But France has a growing obesity problem because there's a serious lack of muscle in the population. "thin' is becoming "skinnyfat" I'm certain the government will be pushing high protein diet campaigns in no time.
You are so right on. I lived in France for 25 years, had and raised my children there… We came back to the US and it was a culture shock for me to see how things had changed concerning meals. I grew up in the 70’s, 80’s in the US and mealtime was always with family. Then I moved to France. Since I’ve been back in the states, it’s so different. Kids with food allergies, food aversion, extracurricular activities, parents with such differing schedules- makes it almost impossible to share a meal sitting down with family. In France, our Sunday lunches at Mamie’s lasted hours, with an aperitif, entree, main course, cheese, dessert and coffee. Then we’d have a break and go for a walk or play outside, and sit again as a family playing a game together. Sometimes I was bored but mostly I was happy that it gave my kids an idea of what family time looks like in France. We are back in the US and now when the kids come home from college or jobs, they look forward to our sit down dinners together. Being in France in the traditional fashion feels like being in the US back in the 70’s and 80’s before life was so chaotic. Just my humble opinion.
Even in the 90s. My family ate dinner together every night. It helps that we naturally ate later than many American families (8p usually). But I say I think we spent more time with friends, activities, or teams vs hanging out with family all Sunday, for example. Life was certainly better before email/smartphones/working around the clock.
We can agree on everything, but please don't demonize food allergies, intolerance or even other restrictions such as vegetarianism. I am an omnivore Italian living in Paris and I had basically zero culture shock in terms of food, however I have vegetarian, celiac and lactose intolerant friends and for them it is already quite the nightmare because all of these things here are not considered enough yet. However, these issues have nothing to do with having bad habits, they still totally eat classic French (and I would say west/south European at least) meals, they are still in good shape and they still want to enjoy social eating, which is a real challenge, even relatively fancy restaurants sometimes fail at exposing allergen lists or inform correctly on the presence of ingredients.
@@flaviopons142 I don't think they meant it that way, or at least, I didn't read it that way. I think it is more that a narrow range of food options and the overall approach to food is leading in part to aversions and allergies. People that can't stand the sight of certain vegetables, for example. Where elsewhere those vegetables would be a staple. I noticed that when people in the US do veganism or vegetarianism, for them it's so different. Whole countries eat more or less vegetarian diets but you wouldn't 'feel' it as much when you eat their cuisine or eat in those countries, it doesn't feel restrictive. Americans also tend to make everything convenient, so even when they eat vegan they tend towards convenient vegan foods, rather than soaking and cooking a pot of split peas or white beans. They tend to focus on what they can't eat rather than what they can eat. So food becomes a source of stress (for them).
I completely agree with Lucile, the keys are fresh food, regular meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner, nothing in between. Typically we never open the fridge for a snack. And yes it’s true toddlers are introduced to varied adult food very early.
Knowing that you’re going to eat at the same time everyday - especially good food - I almost cried a little for my younger self. Even though I have access to good food now, I realize that I still eat in a way that reflects those times when food was scarce.
it's different for different climates i think. if you go to spain/italy/portugal then a light breakfast is on, and long early lunch, just like france, but evening meal is REALLY late usually 9-11pm
@@bigmacntings7451 it’s not so much the time of the meal, rather knowing that there will BE a meal. Food insecurity. Sometimes, all we had to eat was air
Everything in this vid is true, but there is an elephant in the room. Smoking. I just got back from walking 100 miles in the French country side. I'm old and a life time nonsmoker. I was shocked to see young people long distance walking and smoking. Not to mention all the smokers on the streets and sitting in cafes.
I haven’t been to France, but I was in Switzerland, and I was also surprised how many smokers there were. It seemed to be more fashionable there than in the U.S.
@@zaram131 it's hard to get rid of smoking in France because it has become a way of socializing for the youth & also a rite of passage into adulthood. Stats show 6 smokers out of 10 want to stop though.
One bias might be that it is forbidden to smoke inside most buildings. So all the smokers go outside. Which can explain why you see so many of them outside. 😅
As an American who worked for a Paris headquartered company, I agree with the many reasons mentioned. A big factor is French banned GMO grains, hormone laced butter, milk, cheese, yogurt, and eat minimal packaged junk food.
