What do real French women eat? 7 French women shared their menu for the day

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What do real French women eat? 7 French women shared their menu for the day

Looking around in a crowd in France - be it Paris or a small town - you are unlikely to see seriously obese women, even the average overweight people here are few. And you also don't see many people, both men and women, with the bulging muscles of a disciplined athlete, even just chiseled bodies.

Why? Because in France, moderation and pleasure are lifelong mantras, this is how they are raised, this is how they stay healthy and this is how they live in general.

Refusal of food and some of its types, a negative attitude towards food, consumption of factory-made food - all this is not the norm.

Most French women don't go to the gym to get a toned figure. They go there because they know how useful it is. They find a physical activity they can enjoy and know they'll feel great afterwards (and look better in skinny jeans).

But ask any ordinary French woman: how often does she go to exercise? Maximum 1-2 times a week. And very rarely in the morning before work, since most fitness centers in France are open from 9 am. So forget about training 5 days a week at 5 am.

Does training 1-2 times a week seem to be not enough? But French women are constantly moving, spending hours walking and climbing stairs. And this is every day!

A family walk on a weekend afternoon is a common occurrence, but they don't even consider it "exercise." It is also normal for them to walk their children to kindergarten/school and take them home, go shopping and then climb up to the 7th floor with heavy bags in their hands.

So, despite visiting the fitness center or playing tennis a couple of times a week, French women are constantly moving. And if you're lucky enough to live somewhere in the French Alps, fitness is second nature: hiking, biking, water sports, skiing and more are an integral part of any weekend getaway.

As with their active lifestyle and fitness, French women practice moderation in their eating too. No type of food is avoided (including fatty dairy products, alcohol, sweets and all types of bread); however, being careful in the quantity and frequency of such treats is how they manage to balance moderation, pleasure and health.

During lunch, a French woman may refuse bread, but on the weekend she will never miss a glass of champagne and lemon tart.

There are no deprivations or absolute rules in the life of a French woman. It's all about wise choices, quantities and opportunities, and eating right most of the time. French-style eating is very easy to maintain for a long time, or even a lifetime, because you can eat a little bit of everything, although the main emphasis is on healthy, natural food.

We can talk for a very long time about how French women stay slim. But nothing will give a clearer picture than a visual menu of real French women. Rebekah Plantier, a famous author living in France, asked her French friends to photograph everything they eat in a day to show their diet clearly.

There are no fancy or unusual ingredients here, just everything the average French woman eats in a typical day. Rebekah asked them to take pictures of everything, including drinks, snacks and dessert.

Instead of photos of French food, each of Plantier's friends summarized the nutrition and health recommendations that they themselves apply in everyday life. This will make it easier for us to understand their food choices, as well as their lifestyle and cultural undertones.

The French also included types of physical activity during the week and ways to recover from “overeating” on special occasions: on vacation, on weekends and holidays.

Katya's Day: menu and tips

Breakfast

Homemade buckwheat pancakes with almond butter, raisins and a cup of organic vegetable juice.

Dinner

Fish cooked with tomatoes, onions, ginger and pepper, basmati rice, fruit salad.

Snack at 5 p.m.

Apple, herbal tea.

Dinner at 20 o'clock

Homemade vegetable soup (carrots, potatoes, leeks, zucchini) and salad of endive, half an avocado, olives, pumpkin and flaxseeds.

Katya's advice on health, beauty and slimness

1. If she wants dessert after dinner, she eats a few pieces of dark chocolate (80%).

2. She doesn’t eat cheese every day; she usually chooses goat cheese.

3. Katie usually drinks up to 1.5 liters of herbal teas and water per day.

4. For fitness, she does Pilates once a week and at least two workouts on the weekends: hiking, biking, skiing, etc., depending on the season.

5. On weekdays she often eats in restaurants, so when preparing food at home, she uses as many vegetables as possible.

Food: celebration or guilt?

I recently met with the famous French doctor Denis Lamboly, who specializes in healthy eating. He teaches his patients how to manage stress wisely and control the emotions that make them turn to food as a panacea. Dr. Lamboly emphasizes that when we step back from a situation and think about our decisions, we accept what is happening calmer, less emotionally.

