Why These Paleo Snacks May Not Be Healthy

Last Updated on December 5, 2023 by Cathy

Changing your diet from the Standard American Diet to a Paleo diet can seem restricted. Especially when it comes time for snacking. If you don’t keep healthy snacks around, you will find yourself heading back to your old unhealthy habits. Paleo snacks are supposed to be healthy but some may be causing you health issues.

More people are choosing the Paleo diet as a way to improve their health. Whether it’s to lose weight or to stop the progression of their autoimmune disease. Removing sugar-filled processed foods and replacing them with whole, clean foods can bring your body back to a healthy state.

If you’re not seeing the results you’re looking for, you need to pay attention to your “healthy” snacks. If you’re looking for good ideas for Paleo snacks other than fruit and vegetables, I’ve included a list at the bottom of this post.

I stopped eating processed foods almost fourteen years ago. Granted, I was able to stop the progression of my multiple sclerosis (MS) but my symptoms never reversed. It wasn’t until a few years ago I realized not all of my Paleo foods were helping me, even Dr. Terry Wahls had a similar experience.

Snacking

Sometimes you won’t think about bringing a snack with you as you head out the door. But, if you’re out longer than expected you’ll find yourself hungry. That’s the last place you want to be or you’ll end up back at a fast food restaurant which isn’t a healthy option.

Sure it takes a little planning ahead and you’ll need to always keep snacks on hand. You will also need to bring snacks with you when you leave the house. You’ll need to keep healthy snacks you can store in your purse, car, backpack, or desk drawer at work.

Having a healthy snack isn’t hard to do. Sure you’ll have to rethink your usual unhealthy snacks. It may seem intimidating at first but before you know it, you will be making healthy choices.

When I first started eating healthy, I felt lost as to what I could snack on besides vegetables or fruit all the time. I lived in a small community, there were no Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. My local grocery store had a very small natural food/organic department. And most of that wasn’t Paleo-friendly.

Fortunately, there are more excellent options today than ever before.

Toss the Junk Food

First, you want to toss out the junk food from your home (pantry, refrigerator, etc.). Make your home a processed food-free zone and have plenty of healthy snacks on hand. This will help you when hunger sets in.

The first week is usually the hardest. As you’re cutting out processed junk food you’re also cutting out lots of hidden sugars. Your body may go through a sugar withdrawal. This is when it’s very important to keep healthy snacks available at all times.

Healthy Snacks

Not all healthy snacks are healing for everyone. I made this mistake when I first started by eating lots of fruits and dried fruit. I didn’t realize I was suffering from Candida overgrowth and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Both of which feed on sugar, even natural sugars.

In the past few years, researchers discovered people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have different levels of bacteria in their gut compared to healthy people. There is a higher level of two types of bacteria that cause inflammation. And a lower level of one bacteria that fights inflammation. So it’s very important to always work on improving your gut health. Check out the perfect list of Paleo snacks when you’re trying to stop the progression of MS at the bottom of this post.

6 Healthy Snacks to Watch Out For:

1 – Vegetables

Vegetables are the best snack to help you get as many nutrients as possible. You wouldn’t think there would be a problem with vegetables. But for people with an autoimmune disease food sensitivities may be to blame. Especially with a family of vegetables called nightshades.

Try an elimination diet, where you remove nightshades for one month. Then reintroduce them back one at a time to see if your body reacts. If it does, you need to remove them from your diet until your body has healed. This is how I discover I was sensitive to them.

2 – Fruit

Fruit is another good choice because they are high in antioxidants, fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Wild blueberries are especially beneficial because they are higher in antioxidants than regular blueberries.

3 – Caffeine

Caffeine, whether it’s from soda, tea, or chocolate can cause problems. Caffeine raises blood-sugar levels which causes the pancreas to release extra insulin. Sugar creates sugar spikes and then causes your body to crash quickly. My son is a type 1 diabetic so I’m very familiar with how high and low blood sugar can affect the body and mood swings.

