French children don't snack
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Just got back from France. I spent much of my time with a French family and noticed how they only brought out a snack every few days in the evening. They'd only eat one, like a small chocolate just for a little taster, similar to an after-dinner mint. Then they'd put the snacks away.
Mealtimes were very controlled and healthy. Dinner was usually something like achovy pate on very small slices of baguette. They'd eat maybe two small pieces followed by peppers, turkey or chicken with tomatoes... but all very small portions. They were delish! Then a couple more very small slices of baguette with a little Camembert cheese. Finally a small yogurt for dessert or piece of fruit. Some rosee wine too.
It's normal to put weight on whilst on vacation but I actually lost 2 pounds! I'm delighted!
Most of the family are in their 30s or 40s, the parents are in their mid to late 60s. Everybody does 2 or 3 days exercise each week, mostly road cycling for 3 hours each session. Sometimes a swim in the sea. Nobody goes to the gym or does strength training/other exercises.
When we hit the beach, they all had flat stomachs. Not six packs but all in really great shape! I was showing my parents the photos and they couldn't believe even their 65 year old peers in France had flat stomachs and looked so healthy.
I found it all "tres agreable" and would love to continue this lifestyle some more!
This is really not the norm. Growing up there (I lived in France until I was 23), I never met anyone who worked out. Some people did sports (tennis, soccer etc) once a week, but that's pretty much it. I lived in the suburbs of Paris and everyone walked a lot though. I gained like 20 lbs in 2 years when I moved here because you pretty much have to take the car to go anywhere.
In my house we ate a lot of food too, and meals were often a 4 meal course... And we often had a croissant as that 4pm snack.
About kids obesity, remember that in France kids get recess 3 times a day too...
And yes French fries are from Belgium.0 -
And galettes aren't shortbread anythings, they are either a form of crepe or a flaky pastry, rustic flan/tart.
Chocolate is Spanish/Latinate word and foodstuff
Sorbet is a French food, perhaps, but a Persian word
Macarons is more Italian in etymology
But the original point stands. The French made a big deal about their food and chefs and promoted them world wide.
Maybe the French made us fat 0 -
This is really not the norm. Growing up there (I lived in France until I was 23), I never met anyone who worked out. Some people did sports (tennis, soccer etc) once a week, but that's pretty much it. I lived in the suburbs of Paris and everyone walked a lot though. I gained like 20 lbs in 2 years when I moved here because you pretty much have to take the car to go anywhere.
In my house we ate a lot of food too, and meals were often a 4 meal course... And we often had a croissant as that 4pm snack.
About kids obesity, remember that in France kids get recess 3 times a day too...
And yes French fries are from Belgium.
The only fat people I remember noticing were tourists, typically yelling in English. People do take their cars everywhere, that's true but do some form of exercise each week. Obviously walking a lot in Paris counts! I have lost most of my weight doing walking here too and not a lot else.
20 years ago, I worked for Compagnie Générale des Eaux in Paris and all the guys there played squash and were in shape. Again, no fatties.0 -
Neither do Italians! And actually, Americans really didn't either when I was young.. I kind of prefer it...I feel sometimes like my kids are looking for food every other minute!
We didn't either! And I'm not that old, 40 today. We would have an "after school snack" - but that was it, and it was a defined snack not a constant grazing. I've never fed my kids lots of snacks, although they are allowed to get fruit any time they want it. When we have other kids over who want a snack all the time, I have to admit I find it very annoying.0 -
I live in Switzerland... here the children actually travel home to eat their lunches (at least outside the large cities - I don't know about centrally located schools). I think that's a great idea and works great here. Unfortunately I don't see it working as well in the States.
Anyways, thought I would share that bit 0 -
Just got back from France. I spent much of my time with a French family and noticed how they only brought out a snack every few days in the evening. They'd only eat one, like a small chocolate just for a little taster, similar to an after-dinner mint. Then they'd put the snacks away.
Mealtimes were very controlled and healthy. Dinner was usually something like achovy pate on very small slices of baguette. They'd eat maybe two small pieces followed by peppers, turkey or chicken with tomatoes... but all very small portions. They were delish! Then a couple more very small slices of baguette with a little Camembert cheese. Finally a small yogurt for dessert or piece of fruit. Some rosee wine too.