French nutritionists know that the impulse that makes us eat something immediately lasts twelve minutes. We can overcome our impulse by doing something during those twelve minutes to distract ourselves, such as touching up our manicure or calling someone. This approach allows you to recognize and comprehend the threat, preventing you from succumbing to a momentary impulse, and then make a deliberate decision.

According to Lamboli, there are only two reasons why we eat: hunger and pleasure. This is my new mantra, very French. If we really want to eat something purely for pleasure, and we have made a conscious decision to indulge in the coveted almond meringues, we should do it with pleasure. "You shouldn't feel guilty, not for one second."

Many years ago I read about a survey in which French and American women were asked: “What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of chocolate cake?”

The French women responded, “Celebration,” while the American women said, “Guilt.” The difference in mentality is immediately visible. In addition, the word “holiday” implies an exceptional, solemn event.

Dolphin Day: menu and tips

Breakfast

Mixed grain porridge with almond milk, almonds, walnuts, goji berries and fresh pear. Herb tea.

Dinner

Chicken with leeks, rice, cheese and bread.

Dinner

Pasta with green peas, onions and sweet peppers, beetroot and carrot salad with vinaigrette dressing.

Dolphin's advice on health, beauty and slimness

1. During the day, Dolphin drinks water and herbal teas.

2. On weekends he can drink up to 2 glasses of wine.

3. Avoids sugar and dairy products.

4. Eat plenty of lentils, chickpeas, quinoa and omega-3 foods.

5. If she drinks too much at parties, she drinks a lot of broth the whole next day.

6. During the week, she does Pilates and exercises to tone her legs and buttocks.

Authorized Products

The basis of the diet:

• lean meat and sea fish;
• plant food;
• dried rye flour bread and grain bread.

Table of permitted products

Vanina Day: menu and tips

Breakfast

Large bowl of fresh fruit, yogurt, tea.

Dinner

Salmon with red pepper, avocado and cucumber salad, cheese, 2 types of fruit.

Dinner

Sausage, green beans, potatoes, cheese, bread, fruit and applesauce.

Vanina's advice on health, beauty and slimness

1. Vanina tries to make herself a light dinner several times a week (less quantity, light composition and preparation) in order to balance out unhealthy or heavy meals in restaurants or at parties.

2. Her weekly activities include constant walking, Pilates, tap dancing and tennis. She ice skates every winter and plays golf several times a month.

French women's diet

The menu is compiled taking into account the nutritional value of each component and their combination. The protein diet includes the following foods:

• Lean meats and poultry (beef, veal, turkey, chicken);
• Vegetables (starch-free);
• Seafood;
• Bread (whole grain);
• Dairy and fermented milk products;
• Fruits (exceptionally sour and semi-sweet);
• Water, freshly brewed coffee, fresh fruit juices, decoctions and tea;
• Fresh greens.

The following foods are prohibited on the French diet:

• Food additives (including sugar and salt, various sauces);
• Canned, smoked and fried foods;
• Confectionery;
• Alcoholic drinks, cocoa;
• Vegetables with a high starch content (potatoes, chickpeas, corn, buckwheat, rice, legumes: peas, beans).

This group also includes all simple (fast) carbohydrates:

• Fruits (pears, peaches, grapes);
• Berries (raspberries, cranberries, blackberries);
• Carbonated drinks;
• Honey.

Catherine Day: menu and tips

Breakfast

A fairly typical French breakfast of brioche, honey, butter and coffee.

Dinner

Steak and green beans. Dessert: 1 spoon of chestnut cream with coffee.

Snack

Chocolate bun (brioche).

Dinner

This type of light dish is often served in France: some meat, capers, blue cheese, bread and fruit.

