pegan diet: Dairy: All dairy products should be completely avoided, including cow's milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter.

Is yogurt allowed on pegan diet? ›

Foods to avoid on the pegan diet include: Bread, pasta, baked goods, cereals, granola, and beer. Cow's milk, yogurt, and cheese.

The pegan diet is similar to other dietary plans with proven benefits, Dr. Rajagopal notes. It's akin to the Mediterranean diet in that it emphasizes whole foods and healthy fats, but differs because grains and dairy are excluded.

The key difference between pegan and veganism is that the pegan diet encourages the consumption of small portions of sustainably sourced protein, including eggs, chicken, lamb and wild salmon. “These are [solid] sources of high-quality protein, which helps with muscle preservation/building and satiety,” says Martin.

Foods to avoid on a Pegan diet

Grains: In line with the paleo philosophy, Peganism shuns almost all grains. That includes wheat, oats, barley, bulgur, and many others. Dr. Hyman theorizes that grains increase blood sugar and can cause inflammation—but some research dispels this.