Paleo Autoimmune Protocol Meal Plan

Paleo excludes grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugar, and most processed foods. AIP adds further exclusions during the elimination phase: eggs, nightshades (tomato, pepper, eggplant, potato, paprika), nuts, seeds, alcohol, and most added sweeteners. AIP also emphasizes nutrient-dense additions such as bone broth, organ meats, fermented foods (where tolerated), and oily fish. After 30 to 90 days of strict elimination, foods are reintroduced one at a time. Pragmatic AIP often re-adds nightshades, eggs, or seeds based on individual tolerance.

Most AIP guides recommend 30 to 90 days. Shorter periods often do not produce a clear baseline; longer periods can become unnecessarily restrictive. Your clinician may set a different duration based on your specific diagnosis (Hashimoto's, RA, lupus, IBD, psoriasis, etc.), lab markers, and symptom pattern. After elimination, reintroduce one category at a time over a 3-day window and log joint pain, fatigue, digestive symptoms, skin changes, and mood. Foods that pass reintroduction return to your long-term plan; confirmed triggers stay excluded.

Protein on AIP relies on fish, poultry, red meat, organ meats, and shellfish. A 150 g cooked salmon fillet provides about 35 g of protein per USDA data, a 150 g chicken breast about 46 g, and 100 g of beef liver about 25 g with very high vitamin A, B12, and folate density. Three protein-forward meals per day typically reach 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg body weight, which matches the protein target most clinicians use for healthy adults during elimination diets.

Evidence on nightshades (tomato, pepper, eggplant, potato, paprika) and autoimmune disease is mixed. Some people with rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions report symptom improvement when nightshades are removed, while controlled trials are limited. The pragmatic AIP approach is to exclude nightshades during elimination, then reintroduce them as a single category and track symptom response. If you tolerate them, they return to your long-term plan; if not, you have identified a personal trigger.

Per USDA FoodData Central, the most concentrated long-chain omega-3 (EPA + DHA) sources are oily fish: Atlantic salmon supplies roughly 2,000 mg of EPA + DHA per 100 g cooked, sardines roughly 1,400 mg per 100 g, mackerel roughly 2,500 mg per 100 g, and herring roughly 2,000 mg per 100 g. Plant sources such as flaxseed and chia provide ALA but are excluded during AIP elimination. Two to three servings of oily fish per week typically delivers anti-inflammatory omega-3 targets without supplementation.