7 Pegan Recipes That Combine the Best of Paleo and Vegan Diets (2024)

Eating healthy can take many forms: Paleo, vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, flexitarian, oh, the list goes on. With such a wide array of diets out there, it can be a real headache to sort through them all to figure out what works best for you and your body. But what if we told you that it doesn’t have to be so black and white, and you don’t have to choose just one? Cue drum roll…

Coined by Dr. Mark Hyman in 2014, the pegan diet combines the best of the Paleo diet and veganism into a way of eating that takes a more relaxed approach. Instead of combining the strictest elements of both (because really, our first thought was of an all-you-can-eat twig buffet), it loosens the restrictions on veganism and decreases the emphasis on animal protein normally associated with Paleo.

This means you can eat some meat (that should be grass-fed, organic, etc.), but Dr. Hyman recommends thinking of it as a side dish or condiment instead of the central focus of the meal. Same goes for gluten-free grains and all things sweet… consume them sparingly. Dairy is a no-no, but a little goat cheese or full-fat Greek yogurt on occasion is alright. See the pattern here?

The goal of peganism is to shift your focus to eating whole, unprocessed foods—mostly plants—while using Paleo and veganism as guidelines, not guardrails. At its core, the pegan diet isn’t all that complicated, but if you’re new to the idea, we’re here to help you get started with these seven pegan recipes.

1. Garlic Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Bacon

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You’ve probably made some version of this dish before, but Brussels sprouts with bacon is a perfect example of how you can use meat as a condiment. It’s also a great way to increase flavor without the potentially negative effects associated with eating too much animal protein. I mean, really, you could sprinkle a little bacon on just about any vegetable-based meal, and it would still count as pegan (Just choose organic or sustainably raised). Seems almost too good to be true… but it’s not!

2. Sweet Potato Hash With Fried Egg

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Breakfast can be tricky on a pegan diet because we tend to gravitate toward grain-centric options like cereal or toast. This sweet potato dish saves the day because it will give you the starchy satisfaction you crave, and the added egg is a savory bonus.

3. Red Curry Lentils

We can probably all agree that curry in any form is an amazing winter comfort food, and this recipe definitely meets expectations. With the anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting properties of ginger, turmeric, and cayenne pepper, it’s a good meal to make if you’re fighting a cold. Plus, you can make a big batch and enjoy it as leftovers for the rest of the week.

4. Roasted Butternut Squash Soup With Bone Broth

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Yet another seasonal favorite, butternut squash soup is a classic dish you’ll definitely want to tuck away in your arsenal of healthy recipes. What might normally be considered fully vegan is turned pegan with the addition of bone broth. Use plant-based milk instead of low-fat to bring this recipe up to full pegan standards.

5. Greek Veggie Bowl

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Getting into the groove of a new diet can be super confusing, but if there’s one thing you should focus on when trying to go pegan, it’s eating more vegetables. One of the easiest (and tastiest) ways to cook veggies is to roast them… just pop ’em in the oven, and you’re good to go. This recipe is a mouth-watering mixture of veggies paired with cauliflower rice. And it’s totally vegan (and pegan) approved.

6. Cauliflower Walnut Tacos

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Taco lovers, rejoice! If you’ve ever struggled to find a vegan option that mimics the consistency of ground beef or turkey and that’s not tofu, you’ve come to the right place. This clever recipe uses a combination of mushrooms, walnuts, and cauliflower to create a flavored taco filling that could fool even the most die-hard carnivores.

7. Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

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Salads are obviously a go-to in the world of healthy eating, and on the pegan diet, you have a bit more flexibility in terms of what ingredients to toss on there. Now don’t go dumping candied walnuts and craisins onto your pile of arugula (so tempting, we know), but go ahead and add things like nuts, beets, and a little goat cheese as a tasty garnish. Everything is better with a little goat cheese.

7 Pegan Recipes That Combine the Best of Paleo and Vegan Diets (2024)

FAQs

Can you eat oatmeal on a pegan diet? ›

But a pegan diet severely limits or skips certain foods, including: 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.

Can you eat eggs on the pegan diet? ›

"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 ...

Can you be paleo and vegan? ›

In essence, a pegan diet is the same as paleo, just with much fewer animal products; fruit, vegetables, and nuts make up three quarters of your plate, whilst meat, fish, and eggs fill the rest. A vegan paleo diet, however, doesn't contain any of these animal products.

What is the paleo vegan hybrid diet? ›

The “pegan” diet is a hybrid, combining the paleo diet -- which focuses on whole foods that might have been hunted or gathered, like fruits, veggies, meats, and nuts -- and the vegan diet, in which you eat only plant-based foods.

Is peanut butter allowed on pegan diet? ›

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.

Can you eat banana on a pegan diet? ›

To keep blood sugar levels stable, the Pegan diet advises picking low-sugar fruits like berries and avoiding high-sugar fruits such as bananas, pineapples, and watermelon, especially for those who need to keep their blood sugar in control.

Can you have coffee on pegan diet? ›

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.

Are potatoes allowed on a pegan diet? ›

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.

Can you have almond milk on pegan diet? ›

Hemp milk, almond milk, rice milk, cashew milk and oat milk are all good alternatives,” Raden said. “But be careful with the flavored varieties because they can have a lot of added sugars.” “Kale, broccoli, spinach, all greens are so important for the phytonutrients,” Raden said.

What does Dr. Mark Hyman say to eat? ›

Choose primarily from starchy vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fruit and yogurt. Reduce refined carbohydrates and sugars.

Can I eat corn on Pegan diet? ›

These are the go-tos of a pegan diet: The majority of your diet should be vegetables: Stick to organic vegetables that are high in fiber. Limit veggies high in sugar such as potatoes, peas and corn.

Can you drink tea on a pegan diet? ›

Paleo-Vegan Meal Plan

Hyman to create these easy Pegan or Paleo-vegan menus for you to try. While using this plan, drink plenty of water and add other natural, low-sugar beverages and extras (coffee, tea, spices, vinegar) as desired. Also, enjoy up to two servings of wine, beer or any low-sugar co*cktail per week.

What is a paleo plant-based diet? ›

A modern paleo diet includes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. These are foods that in the past people could get by hunting and gathering. It doesn't include foods that became more common when small-scale farming began about 10,000 years ago.

What diet is paleo with dairy? ›

This has led to the development of a hybrid version of the regimen, a “lacto-paleo” diet. With this form of the diet, adherents still avoid excess sugar and processed foods, but they do include dairy products in their daily lives.

Why does paleo avoid dairy? ›

Dairy is decidedly not Paleo. Products like milk and cheese are too heavy on lactose and byproducts from the typical diet of factory-farmed cattle to be considered Paleo, in addition to the fact that our hunter-gatherer ancestors probably did not stop to milk wild game.

Is any dairy allowed on paleo? ›

The typical paleo diet focuses on naturally raised meat and fish, as well as vegetables and fruits. It promotes avoiding dairy products and grains.

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