It's normal to put weight on whilst on vacation but I actually lost 2 pounds! I'm delighted!
Most of the family are in their 30s or 40s, the parents are in their mid to late 60s. Everybody does 2 or 3 days exercise each week, mostly road cycling for 3 hours each session. Sometimes a swim in the sea. Nobody goes to the gym or does strength training/other exercises.
When we hit the beach, they all had flat stomachs. Not six packs but all in really great shape! I was showing my parents the photos and they couldn't believe even their 65 year old peers in France had flat stomachs and looked so healthy.
I found it all "tres agreable" and would love to continue this lifestyle some more!
This is really not the norm. Growing up there (I lived in France until I was 23), I never met anyone who worked out. Some people did sports (tennis, soccer etc) once a week, but that's pretty much it. I lived in the suburbs of Paris and everyone walked a lot though. I gained like 20 lbs in 2 years when I moved here because you pretty much have to take the car to go anywhere.
In my house we ate a lot of food too, and meals were often a 4 meal course... And we often had a croissant as that 4pm snack.
About kids obesity, remember that in France kids get recess 3 times a day too...
And yes French fries are from Belgium.
Can we at least all agree that not all of the French behave in exactly the same way? Even without going to France, one can tell that there are plenty of different types of people there. Are the people from Alsace really so similar to those from Paris? Or Lyons?
The article posted in the OP was from 1 Canadian and her view of her brief time in France. How representative is that really going to be?
Similar articles have been written about "national" diets the world over and they are constantly criticized for the major assumptions they make. All people in a country do not behave the same way. All Americans are not fat. What one person calls a "snack" may be an entire "meal" for another.
My family snacks. What does that mean? Well, I love cheese, applies, milk, tortillas, raw carrots, hard boiled eggs, and ice cream. So do our kids. Even my 3 y.o. knows that she can open the refrigerator and pull out an apple or a cheese stick when she's hungry. Ice cream? She gets 1 a day unless she is out hiking all day with us and then I don't really care how much ice cream she eats because she needs the energy. Our 7 y.o. is similar, but she is at an age where she is incredibly active with sports and is starting to eat quite a bit. We live on a beach. We are active people. We eat a lot as a result and we are not overweight. Do we represent all Americans? No. Do I want to represent all Americans? No. Much like there are French in this thread who snack and who do not snack.
Give the cultural stereotyping, or at least the assuming that all people of a particular country behave the same, a rest.0 -
I've lived in Paris for years and also in Geneva. So yeah, that's true, neither French nor Swiss (Swiss French side) do snacks.
The only snack would be a small cup of espresso.
And yeah, in my culture kids are not allowed to eat between main meals, because it spoils appetite. And ruins the routine.0 -
Just got back from France. I spent much of my time with a French family and noticed how they only brought out a snack every few days in the evening. They'd only eat one, like a small chocolate just for a little taster, similar to an after-dinner mint. Then they'd put the snacks away.
Mealtimes were very controlled and healthy. Dinner was usually something like achovy pate on very small slices of baguette. They'd eat maybe two small pieces followed by peppers, turkey or chicken with tomatoes... but all very small portions. They were delish! Then a couple more very small slices of baguette with a little Camembert cheese. Finally a small yogurt for dessert or piece of fruit. Some rosee wine too.
It's normal to put weight on whilst on vacation but I actually lost 2 pounds! I'm delighted!
Most of the family are in their 30s or 40s, the parents are in their mid to late 60s. Everybody does 2 or 3 days exercise each week, mostly road cycling for 3 hours each session. Sometimes a swim in the sea. Nobody goes to the gym or does strength training/other exercises.
When we hit the beach, they all had flat stomachs. Not six packs but all in really great shape! I was showing my parents the photos and they couldn't believe even their 65 year old peers in France had flat stomachs and looked so healthy.
I found it all "tres agreable" and would love to continue this lifestyle some more!
This is really not the norm. Growing up there (I lived in France until I was 23), I never met anyone who worked out. Some people did sports (tennis, soccer etc) once a week, but that's pretty much it. I lived in the suburbs of Paris and everyone walked a lot though. I gained like 20 lbs in 2 years when I moved here because you pretty much have to take the car to go anywhere.
