What Cheese Can I Eat on a Paleo Diet? Navigating Dairy on the 'Caveman' Plan

December 9, 2025 •

3 min read

Over 70% of the world's population is lactose intolerant, a factor that aligns with the paleo diet's core principle of avoiding dairy, including most cheeses. This restriction stems from the diet's foundational belief that humans are best suited to consume foods from the pre-agricultural era, an era before dairy farming existed.

Quick Summary

Navigating dairy on a paleo diet is complex; strict paleo eliminates all cheese, but modified versions might permit some grass-fed, raw, or aged options if tolerated. Dairy-free alternatives are widely available for those who avoid dairy completely.

Key Points

Strict Paleo Excludes Dairy: The traditional paleo diet, based on pre-agricultural eating, eliminates all dairy products, including cheese.
Flexible 'Primal' Allows Aged Cheese: Modified versions of paleo may permit high-quality, grass-fed, and especially aged cheeses (like Parmesan), which are lower in lactose and potentially more digestible.
Ghee is Generally Approved: Clarified butter, or ghee, is typically considered paleo-friendly because the milk solids containing lactose and casein have been removed.
Embrace Dairy-Free Alternatives: Excellent paleo-approved substitutes for cheese can be made from nuts (cashews, macadamias), nutritional yeast, and other plant-based ingredients.
Listen to Your Body: The best approach is to test your personal tolerance for dairy, starting with high-quality options, and adjust your diet based on how you feel.
Assess Nutrient Intake: If eliminating dairy, it's important to find alternative sources for calcium and other nutrients found in cheese, such as leafy greens, nuts, and fish.

Strict Paleo vs. Flexible 'Primal' Approach

The paleo diet is built on the concept of eating like our Paleolithic ancestors, focusing on whole, unprocessed foods like lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Since dairy farming emerged with the agricultural revolution approximately 10,000 years ago, dairy products like cheese are excluded from a strict paleo regimen. Proponents point to potential issues with dairy, including lactose intolerance, casein sensitivity, and inflammatory responses.

However, the paleo movement has evolved, with some followers adopting a more lenient approach often called the "Primal" or "Paleo 2.0" diet. These modified plans may permit certain types of dairy, provided it's high-quality and well-tolerated. The rationale is that dairy from grass-fed animals, especially fermented or aged products, is less inflammatory and more nutrient-dense than modern, processed dairy. This flexibility allows individuals to personalize their diet based on their unique health goals and sensitivities.

Which Dairy Options Fit a Flexible Paleo Plan?

For those following a more flexible paleo path, certain cheeses are sometimes incorporated. These include:

Raw, Grass-fed Cheese: Believed to be closer to its natural state with higher nutrient content. It's often sourced from animals raised on pasture, resulting in a healthier fat profile.
Full-fat, Organic Cheese: A less processed option compared to conventional cheeses, and it lacks the hormones and additives often found in modern dairy.
Aged Cheeses: Parmesan, aged Gouda, and sharp cheddar are examples of aged cheeses. The aging process significantly reduces lactose content, making them easier for many to digest.

Why is Ghee a Paleo-friendly 'Dairy'?

While most dairy is off-limits, one product is widely accepted in the paleo community: ghee. Ghee is a type of clarified butter where the milk solids, which contain lactose and casein, have been removed. This leaves behind pure butterfat, a source of healthy fats that can be tolerated by many who are sensitive to other dairy products. Its high smoke point also makes it an excellent choice for cooking.

Paleo-Friendly Dairy-Free Cheese Alternatives

For strict paleo adherents or those with dairy sensitivities, several excellent alternatives can satisfy a cheese craving. Many of these substitutes can be made at home using paleo-approved ingredients:

Nutritional Yeast: This inactive yeast has a naturally savory, cheesy flavor and is a fantastic substitute for cheese dust on vegetables, eggs, or popcorn. It is also a good source of B vitamins.
Cashew Cheese: Creamy cashew-based cheese is a popular choice for spreads, sauces, and dips. Ingredients often include soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and seasonings, blended to a smooth consistency.
Macadamia Cheese: For a nut-based cheese with a milder flavor, macadamia nuts can be processed with lemon juice and salt to create a rich, creamy texture.
AIP 'Cheese': For those following the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), recipes often use ingredients like butternut squash, nutritional yeast, and gelatin to create a firm, meltable cheese substitute.
Sauces from Nuts/Seeds: Ingredients like sunflower seeds or almonds can be blended to create a cheesy sauce, perfect for topping dishes or serving over vegetables.

Comparing Dairy Options on Paleo


Feature	Strict Paleo	Flexible / Primal Paleo
Stance on Cheese	Excludes all dairy, including cheese.	Allows some high-quality, full-fat dairy, including certain cheeses.
Reasoning	Dairy was not available to Paleolithic ancestors and can cause inflammation or digestive issues.	Believes some modern dairy, if high-quality and tolerated, can be nutritious.
Tolerated Cheeses	None.	Aged cheeses (low lactose), raw grass-fed, and organic full-fat varieties.
Dairy-Free Options	Actively encouraged; uses nuts, nutritional yeast, and seeds.	Also uses dairy-free options for variety or if sensitivity exists.
Common Cooking Fats	Coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil, ghee.	All strict paleo fats, plus grass-fed butter.

Making an Informed Decision

The decision of whether to include cheese on your paleo diet is a personal one. The core of the paleo philosophy emphasizes unprocessed, whole foods and listening to your body. While a strict interpretation avoids all dairy, a modified approach can be a sustainable option for some. To make an informed choice, consider your personal health goals, digestive tolerance, and preference. You might try an elimination protocol to determine your sensitivity to dairy proteins and sugars.

Experiment with high-quality, aged, grass-fed options in moderation if you choose the flexible path. For those who need or prefer to avoid dairy completely, the wide array of creative dairy-free alternatives offers plenty of delicious and satisfying solutions. By focusing on quality, minimally processed ingredients, you can enjoy a flavorful and varied diet while staying true to the spirit of the paleo lifestyle. Cleveland Clinic

Frequently Asked Questions

A strict paleo diet excludes dairy products because they were not available during the Paleolithic era. Dairy farming began much later, with the agricultural revolution, and the paleo diet is based on foods that could be hunted or gathered before that time.

If following a flexible 'Primal' paleo approach, Parmesan cheese might be an option. It is an aged cheese, which means it is naturally very low in lactose and may be tolerated better than other dairy products.

The Primal diet is a more lenient version of paleo that allows for some high-quality, full-fat dairy products, like aged or grass-fed cheese, for those who tolerate it well.

Yes, plant-based cheeses made from paleo-approved ingredients like nuts (cashews, macadamias), nutritional yeast, and coconut milk are suitable alternatives for cheese on a paleo diet.

Yes, ghee is generally considered paleo because the milk solids containing lactose and casein are removed during the clarification process, leaving behind pure butterfat.

To assess your tolerance, you can introduce small amounts of high-quality dairy, such as aged, grass-fed cheese, after a period of avoidance. Pay attention to any digestive issues, inflammation, or other negative reactions.

Eliminating dairy can affect calcium intake, but you can get sufficient calcium from other paleo-friendly sources, including leafy greens, sardines, nuts, and seeds.

Common paleo-friendly ingredients for making dairy-free cheese alternatives include soaked cashews, macadamia nuts, nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, and thickening agents like gelatin or agar-agar.