Following the paleo diet is an excellent way to consciously clean up your diet. If you are only consuming what could have been hunted or gathered years ago, you are not able to eat foods that are high in sugars, fats, and artificial additives. By adhering to these restrictions, you open up the possibility to lose weight, improve your blood levels, and more! So, if you are a fan of yuca, can that be included in your paleo diet?
Yuca is naturally paleo. As long as it is consumed with no additives beyond things such as water and sea salt, it is paleo. The best alternatives to yucca that are also paleo are Marketside Sweet Potato Cubes, Native Forest Organic Hearts of Palm, Barnana Organic Plantain Chips, and Sana Original Coconut Flour Tortilla Chips.
Let’s take a look at what exactly the difference between yuca and yucca is, what forms it can come in, and what some alternatives are!
Contents
- Yucca vs Yuca
- Yuca Nutritional Facts (Paleo)
- Yuca Nutritional Facts (Non-Paleo)
- Healthy Paleo Alternatives to Yuca
- Marketside Sweet Potato Cubes
- Native Forest Organic Hearts of Palm
- Barnana Organic Plantain Chips
- Sana Original Coconut Flour Tortilla Chips
- Sana Sea Salt & Vinegar Coconut Flour Tortilla Chips
- Sana Himalayan Pink Salt Coconut Flour Tortilla Chips
- Jackson’s Sea Salt Avocado Oil Sweet Potato Chips
- Jackson’s Sea Salt Coconut Oil Sweet Potato Chips
- Final Thoughts
- Related Questions
Yucca vs Yuca
Many people either mix up the terms yucca and yuca or were not even aware that they were different! Learning about which is which, what they can do for you, and how to implement them in your diet can allow you to try new recipes loaded with nutrients!
Yucca falls into the category of perennial shrubs and trees. It looks like a ball of spikes, as its leaves are long and pointy. While you are not able to eat the roots, you are able to consume the stems, seeds, flowers, and fruits.
Yuca is the root of the cassava plant and is sometimes even referred to as simply cassava in recipes or on the fronts of food packaging. While it is most popular in Latin America and the Caribbrean, it is starting to become well-known in the United States. It is very high in potassium, calcium, and vitamin C, making it a great addition to your daily diet.
Yuca comes in two forms: bitter and sweet. The bitter yuca is made into cassava flour and used in products such as chips, puddings, and drinks. Sweet yuca is kept fresh and included in dishes that other root vegetables would be.
Yuca Nutritional Facts (Paleo)
Goya Yuca Fries
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 174
- Total fat: 1g
- Total carbohydrate: 41g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: 1g
These are the ingredients in the Goya Yuca Fries:
- Yuca
Goya Canned Yuca
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 80
- Total fat: 0g
- Total carbohydrate: 20g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: <1g
These are the ingredients in the Goya Canned Yuca:
- Yuca
- Salt
- Water
Goya Fully Cooked Yuca
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 110
- Total fat: 0g
- Total carbohydrate: 25g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: <1g
These are the ingredients in the Goya Fully Cooked Yuca:
- Yuca
Artisan Tropic Sea Salt Cassava Strips
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 140
- Total fat: 6g
- Total carbohydrate: 22g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: 1g
These are the ingredients in the Artisan Tropic Sea Salt Cassava Strips:
- Cassava
- Non-hydrogenated palm oil
- Sea salt
Thrive Market Non-GMO Sea Salt Cassava Chips
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 140
- Total fat: 6g
- Total carbohydrate: 20g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: <1g
These are the ingredients in the Thrive Market Non-GMO Sea Salt Cassava Chips:
- Cassava
- Palm olein
- Sea salt
Yuca Nutritional Facts (Non-Paleo)
Goya Original Yuca Cassava Chips
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 140
- Total fat: 6g
- Total carbohydrate: 20g
- Total sugars: 1g
- Protein: 0g
These are the ingredients in the Goya Original Yuca Cassava Chips:
- Cassava
- Vegetable oil
Plant Snacks Sea Salt Cassava Root Chips
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 140
- Total fat: 7g
- Total carbohydrate: 20g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: 1g
These are the ingredients in the Plant Snacks Sea Salt Cassava Root Chips:
- Cassava root flour
- Sunflower oil
- Sesame seeds
- Sea salt
- Rosemary extract
Plant Snacks Super Seed Mix Cassava Root Chips
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 140
- Total fat: 7g
- Total carbohydrate: 20g
- Total sugars: 1g
- Protein: 1g
These are the ingredients in the Plant Snacks Super Seed Mix Cassava Root Chips:
- Cassava root flour
- Sunflower oil
- Seed blend (flax seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds)
- Sea salt
- Rosemary extract
Plant Snacks Vegan Cheddar Cassava Root Chips
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 140