In my house we ate a lot of food too, and meals were often a 4 meal course... And we often had a croissant as that 4pm snack.
About kids obesity, remember that in France kids get recess 3 times a day too...
And yes French fries are from Belgium.
Can we at least all agree that not all of the French behave in exactly the same way? Even without going to France, one can tell that there are plenty of different types of people there. Are the people from Alsace really so similar to those from Paris? Or Lyons?
The article posted in the OP was from 1 Canadian and her view of her brief time in France. How representative is that really going to be?
Similar articles have been written about "national" diets the world over and they are constantly criticized for the major assumptions they make. All people in a country do not behave the same way. All Americans are not fat. What one person calls a "snack" may be an entire "meal" for another.
My family snacks. What does that mean? Well, I love cheese, applies, milk, tortillas, raw carrots, hard boiled eggs, and ice cream. So do our kids. Even my 3 y.o. knows that she can open the refrigerator and pull out an apple or a cheese stick when she's hungry. Ice cream? She gets 1 a day unless she is out hiking all day with us and then I don't really care how much ice cream she eats because she needs the energy. Our 7 y.o. is similar, but she is at an age where she is incredibly active with sports and is starting to eat quite a bit. We live on a beach. We are active people. We eat a lot as a result and we are not overweight. Do we represent all Americans? No. Do I want to represent all Americans? No. Much like there are French in this thread who snack and who do not snack.
Give the cultural stereotyping, or at least the assuming that all people of a particular country behave the same, a rest.
Agreed!0 -
I thought this was an interesting read, thanks for posting!0
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Snack foods that the French invented:
Pomme Frites or Frites (we call them French Fries for a reason, folks)
Macarons
petit fours
crepes stuffed with ice cream
ice cream (glace)
sorbet
gallettes (shortbread cookies)
Croquettes
chocolate truffles
bon bons
pain au chocolat
chocolat
and countless other things
There is a reason the Bocuse D'Or is a French award named after a French pastry chef. Those things were invented in France.
Actually, many of the snacks we love have their origins in French Cuisine. How many Patisseries are there in France anyway? Isn't there something like 2000 in Paris and surrounding area? Not to be confused with Boulangeries, which are the bakeries.
Wondering how there could be 2000 shops devoted to selling sweet snacks in a city where people don't "snack."
I must disagree.
These are not snacks, those are real food. French don't use French fries for snacking, no way, it's a side dish for meat or fish!
Macaroons are desserts, no way ever used as snacks. If you see how a Parisian woman eats a macaroon, you'd be intrigued. She bites it little by little, it might take her some time to eat the whole piece, she enjoys the moment of eating it.
And sorbet is Persian btw, was widely used in the 1001 nights 0 -
I'm curious to know about the average body composition of (typical) French people. Walking a zillion miles is nice, but it won't prevent muscle wasting. How do they maintain a decent amount of lean body mass not lifting weights? And they can't possibly be eating 5 servings of fruit/vegetables a day and a decent amount of protein with all the calories they're eating from bread, cream, butter, and full-fat cheese. Not to mention the alcohol and cigarettes!
I suspect that the truth may be that "(Most) French Women Don't Get Large". That's not enough for me.0 -
I'm curious to know about the average body composition of (typical) French people. Walking a zillion miles is nice, but it won't prevent muscle wasting. How do they maintain a decent amount of lean body mass not lifting weights? And they can't possibly be eating 5 servings of fruit/vegetables a day and a decent amount of protein with all the calories they're eating from bread, cream, butter, and full-fat cheese. Not to mention the alcohol and cigarettes!
I suspect that the truth may be that "(Most) French Women Don't Get Large". That's not enough for me.
Do you realize that not everybody in the US lifts weights, and that only a very, very small percentage does? So most of the US people, and most of the people in the world for that matter, must be a bunch of muscle wasting zombies if they don't follow the MFP "lift heavy" mantra.0 -
I'm not asking about what people in the US do. I'm asking about what (typical) people in France do.I'm curious to know about the average body composition of (typical) French people. Walking a zillion miles is nice, but it won't prevent muscle wasting. How do they maintain a decent amount of lean body mass not lifting weights? And they can't possibly be eating 5 servings of fruit/vegetables a day and a decent amount of protein with all the calories they're eating from bread, cream, butter, and full-fat cheese. Not to mention the alcohol and cigarettes!
