Elm City Market is New Haven’s best source for those on the paleo diet, with our rich selection of grass-fed meats, wild seafood, and organic produce, plus staple paleo foods such as grain-free flour and coconut sugar.
The paleo diet (aka paleolithic diet or caveman diet) aims to mimic how our prehistoric hunter-gatherer ancestors ate, eliminating grains, legumes, dairy, and processed foods and focusing on fruits, vegetables, meats and fish — wild and organic whenever possible. Proponents of the paleo diet believe it can help with weight loss and contribute to overall health because it is generally high in protein and low in carbs and sugars. There are many variations and interpretations of the diet (for example, some allow grass-fed butter while others are completely dairy-free). Many people do not follow a strict paleo diet but use it as a set of guidelines for what foods to emphasize and minimize.
Quite simply, all over the store! Our meat department is chock-full of paleo-friendly choices, such as Strauss grass-fed beef cuts (skirt steak, strip steak, and ground beef, among others) and D’Artagnan organic free-range chicken. Same goes for our seafood counter, where you’ll find wild-caught salmon, shrimp, snapper, halibut, seabass, and many other favorites.
Our produce department is a paleo foods haven, with organic options for just about every fruit and vegetable. We have a great selection of sweet potatoes and other tubers, which make a healthy alternative to many modern carbs.
Plant-based milks can be tricky territory for the paleo diet: while nuts and seeds are paleo, many nut milks have non-paleo ingredients, such as sugar, starches and gums. At Elm City Market, however, you’ll find several paleo-friendly nut milks made from just a few simple ingredients, including Elmhurst’s Unsweetened Milked Almonds, Malk’s Unsweetened Almond Malk, and even pistachio and black sesame milks from Three Trees. Prefer to make your own? Pick up raw almonds or cashews in our bulk department.
For quick paleo snacks, we stock a wide array of Epic jerky and smoked salmon, RX Bar and other protein bars with few ingredients. Pick up a package of Sunfood Coconut Wraps to make an easy sandwich alternative, or Back Roads paleo granola for a quick breakfast. You’ll even find Paleo Passion Pops in the freezer case!
And if you get a craving for baked goods, you’re in luck: grain-free paleo flour replacers from Bob’s Red Mill and Caulipower are in our grocery department, as are coconut sugar and date sugar, and an array of healthy oils and fats: coconut oil, avocado oil, Epic animal fats, and ghee.