- Total fat: 7g
- Total carbohydrate: 20g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: <1g
These are the ingredients in the Plant Snacks Vegan Cheddar Cassava Root Chips:
- Cassava root flour
- Sunflower oil
- Vegan cheddar seasoning (tapioca maltodextrin, sea salt, natural flavor, lactic acid, paprika extract, yeast extract, organic flavor)
- Sesame seeds
- Rosemary extract
Plant Snacks Salt & Vinegar Cassava Root Chips
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 140
- Total fat: 7g
- Total carbohydrate: 20g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: <1g
These are the ingredients in the Plant Snacks Salt & Vinegar Cassava Root Chips:
- Cassava root flour
- Sunflower oil
- Salt & vinegar seasoning (maltodextrin, white vinegar, sea salt, lactic acid, citric acid)
- Sesame seeds
- Rosemary extract
Plant Snacks Beet With Vegan Goat Cheese Cassava Root Chips
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 140
- Total fat: 7g
- Total carbohydrate: 20g
- Total sugars: 1g
- Protein: <1g
These are the ingredients in the Plant Snacks Beet With Vegan Goat Cheese Cassava Root Chips:
- Cassava root flour
- Sunflower oil
- Vegan goat cheese seasoning (tapioca maltodextrin, sea salt, nutritional yeast, natural and organic flavors, onion powder, spices)
- Beet
- Rosemary extract
Healthy Paleo Alternatives to Yuca
Marketside Sweet Potato Cubes
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 90
- Total fat: 0g
- Total carbohydrate: 22g
- Total sugars: 5g
- Protein: 2g
These are the ingredients in the Marketside sweet potato cubes:
- Sweet potatoes
Native Forest Organic Hearts of Palm
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 10
- Total fat: 0g
- Total carbohydrate: 1g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: >1g
These are the ingredients in the Marketside sweet potato cubes:
- Organic hearts of palm
- Water
- Salt
- Citric acid
Barnana Organic Plantain Chips
Here is some important nutrition information to note (per serving):
- Calories: 140
- Total fat: 9g
- Total carbohydrate: 17g
- Total sugars: 0g
- Protein: 0g
These are the ingredients in the Barnana Organic Plantain Chips Chips:
- Plantains
- Coconut oil
- Himalayan pink salt
Sana Original Coconut Flour Tortilla Chips
These tasty chips are gluten-free, paleo, and vegan!
Nutrition Info:
- Calories: 130
- Total fat: 8g
- Total carbohydrates: 17g
- Total sugars: 2g
- Protein: 2g
Ingredients:
- Coconut flour
- Cassava starch
- Coconut oil
- Sea salt
- Xanthan gum
Sana Sea Salt & Vinegar Coconut Flour Tortilla Chips
If you are wanting to help the earth while eating paleo, these chips are made using less water and are better suited for organic farming compared to other chips!
Nutrition Info:
- Calories: 140
- Total fat: 9g
- Total carbohydrates: 16g
- Total sugars: 2g
- Protein: 2g
Ingredients:
- Coconut flour
- Cassava starch
- Coconut oil
- Maltodextrin
- Sea salt
- White distilled vinegar
- Xanthan gum
Sana Himalayan Pink Salt Coconut Flour Tortilla Chips
These chips are nutrient-dense and a great source of fiber!
Nutrition Info:
- Calories: 130
- Total fat: 8g
- Total carbohydrates: 16g
- Total sugars: 2g
- Protein: 2g
Ingredients:
- Coconut flour
- Cassava starch
- Coconut oil
- Sea salt
- Himalayan pink salt
- Xanthan gum
Jackson’s Sea Salt Avocado Oil Sweet Potato Chips
You don’t have to worry about whether or not these chips are paleo due to only three simple and delicious ingredients!
Nutrition Info:
- Calories: 150
- Total fat: 9g
- Total carbohydrates: 16g
- Total sugars: 3g
- Protein: 1g
Ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes
- Avocado oil
- Sea salt
Jackson’s Sea Salt Coconut Oil Sweet Potato Chips
If you love chips that are both sweet and salty, this one can be your go-to!
Nutrition Info:
- Calories: 150
- Total fat: 9g
- Total carbohydrates: 18g
- Total sugars: 4g
- Protein: 1g
Ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes
- Organic coconut oil
- Sea salt
Final Thoughts
If you are on the paleo diet, you are limited to what you can eat. While there are yuca products that cannot be eaten on the diet because they consist of ingredients such as sunflower oil, there are still many yuca foods that you can have!
Canned yuca, yuca fries, and minimalistic chips are great paleo options, and adding these foods into your diet will provide you with many nutrients. If you are wanting to replace the non-paleo yuca cassava chips, brands such as Sana and Jackson’s carry their own delicious chips!
Related Questions
Is Yuca Gluten-Free?
Yes, the yuca root is gluten-free.
Is Yuca Keto-Friendly?
The yuca root is not keto-friendly because it contains 38 grams of carbohydrates per 100 gram serving.
Is Yuca Healthy?
Yuca is high in many vitamins and minerals, including calcium, Vitamin C, potassium, and iron. It is a great addition to a healthy diet.
Is Yuca High In Fiber?
For every 100 grams of the yuca root, there is two grams of fiber. It is recommended that women consume 20 grams and men consume 30 grams of fiber daily.