RAW Food for Truth: Europe in The RAW 2011 ~ Paris

Eiffel Tower

Why do people visit Paris? We happened to meet a fellow American at the airport. He had been living in the French capitol and volunteered to help us out since he heard us speak in English (and I’m sure we sounded lost). He lived there because of his work but he said: “I’m here for the food!” So what does Paris have to offer?
Amidst the aromas of freshly-baked bread and pastries that filled the Parisian air there were endless number of fruit and vegetable stands, some of them with organic options. While the city of lovers is not a raw food mecca, in the 18th (district) where we stayed there was a bio (organic) store just a few steps from us. I know, we’re so lucky….you might say! The truth is, we always plan ahead and before we book a place we look at where we’ll be able to get quality food. As I had heard, people in Paris love their bread and meat and apparently are not so much into raw foods. There is but a single raw restaurant (that we knew of) and even that is only open for just a couple of hours four days a week. Since we found out about it the last night we were there, we didn’t visit it so I have no idea whether it’s a good place to dine at. Instead, we ate in and I ate lots of nuts and stocked up on produce daily at the little organic shop, Naturalia.

Organic Grocer

A side note: Before arriving, I was told by many that Parisians can be unkind to foreigners. My experience was that everybody was extremely nice and helpful. Also, people are very polite and will speak English (the opposite of what I was told), if you need assistance! The staff at this store was no exception.
The cutest thing happened at this grocery shop. I got a bunch of fruit, veggies, and water and while checking out, the clerk looked at me surprised and turned to point at the shelves of fresh baguettes and loaves of breads behind her to ask me if I’m getting any. I don’t think a single soul goes to the store in Paris with the intention of leaving without some form of a baked good, be that a brioche for breakfast, some kind of pastry for an afternoon snack, or a baguette for dinner! It was so funny to see her face after she saw me shake my head to signal “No Thanks” :)

Naturalia review
You’ll find a great selection of organic produce here for your smoothies and salads. If you’re not 100% raw then you’ll have a chance to try all kinds of other specialties that are also organic. Those include canned foods, crackers and crostinis, seaweeds, sweets, bottled fruit and veggie juices, and even cosmetics. I’m so grateful to have found this place! Most grocery stores in Paris carry some organic produce but not to please a raw vegan. This health food shop was my savior!
The hardest thing to find was dark greens so I made some all-fruit smoothies since I had a blender (which we requested when we booked our room!). This one was such a refreshing combo:

Spicy Tropical Smoothie
(Serves 1)
half a pineapple
1 large banana
1 kiwi
1 thumbnail piece of ginger
~ 1 cup water

Even though it was challenging to eat raw and organic, all the veggies we got for salads were amazingly delicious, and real quality. If French food is so good, surely it has to do with the ingredients!
I do have some art for you as well. I have to share some of what I saw, some famous, others not so much, I just like them…