What do French Women Eat in a Day

I’m French; here is what I eat in a day. In this post, you’ll learn exactly what French women eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Plus, there are ten rules to follow to eat like a French woman wherever you live. But first, here are ten ways to eat like a French woman wherever you live. For more, you can check out my previous article on the 8 diet tips to eat like the French and lose weight.

1. Exclude all processed foods that contain ingredients such as salt, sugar, and fat to make their flavor more appealing. If you’re not sure how to spot unhealthy, highly processed foods, always read the nutrition label. 
2. Religiously visit your local farmers’ markets at least once a week to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, or fish.
3. Cook every single meal (or as much as you can), and try to avoid takeaway food.
4. Avoid snacking between meals.
5. Avoid all soft drinks (even diet ones) and processed fruit juices, and limit your alcohol consumption to a maximum of two glasses of wine per week.
6. If you’re craving sugar, bake cookies or a chocolate cake. By choosing dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao, you can control the amount of fat and sugar you add to your preparation, as well as the quality of the ingredients.
7. Avoid processed bread (like this one, which contains added sugar). Instead, go to your local bakery or bake your own bread (with just wheat, olive oil, water, and baker’s yeast).
8. Avoid all diet foods, such as fat-free cheese, fat-free yogurt, sugar-free ice cream, or sugar-free chocolates. Instead, prefer whole, plain food, as you’ll feel more satiated and eat less.
9. Keep in mind that health is a matter of balance. If French women have a sugary snack during the day, they automatically eat something lighter for the next meal.
10. I have little pleasures from time to time. Mine are croissants and pains au chocolat that I buy at my local bakery every Sunday morning. My guilty pleasure is the French madeleines that I buy at the supermarket.

I’m French, Here is What French Women Actually Eat in a Day

Breakfast

Eating breakfast is a staple for French women. We never leave the house without having something to eat and drink. In France, we don’t eat salty foods in the morning, except maybe during the weekend. French people usually prefer sweet and sugary foods to start their day.

First, always start your day with a glass of water (not too cold and not too warm) and fresh lemon juice. Not only does it promote hydration, but lemon juice is a good source of Vitamin C. It also supports weight loss, improves skin quality, aids digestion, freshens breath, and helps prevent kidney stones. It’s probably the best way to start your day!

Then have a cup of coffee or tea, as you prefer. French women usually prefer to have coffee in the morning, but personally, I like to alternate every other day between tea and coffee. If you’re more of a coffee person, French women use a French press or a Moka pot that brews a premium cup of coffee in just 5 minutes by simply adding ground coffee and hot water. My favorite French press is the Bodum Chambord, and I also have this Bialetti Express Moka pot. They are both very easy to use and super easy to clean as well. French women always drink their black coffee without milk and without sugar. If you’re more of a tea person, French women love the French tea brand Mariage Frères. My favorite one is the Mariage Freres Marco Polo (one of the best sellers of the brand).

For breakfast, French women do not eat croissants and pains au chocolat every day. Those pastries are mainly eaten for special occasions and on the weekends as they are considered fatty and sugary meals by the French. Instead, the French breakfast is made of fresh bread with (salty) butter, jam, yogurt, and fresh seasonal fruits (ideally from your local farmer’s market).

If you’re more of a salty person, you can eat turkey slices, organic eggs, or even cheese with whole wheat bread instead. The French never eat processed bread, which is usually full of added sugar and preservatives. Instead, they prefer to go to their local bakery to buy artisanal bread or to bake their own bread.

If you want to lose weight, avoid all processed foods for breakfast, such as cakes, cookies, and breakfast cereals. Those foods are just full of sugar and refined carbs. Starting the day with a high-sugar breakfast cereal will spike your blood sugar and insulin levels. A few hours later, your blood sugar may decrease, and your body will crave another high-carb meal or snack — potentially creating a vicious cycle of overeating. Remember that excess consumption of sugar may also increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Lunch

Did you know that the average French lunch is around an hour and a half? French people usually stop what they are doing and take time to eat with their family, friends, or colleagues—and even during weekdays at the office! Lunch is a real tradition in France, and for the French, it’s unimaginable to just have a sandwich for lunch in front of their computers.

In France, lunch is usually a three-course meal with reasonable portions: a starter, a main, and a dessert. The starter is usually a salad of crudités (raw vegetables) with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and some herbs. Main is often made of cooked vegetables with a portion of fish or meat. Dessert is usually fresh fruit or plain yogurt. Finally, the French love to finish their lunch with an espresso (without milk and sugar).

Dinner

For the French, dinner is the lighter meal of the day. During wintertime, homemade soup can be the starter or the main. And the French usually eat it with a generous piece of bread and some cheese. I usually make a big batch of soup on the weekend that makes it through the week. My favorite soup is a vegetable soup made of leeks, garlic, onions, potatoes, shallots, and carrots with some lardons, olive oils, and herbs de Provence. During summertime, the French usually have a fresh salad or some cooked vegetables. Dessert is usually fresh fruit, yogurt, or a piece of cheese with bread. The French usually finish their dinner with a piece of dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa) with herbal tea.