Caffeine also stimulates the adrenal glands which increase your heart rate. Over-consumption of caffeine can cause adrenal fatigue. Plus, it aggravates the nervous system causing inflammation. Which then causes damage to the myelin sheath.

Green tea is the only caffeinated drink that is allowed. Due to the fact that it’s loaded with antioxidants and nutrients. It not only improves overall health. But it crosses the blood-brain barrier improving brain function as well.

4 – Nuts

Nuts are a very healthy snack. They’re heart-healthy, lower your bad cholesterol, and may help reduce inflammation. They’re high in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

The best nuts are walnuts for their omega 3’s. And almonds for their ability to support the growth of good bacteria in the gut.

It’s best to soak nuts in purified water overnight before eating them. Then you should store them in the refrigerator and eat them within a few days to avoid mold. Only eat a small handful at one time and chew thoroughly.

Cashews and pistachios are higher in mold content. It’s best to avoid them for the first three months while your body is getting rid of high amounts of toxins. All tree nuts are a very common food sensitivity so you need to watch for that.

Try an elimination diet, where you remove them for one month. Then reintroduce them back one at a time to see if your body reacts. If it does, you need to remove them from your diet until your body has healed.

Nut butter is excellent as a dip for vegetables or fruit. You can also add them to your smoothie for added protein. You can find them at the grocery store. Or you can easily make nut butter at home using your high-speed blender to save money. (Follow the same protocol as nuts.) Note, eat nuts and nut butter in moderation to keep your fat levels down.

5 – Seeds

Seeds are a great source of fiber and vitamin E. Fiber helps those who suffer from constipation, it’s like nature’s laxatives. Vitamin E is excellent for protecting cell membranes from free radical attack. They’re also a great source of magnesium, minerals, protein, and zinc.

Researchers recently discovered the amino acid tryptophan, found in seeds, fights brain inflammation. A major plus for those of us with MS or depression. You can find tryptophan in pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and flaxseeds.

However, seeds can also be problematic. If you suspect a problem try an elimination diet to see if seed sensitivities may be an issue.

6 – Fermented Veggies

Fermented vegetables are one of the best snacks. They’re packed with good bacteria to improve your gut and overall health. Unfortunately, they can also cause more histamine in the body.

Histamine is an allergy response, it can make you feel more gassy or bloated. It’s best to avoid for the first three months while your body is removing large amounts of toxins.

After three months you can add fermented vegetables to your diet. Eat a variety of fermented foods to provide your gut with various strains of probiotics.

Foods such as:

• Coconut milk or water kefir
• Coconut milk yogurt
• Kimchi
• Kvass
• Misco
• Natto
• Pickles
• Sauerkraut

Don’t buy store-bought brands since they are highly processed unless you research them first. I love Bubbies for their pickles, they also have sauerkraut. You can find them at Whole Foods or Natural Grocers. The Fred Meyer I shop at has an awesome organic/natural foods department that sells Bubbies. I drive out of my way to shop here.

Although kombucha is fermented it’s best to stay away because it’s a wild bacteria and yeast. After the first three months, you can reintroduce it but pay attention to how your body may react. Apple cider vinegar is the only fermented product allowed during your first three months of starting the Paleo diet.

The Best Paleo Snacks for Healing

Like I said earlier, there are many healthy snacks you can buy for your convenience. I have to warn you though, you must ALWAYS read the labels. I have noticed manufacturers change their ingredients on occasion. So something that’s okay to eat today may not be okay to eat tomorrow.

When you first switch from processed foods to clean healthy foods, your body is getting rid of a lot of toxins. Add these snacks back into your diet unless you have food sensitivity. Especially add fermented vegetables every day to get that good bacteria into your gut. And watch your carbohydrate intake, you don’t want to feed Candida or SIBO.

Healthy Paleo Snacks

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