What can be eaten on the SCD diet compared to the Paleo and AIP diets?

Surprisingly, though the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, Autoimmune Protocol diet, and Paleo diet have several similarities they also have many differences. They do have similar purposes but are all different enough that it allows people to pick and choose the best diet for their purposes. Today we’d like to go over the types of food allowed on the SCD diet and the difference to the AIP/Paleo diet.

Option #1 (Allowed Meats): The SCD diet allows for eggs, chicken, beef, fish, pork, wild game, lamb, and turkey. All of these are also allowed on the paleo diet but if you are following the AIP diet you’d need to eliminate the eggs (Click here to learn more). All diets do prefer your beef is grass-fed, chicken is free-range, and the fish is wild caught.

Option #2 (Allowed Vegetables): This is where it gets a little tricky between AIP and SCD. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet allows fresh or frozen vegetables such as asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkin, spinach, squash, string beans and tomatoes. The Paleo and AIP diet don’t allow legume so that would eliminate the peas and string beans (Click here to learn more). The AIP diet doesn’t allow nightshades either so that would kick out the eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes (Click here to learn more).

Option #3 (Allowed Fruits): The SCD diet allows for fresh, frozen, or dried fruits with no additives like apples, avocados, bananas, berries, coconut, dates, grapefruit, grapes, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, melons, oranges, peaches, pears, and more. This is about the same for those living the Paleo diet but the autoimmune protocol diet is much more particular. The AIP diet doesn’t allow most berries, dried fruit is to be used cautiously (due to high glycemic load) and only allows for 20 grams of fructose consumption per day.

Option #4 (Dairy): The SCD diet does allow some dairy consumption like yogurt, aged cow and goat cheese, butter, ghee, and dry curd cottage cheese. Some dairy is okay on the Paleo diet (some full-fat dairy is okay) and is somewhat discouraged on the AIP diet and left to an individual to carefully decide due to allergies, lactose, and protease inhibitors (molecules that neutralize digestive enzymes).

Option #5 (Nuts): The SCD and Paleo diet allows most nut consumption without additives. Whereas the AIP diet prohibits any nuts or seeds due to lectin, phytic acid, and allergens (Click here to learn more).

Option #6 (Legume): Peanuts, white beans, navy bean, lentils, split peas, lima beans, kidney beans, and black beans are allowed on the SCD diet. However, none of these are allowed on the Paleo and AIP diet per the reasoning in option five.

This should open your mind to the similarities and difference to better suit your needs as you improve your health. Autoimmune Health & Nutrition is here to help in the process…regardless of the diet you choose you can safely enjoy our Paleo Perfection Protein! Happy eating!