Keeping Paleo While Experiencing Culture

“I decided to veer off Paleo when I was traveling abroad”, one client recently mentioned to me.  “I didn’t want to deprive myself of experiencing the culture by eschewing their food”.

Understandable statement, and certainly, we all have the choice to not eat Paleo things if we want.   However, it’s not an all or nothing scenario; you can actually stay Paleo while simultaneously enjoying many types of regional cuisine.

Granted, it’s easier to do so in your own home when you can Paleoize the recipe your grandmother passed down to you, but it’s not only possible but not too complicated to make wise Paleo choices out of your home environs.

If you (surprise, surprise) plan ahead and do some research you can determine what dishes stand out as being ‘must haves’ in any particular area and what options you might have to fit into your Paleo lifestyle.    Learn at least a little about the culture and language in advance enough to be prepared to have an intelligent convo with local people where you’ll be, including those working in restaurants and stores, and do your usual asking questions.

Yes, there are situations where it’s going to be trickier than others; for example, declining a meal or part of a meal in some cultures would be seen as quite offensive.  That doesn’t mean you have to throw all your Paleo efforts out the window for the entire duration of your time away from home.

Do the best with what you’ve got and know that Paleo can be done in many places with just a little forethought and creativity.

Some of the places that clients have reporting keeping Paleo without any difficulty just this calendar year include Australia (Melbourne and Sydney in particular), New Zealand, Mexico (Cancun, Riviera Mayakoba and Mexico City), Greece, S. Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Thailand, England, France and Italy.

Where’ve you been and how did you stay Paleo?  Share!