What does Aina mean? 

Aina means “land that feeds” in Hawaiian, and captures our approach to the way we eat. It’s all about keeping it au natural with wholesome, non-processed food, straight from the earth. 

It has a double meaning as we strongly believe in discovering and using superfoods that help employ farmers and plant trees that provide easier access to nourishing food for people in developing nations. 

What does pegan mean? 

Pegan combines core components of both the paleo and vegan diet. A 2 for 1 whammy, as the lovechild of a paleo diet and vegan diet. 

It was started by Dr. Mark Hyman in 2014, as a means of promoting a healthy, balanced, and sustainable diet. 

A pegan diet is heavily plant-based, while allowing grass-fed, organic meat, fish, eggs, and the occasional dairy from sheep or goat, if you can tolerate it. Like both paleo and vegan diets, it emphasizes whole foods made up of 75% vegetables and fruit, and generally avoiding dairy, grains, and processed ingredients.

Recommended foods to eat on a pegan diet

• Vegetables galore
• Fruits (lower in sugar): Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, watermelon, grapefruit. 
• Nuts and seeds: All except peanuts. 
• Non-GMO oils: Olive oil, macadamia oil, avocado oil, unrefined coconut oil. 
• Fish (low in mercury and high in omega 3s): Sardines, wild salmon, anchovies. 
• Grass-fed, organic meat: Chicken, pork, beef, lamb, goat. 
• Eggs (pasture raised)
• Limited gluten-free grains: Brown and black rice, quinoa, amaranth, millet, teff, oats. 
• Limited legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, black beans. 

Food to avoid on a pegan diet

• Dairy: Cow’s milk, yogurt, cheese. Exceptions include: Sheep & goat milk, and grass-fed butter. 

• Gluten: All forms of gluten. 

• Refined sugar: Cane sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup.  

• Refined oils: Canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil.  

• Additives: Preservatives, MSG, artificial sweeteners, colorings, and flavorings. 

 

Who’s behind Aina Yums? 

I’m Mimi! The recipe developer, food taster, photographer, and videographer behind Aina Yums. 

Once upon a time, like many of you in the working world, I struggled with low energy, sluggishness, frequent sickness, and roller coaster sugar crashes from having a huge sweet tooth to hold me over during long nights of a demanding tech job. 

In Christmas of 2015, I decided to try a paleo diet for a month alongside my Dad and brother who raved about it. Soon after, I adapted a pegan diet to make it more plant-heavy – and I haven’t looked back. 

Energy? High. Skin? Clear. Alertness? Like a hawk. Health? Check. Feeling? Gooood. 

As a child, I was a massive fan of cereal buffets, aka mixing every type of cereal we had into one bowl. Similarly, this blog is a healthy mashup of the international countries I lived and traveled in through adulthood, and the food and cultures I learned to love. From Canada, to Peru, to now sunny San Francisco in the US – to many more in between. 

Growing up, my mom always made delicious dishes from our Taiwanese heritage along with many tastes around the world. Here’s to bringing you the same home-cooked goodness, while introducing you to new delicious yums you can pass on to your generation!

To get in touch or for any questions, just shoot me a note at mimi@ainayums.com