Katrin's advice on health, beauty and slimness

1. Eats until full, no more.

2. Never takes supplements (unless when visiting).

3. For dessert - either cheese or sweets, but never both.

4. Always includes carbohydrates in your meals.

5. Eats in moderation for breakfast, the main course for lunch, and light dinner.

6. Depending on the size and nutritional content of the lunch, you may skip the afternoon snack.

7. Every day: 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 glass of wine and bread.

8. Enjoy a croissant or chocolate bread on the weekends.

9. Always eat a lot of vegetables for lunch.

Reviews about this diet

A lot has been written about this diet on the Internet, but it became truly popular after the program “I’m Losing Weight.” Dozens of girls and women of all ages immediately posted reviews online... And it turned out that opinions differed 50x50: some were delighted with it (since they lost weight, and quickly), while others would never recommend it to their friends.

Positive Feedback

• Since the daily calorie content is only 500-600 kcal, any person will lose weight instantly. If, of course, he honors all the requirements of the diet without “sinning” with high-calorie foods.
• Preparing the dishes indicated in the diet is simple. And you don’t even need to cook often—it’s convenient if you’re constantly busy.
• You can sit for just a week and you will lose 4 kg (which is also not bad).
• You need to weigh yourself in the evening and in the morning. After sleep, it turns out that 300-500 g “evaporated” at night. Every day!

You will hear more reviews about the French diet (but “with a name”, namely the Dukan diet) in this video. There will also be step-by-step instructions for building a diet:

Negative experiences and criticism

1. You need to eat by the hour, and this is not convenient for everyone: some are hampered by an irregular work schedule, while others are hampered by their own forgetfulness.
2. Constant feeling of hunger. Plus, leaving a diet that lasts as long as three such diets cannot be called satisfying either. By the end of this difficult period, you can get carried away and chew your pillow in your sleep. Well, or “gobble up” one of your colleagues already on the 6th day.
3. In most cases, the French diet requires 100% abstinence from salt. At the same time, the body loses a lot of fluid and loses weight dramatically. But as soon as a person returns to the usual salty diet, the water immediately returns, and the arms and legs “swell” within a day.
4. Yes, the diet is not suitable for athletes and sleeper workers (as well as representatives of other professions associated with constant running around or physical work). However, a diet will harm even mental work - constant exhaustion often results in dizziness, apathy, and impotence.
5. Due to the constant loss of strength, this diet should be followed during an unemployed period or on vacation. But after childbirth (while breastfeeding) - under no circumstances. But even if you are not feeding, but are caring for the baby, and dizziness begins, immediately stop the diet - do not take risks, because you often carry the baby in your arms, and the mother’s dizziness is dangerous for the child.
6. If you are suffering from a serious illness, it is better not to try the French diet - the body may not be able to withstand such a load.

In a word, it is better to try such a diet before the age of 40 in order to forget it as a mistake of youth... And if you practice it in the future, then only as fasting periods on another, more gentle diet.

Instead of a video about negative reviews, we offer an episode of the “Live Broadcast” program, in which guests and experts will analyze the above-mentioned Dukan diet. Does a woman need such weight loss and can it harm, Monsieur Dukan himself, invited to the studio, will say:

Corinne's Day: menu and tips

Breakfast

Bread and butter and coffee.

Dinner

Salmon, salad, zucchini terrine (she makes it herself from zucchini, eggs, milk and spices) and fruit salad for dessert.

Dinner

Generous portion of risotto and vegetable soup.

Corinne's tips for health, beauty and slimness

1. No snacking between meals.

2. Exercise every day. The type of physical activity varies depending on how you feel.

3. A short nap during the day, if possible.

4. Regular body care.

5. Home-cooked meals for the whole family are key (Corinne is a fan of the Thermomix kitchen robot for simple, quick, healthy meals).

Useful tips

Accurate adherence to the menu and a reasonable approach to diet will minimize the following side effects:

• Disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. The problem is relevant for people suffering from constipation;
• Weakness. Insufficient fluid intake can lead to exhaustion and dizziness;
• Lethargy. Deterioration in intellectual abilities occurs due to a lack of carbohydrates;
• The appearance of bad breath.

