What Is a Primitive Diet?

A primitive diet, also known as a Paleolithic diet, is a way of eating that resembles the eating habits of a primitive human. The foods allowed must have been available prior to the invention of agriculture. Foods of a primitive diet can be digested in their raw form, but cooking is acceptable for safety reasons.

Meat

• Meats made up a large part of the diet. Meats would be fish or wild game that was freshly hunted. Ancient humans ate all the meat as well as organs of animals.

Dairy and Eggs

• Paleolithic humans did not domesticate animals. Milk would not have been available, therefore it is not acceptable on a primitive diet. Primitive man ate eggs whenever they found them, but they would not have been available year round.

Nuts and Seeds

• Nuts and seeds were eaten when found. Nuts provide beneficial fats and are an important component of the diet.

Grains and beans

• Grains and beans are not digestible without being cooked. Primitive humans would not have had a mechanism to boil beans. Grains, such as rice and wheat, grew as weeds before being cultivated. They would have not been available in quantities worth pursuing.

Fruit and Vegetables

• Availability of fruit and vegetables would depend on the location and season. Primitive humans did not grow food and would eat anything that they could gather. Certain vegetables, such as potatoes, are poisonous raw and would not have been consumed.

Sugar and Salt

• Refined sugar and salt would not have been available. Honey was a treat that was eaten, but it would have been rare and dangerous to collect. Sugars and salts were mostly consumed through other foods.