Shrimp are animals, and since part of living a Paleo lifestyle includes eating animals, that means we can eat shrimp, too.
The Nutritional Profile of Shellfish
Normally, eating the smaller shellfish , which are usually eaten whole, is highly recommended, as eating that way tends to include all sorts of nutrients and a fatty profile that we just don’t get from muscle meat. The people who really love their shrimp prize the heads, in addition to the tails, and if you can get your hands on it, we highly recommend doing the same.
Mind you, there’s nothing wrong with eating just the tails. They are still a great source of protein selenium, calcium, iodine, and various B vitamins, but they don’t pack quite the nutritional punch of other shellfish, such as oysters or mussels.
Know Where Your Food Comes From
There’s more to Paleo than just the kinds of plants and animals we eat, though. It’s always a good idea to be mindful of where your food comes from and shrimp are one of the most intensely farmed foods out there. This means that the shrimp farmers use antibiotics and all sorts of chemicals that have not been tested or approved for human consumption. It also means that the shrimp have been raised in an environment that does not properly filter out their feces. One thing you do not want is food covered in its own poop.
Mark Sisson has an excellent post on how to choose the best shrimp to eat.
