Gwyneth Paltrow treated herself to an indulgent weekend in Sweden with her husband, Brad Falchuk, sampling the country’s cuisine after moving away from her famously strict diet.
The 54-year-old American actress shared highlights from the trip on Instagram, including meals featuring what she described as “unbelievably delicious” food and locally caught seafood.
One photograph from dinner showed Gwyneth and 55-year-old Brad dining at Lisa Elmqvist, where a prawn salad costs £24.60 ($32.73).
The couple also tried salmon gravlax and clams while exploring Stockholm’s culture, including a visit to the contemporary art museum Moderna Museet.
The mother of two looked effortlessly stylish during the getaway in a navy blouse, midi skirt and black heeled boots, finishing the outfit with an orange bag for a vibrant accent.
Gwyneth travelled to Stockholm for the Spotify Summit. The Swedish capital is where the streaming company was founded and remains the location of its headquarters, she explained in a post on her Substack.
Gwyneth Paltrow enjoyed an indulgent weekend with her husband Brad Falchuk in Sweden, sampling local cuisine after moving away from her ultra-strict diet
A dinner photograph showed the couple at Lisa Elmqvist, where Gwyneth’s prawn salad costs £24.60 ($32.73)
Reflecting on Stockholm’s food scene, Gwyneth wrote: “And the food is so, so unbelievably delicious.”
“Stockholm is spread across 14 islands, so it’s no surprise that locally caught seafood is at the heart of its cuisine. I’m bummed I never made it to Frantzén or Brasserie Astoria, but both are must-visits for my next trip.”
In 2025, Gwyneth revealed that she was stepping back from the ultra-strict Paleo diet after years of being “obsessed with eating healthily” and avoiding foods including bread, cheese and pasta.
The actress, who founded wellness brand Goop in 2008, admitted that she had grown “sick” of following the so-called caveman diet.
In recent years, her routine had included coffee for breakfast, bone broth for lunch and vegetables for dinner.
The Paleo diet, also known as the Paleolithic or caveman diet, is based on the idea of avoiding modern foods and eating in a way that reflects the diets of early human ancestors.
The plan typically emphasises meat, vegetables, nuts and limited fruit while excluding grains, legumes, dairy, salt, refined sugar and processed oils.
Supporters claim it can aid weight loss, reduce appetite and boost energy, although research into its long-term effects remains limited.
The couple sampled salmon gravlax and clams while exploring Stockholm’s local culture
However, Gwyneth’s enthusiasm for the restrictive plan appears to have waned after she acknowledged that she had “started eating bread, cheese and pasta again”.
The Hollywood star adopted the Paleo diet several years ago alongside her television producer husband.
Speaking on her Goop podcast, she said: “I went into hardcore macrobiotic for a certain time. That was an interesting chapter where I got obsessed with eating very, very healthily.”
She continued: “I really deepened my connection with food and the whole philosophy around macrobiotics, which is essentially how people eat in the mountains of Japan — very local and seasonal.
“There was lots of fish, vegetables and rice, with no dairy or sugar. I think during that period I might have become a little didactical about it.
“I was amazed that we had this power in our hands: if we treated ourselves well, stayed hydrated and ate whole foods, we could feel so much better. I was sort of intoxicated by that idea, and I still feel that way to this day.
“Things have become a little more complicated for me over the longer term, with inflammation and stuff.
“It’s the reason Brad and I became Paleo a few years ago. Although I’m a little bit sick of it, if I’m honest.”
Gwyneth added: “I’m getting back into eating sourdough bread, cheese — there, I said it — and a little pasta after being strict with it for so long.”
“But again, I think it’s a good template: eating foods that are as whole and fresh as possible. I don’t think there’s any doctor or nutritionist who would refute that.”
The mother of two looked stylish in a navy blouse, midi skirt and black heeled boots, accessorised with an orange bag
She also appeared to follow through on that more relaxed approach, sharing photographs of fries, burgers and pizza on social media around the same period.
The Paleo diet, also known as the “caveman diet”, gained popularity in 2002 after the publication of a nutrition book by US scientist Loren Cordain, PhD.
Cordain argued that eating foods consumed during the Paleolithic, or Stone Age, era could promote good health because human physiology was supposedly at its optimum during that period.
The eating plan is high in animal protein, nuts and non-starchy fruit and vegetables, while limiting carbohydrates and largely eliminating processed food.
Experts have previously warned, however, about the potential risks of following the Paleo diet over an extended period.
The British Dietetic Association has said that consuming large quantities of meat and eggs may raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease.
Relying on fat rather than carbohydrates for energy may also trigger ketoacidosis, a rare condition in which the blood becomes dangerously acidic.
The BDA has also raised concerns about the diet’s exclusion of cheese and other dairy products, which may contribute to calcium deficiency.
Insufficient calcium can increase the risk of osteoporosis, rickets and bone fractures. The diet may also be low in other essential nutrients, including magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium and zinc.
Because grains are excluded, the plan can also lack fibre, which is important for a healthy digestive system. Low-fibre diets have been linked to cases of bowel and colon cancer.
In 2017, the World Health Organisation warned that diets excluding entire food groups should be approached with caution.