There are people for whom the French diet for quick weight loss can harm and provoke an exacerbation of chronic ailments:

• For diseases of the liver, cardiovascular system and kidneys. Protein diet – stress and additional burden on the body;
• For thrombosis, gout and dysbacteriosis, the diet is prohibited;
• Insufficient balance of the menu, a small amount of fruits and vegetables is a direct road to vitamin deficiency.

The French diet for weight loss is not recommended for older people, teenagers, pregnant and lactating women. Remember that it is better to start the path to external attractiveness with a visit to the doctor. Take care of yourself and your health.

THESE ARTICLES WILL HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

Sophie's Day: menu and tips

Breakfast

A campagne baguette (dark bread) with either jam or local honey, coffee, fruit (banana that day) and sometimes plain yoghurt.

Dinner

Chicken breast, rice, roasted vegetables and endive salad. Not pictured is the Greek yogurt for dessert.

Snack

Usually two fruits (that day it was a banana and an apple) or one fruit and a handful of nuts.

Dinner

A large bowl of vegetable soup, a piece of ham and bread.

Sophie's tips for health, beauty and slimness

1. A couple of glasses of wine only on the weekends.

2. Exercise daily - in any form. Sophie usually goes for a walk in the afternoon and plays tennis and swimming on the weekends.

3. Sweets or desserts a couple of times a week. She tries to do this less often.

4. Once a week, eat only vegetables in the form of salads and soups, giving the body a break from digesting meat, fish and eggs.

5. Favorite drink is water. On meat-fasting days, Sophie drinks up to three liters of water to help her body “cleanse” from the inside.

6. Every three months, Sophie goes for a massage/facial and takes a day off from her family (alone or with friends).

French cake for dessert

The French women themselves jokingly offer a different menu for quick weight loss: “In the morning - cupcake, at lunch - cupcake and sex, in the evening - only sex.” Did the diet not work? Then cancel the cupcake!

The diet of elegant Parisian women is not based on prohibitions. “Food should bring joy!” is their motto. Limiting yourself to the same muffins or croissants will lead to overeating. That's why they love and eat sweets, but little by little. What prevents you from following their example? After a long diet, treat yourself to a light cottage cheese muffin made with oatmeal. To prepare it you will need:

• Cottage cheese (500 g);
• Oatmeal (80 g);
• A pair of eggs;
• Baking powder (1 pack);
• Sugar (150 g or cook without it);
• Cinnamon and other additives - to taste.

Grind the oatmeal with a blender, and rub the cottage cheese through a sieve - this will give the cake an airiness. In a bowl, mix cottage cheese and cereal. Add a couple of eggs, baking powder, sugar and aromatic cinnamon. Mix the ingredients and pour into cake pans. Place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees. After half an hour, the delicious dish is ready. The calorie content of one cupcake will be about 210 kcal.

Kristin's Day: menu and tips

Breakfast

Bread or crackers with butter, honey, as well as kiwi and tea.

Dinner

Baked cod, salad of various vegetables and a spoonful of rice.

Dinner

Vegetable soup, salad, lentil cutlets, steamed endive, yogurt.

Recipes

Eating boiled meat for 2 weeks is difficult.
But the menu can be made less monotonous by using permitted products for cooking. Baked fish is considered one of the most delicious dishes.

To prepare you will need:

• pink salmon fillet;
• 1 lemon;
• Provençal herbs (ready-made mixtures are sold in supermarkets).

Prepare a delicious dish of pink salmon fillet.
Clean the fish, rinse, cut into small pieces. Grind the fillet thoroughly with Provençal herbs, place in a bowl and pour in lemon juice. In 20-30 minutes the fish will be completely marinated. Now place it on a baking sheet, top with lemon slices and place in the oven.

A tasty “reward” during a strict diet will be the Provençal salad.

You will need components:

• boiled chicken fillet;
• green lettuce leaves;
• Chinese cabbage;
• tomato;
• onion;
• cucumber.

Chop the washed, peeled vegetables, finely chop the cabbage, and cut the fillet into small cubes. Place lettuce leaves on the bottom of the plate, vegetables and meat on top. Drizzle the dish with a little olive oil and lemon juice.