Paleo vs. vegan? The pegan diet gives you the best of both

Whatever your stance on jorts, Priuses, and the man bun-braid, the latest hybrid is poised to be fall’s No. 1 diet sensation.

Meet the pegan diet, the love child of the oddly matched paleo and vegan diets. While they are largely contradictory, each fills out the other’s weaknesses. Vegan diets provide some benefits, but it can be difficult for vegans to get adequate protein, while those who follow the paleo diet sometimes skimp on the vegetables and don’t consume any whole grains,” says Brigid Titgemeier, R.D.N., L.D., a registered dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, which is led by the diet’s creator, Mark Hyman, M.D.
Eat Meat, Eggs, but No Dairy: While peganism does away with veganism’s strict no-animal policy, it still outlaws all dairy. No milk, cheese, or yogurt. Lean, grass-fed antibiotic-free meats should make up about a quarter of your calorie intake.

Skip Soy: Edamame, tofu, and soymilk are staples in most every vegan’s protein plans, but they aren’t allowed here.
Limit Legumes: Lentils are allowed in small portions, but other legumes like black beans and peanuts are no-gos.

Eat Only Gluten-Free Grains: Contrary to the paleo approach, whole grains are allowed on a pegan diet. But the diet sticks to its gluten-free ways. Gluten-containing grains like wheat, spelt, semolina, barley, and rye are banned.
However, when it comes to the diet’s long list of don’ts, experts are in anything but agreement. For instance, while Titgemeier is pro gluten-free living, Delbridge claims that only 2 percent of the population has a gluten sensitivity (and even fewer people have full-fledged celiac disease). And although studies have shown that large intakes of soy may have hormonal consequences, eating a serving or two a day of edamame or miso soup isn’t going to cause any hormonal fluctuations, but it can provide tons of vitamins and protein, Delbridge says.

“From my perspective, a lot of the diet’s claims against certain foods are scientifically unfounded,” he says. “There are no long-term unbiased studies out there to show that some of these foods, like beans, beets, wheat, or dairy are any problem. They are just scapegoats for the real problem—not eating a balanced diet.”

After all, watermelon is a high-GI food, and most people (although not pegan dieters) aren’t claiming it makes you unhealthy and fat.