A new study suggests that if someone really wants to eat like a caveman, they should avoid red meat.

Contrary to popular belief, researchers from Bar-Ilan University say early humans did not focus solely on animal protein, as reported by the Dailymail.

In contrast, cavemen were mostly vegetarians whose diet contained plant foods such as acorns, grains, legumes, and aquatic plants.

“This discovery highlights the importance of plant foods in the evolution of our ancestors,” said Dr Hadar Ahituv, lead author of the study.

“We now understand that early hominids gathered a wide variety of plants throughout the year, which they processed using tools made from basalt.

“This discovery opens a new chapter in the study of early human diets and their deep connection with plant foods.”

Cavemen have long been depicted as voracious meat eaters.

But in their new study, the team set out to understand what early humans actually ate.

The researchers focused on basalt tools found at an ancient settlement near Gesher Benot Ya’akov.

Located on the shores of ancient Hula Lake, this site includes over 20 settlement layers, animal fossils and plant remains.

During their analysis, the researchers discovered starch grains about 780,000 years old in the basalt tools.

“These include acorns, grass grains, water chestnuts, yellow water lily rhizomes, and legume seeds,” the researchers wrote in their study, published in PNAS.

According to experts, this shows that plants played a central role in the caveman’s diet.

As for why our ancient ancestors prioritized these foods, researchers believe it may be linked to the evolution of the human brain.

“Nuts and roots are rich in carbohydrates vital for the energy requirements of the human brain,” they added.

The study also highlights the sophisticated methods early humans used to process plant materials.

Starch grains were found on basalt knives and anvils—tools used to break and crush a variety of plants, including acorns, cereals, legumes, and aquatic plants.

The researchers also found microscopic remains such as pollen grains, rodent hairs and feathers, which they say support the credibility of the starch findings.

Researchers hope the findings will help rewrite the meat-loving caveman stereotype.

“Our results further confirm the importance of plant foods in our evolutionary history and highlight the development of complex food-related behaviors,” they added.