I suspect that the truth may be that "(Most) French Women Don't Get Large". That's not enough for me.
Do you realize that not everybody in the US lifts weights, and that only a very, very small percentage does? So most of the US people, and most of the people in the world for that matter, must be a bunch of muscle wasting zombies if they don't follow the MFP "lift heavy" mantra.
Let me amend my earlier statement into a question. How do they eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day and decent amounts of protein with the high-fat ingredients and lots of bread and not eat too many calories?
And yes, I think that most people in the industrialized world are losing muscle mass every year they get older, unless they're doing strength training. The rest of the world probably does a large amount of manual labor to earn its living, so less of a problem there.0 -
I'm curious to know about the average body composition of (typical) French people. Walking a zillion miles is nice, but it won't prevent muscle wasting. How do they maintain a decent amount of lean body mass not lifting weights? And they can't possibly be eating 5 servings of fruit/vegetables a day and a decent amount of protein with all the calories they're eating from bread, cream, butter, and full-fat cheese. Not to mention the alcohol and cigarettes!
I suspect that the truth may be that "(Most) French Women Don't Get Large". That's not enough for me.
Well, I must say none of my French friends exercise much. Jogging yes but heavy lifting definitely not.
Most French people don't eat too much at all. And they're very careful about eating - the think about their food choices. Actually my friends would stop me from eating bread and butter that I love so much.
And definitely French portions are not American portions, maybe 1/3 of American portions.
It's all about enjoying every bite, it's about having pleasure from the food. As I said earlier, even a small macaroon is a piece of enjoyment and they bite it little by little.0 -
I get that, and I emulate the little bites to enjoy a small dessert myself. I would like to know how they are eating smaller portions of meat, fruits and vegetables so they can eat the cream, butter, etc., but still get enough nutrients.Well, I must say none of my French friends exercise much. Jogging yes but heavy lifting definitely not.
Most French people don't eat too much at all. And they're very careful about eating - the think about their food choices. Actually my friends would stop me from eating bread and butter that I love so much.
And definitely French portions are not American portions, maybe 1/3 of American portions.
It's all about enjoying every bite, it's about having pleasure from the food. As I said earlier, even a small macaroon is a piece of enjoyment and they bite it little by little.0 -
dp- mfp site is being wonky0
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/still need to finish the article but in the mean while/
NOPE. I'm french, and snacks have always been part of my life and the one of my friends :smokin:
Now if you excuse me, I'm off to read that article!0 -
Of course French children don't snack. They're too busy smoking.0
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You know, talking about snaking and school I don't think German schools give snacks to kids either. Matter of fact, most kids in Germany go to block classes and are home for lunch.
So this with France doesn't surprise me much.
Matter fact during my time living in Germany I always had a friend (they where German) always ask where I was about 4 pm. I just got home from school. They were always shocked when I told them I was at school.
I believe we had a conversation about lunch once. I don't remember but I think it was the 11 year old son who asked me about lunch. He was shocked to learn I had lunch at school.
So in reality, America is slightly backwards.0 -
I get that, and I emulate the little bites to enjoy a small dessert myself. I would like to know how they are eating smaller portions of meat, fruits and vegetables so they can eat the cream, butter, etc., but still get enough nutrients.Well, I must say none of my French friends exercise much. Jogging yes but heavy lifting definitely not.
Most French people don't eat too much at all. And they're very careful about eating - the think about their food choices. Actually my friends would stop me from eating bread and butter that I love so much.
And definitely French portions are not American portions, maybe 1/3 of American portions.
It's all about enjoying every bite, it's about having pleasure from the food. As I said earlier, even a small macaroon is a piece of enjoyment and they bite it little by little.
No, they eat small portions of everything and if they feel like to lose weight, they reduce eat bread, pasta and deserts. That's simple.
Actually, even with that 1200 calorie diet or less you can get plenty of nutrition. I do the MFP when Im in restaurants with my friends, and I eat more than them, and still my day is often less than 1200 calories.
French really jst don't eat much comparing to Americans.0
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