Agreed re the Non GMO, and I try to only buy cheeses from France and Italy, and Europe as well as cured meats and olives and olive oil and butter etc. Even jams etc because American food doesn’t have the same bans on glyphosate’s and Europe also. Also, so did I (I worked for Jacadi, Paris)
Absolutely right. In the US we tamper with food too much. Too many artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, fake this and fake that - you end up pumping your body with artificial chemicals instead of nutrition.
I'm from Paris and I moved to Canada, gained so much weight here. The environment is enough to make you change your ways without you even realizing it, trust me
I was in Greece recently and I found similar values followed there as well, I think it’s a very European thing. They ate 3 square meals, the food was absolutely fresh wherever I ate and I complimented the Greeks on the same and they said serving non-fresh food is just not an option in Greece and that people would protest if that happened. I went to restaurants and people followed immaculate etiquette, nobody used phones while eating and everyone ate slowly while engaged in conversation. People walked everywhere.. the elderly don’t retire, they drive taxis etc to keep themselves occupied. I found most of the taxi drivers were all over 60 or 70..
I am tri-cultural - and lives half of the year in the states, and the other half in Spain (or Brazil). It doesn’t matter if we go on a month vacation to Mexico, or if we are in Italy,France, etc - every time we are out of the states for longer than 2 weeks we start to lose weight and debloat. We change nothing about our eating habits, and remain at the same level of activeness… my husband and I just were talking the other day that the addition of so many preservatives in the foods in the states really affect us personally (so won’t be surprised if also it affects others) 🤷🏼♀️
I think it’s about the quality of of food 😅 and the portions. Each time i go to the US 🇺🇸, as a french woman, it’s hard for me with the food because even the bread taste more sweet like if they put sugar in it and the meat, milk everything taste different 😅 So i lose weight finally 😂
@ ouais exactement - surtout la qualité de la nourriture est merde 😂😂 mais en ce qui concerne les portions, je voulais dire que même chez nous - on cuisine, on dîne au resto rarement - on mange peu mais on continue à prendre du poids, mais c’est comme tu l’avait mentionné, je dirais que c’est à cause de la qualités des produits aux états
I'm thin because I want to be. Everyone keeps coming up with excuses for why they gain weight, when they do, but it definitely involves an excess of calories or a macro imbalance. Hormonal imbalance is another issue as well. I hardly leave the US, and I end up weighing under 110 lbs when I'm not pregnant or postpartum. I've stopped exercising moderately, still drink alcohol several times per week, eat a high fat high protein diet, love salads, and snack twice per day. Here I am at 97 lbs with two toddlers, and I haven't left American soil since 2018 or 2019. I only get bloated from eating pasteurized dairy and certain fruits after 12 pm. I eat a lot of Tex Mex, Mexican, American BBQ, and southwestern cuisine. I don't even smoke like a European, lol. Unless you're keeping track of your exact calorie intake and macros wherever you travel, you can't be certain about American foods being the reason. I only gain weight when I'm around baked goods, savory or sweet. There's something about grain carbs and sweeteners that goes wrong in my body. Eating a lot of carnitas and carne asada tacos and refried beans honestly does nothing to my weight. I'm 100% certain that smoking is the main reason most Europeans are thin. As for Asians, especially northeast Asians, they definitely eat much healthier and resort to weight loss injections if necessary. Honestly, social class determines obesity level, and that can definitely explain the US. The poorer someone is, the more likely they are to eat more cheap junk food or cook more fried or sweetened foods at home. I see this being the same tale in most countries as well. Culture is significant. I personally value either thinness and actual fitness. That's why I normally drink just iced water, coffee with cream, and kombucha rather than soda or some other crazy liquid throughout the day. Culture matters. Personal ethics matter.
I’m from America and she said there’s no bad foods but I don’t look at it as good or bad in the form of meat or dairy is bad for you or cakes and cookies but rather quality like everyone is saying, it’s additives. I just hope Kennedy fixes the problem here in America with his MAHA.
Many older American generations were taught table manners. I grew up in the 60s and I was taught manners and expected to follow them both home and out. Our family had different schedules for breakfast and lunch but we ate dinner together. I started helping Mom cook when young and by the time I was 12, I would start dinner after school and have it prepped and in the oven when my parents got home. Sadly, so many Americans don't know how to feed themselves and cook decent meals. Long ago, I adopted Julia Childs rules: Small, reasonable portions, no snacking, no seconds and try new things or a little of everything. I am an omnivore and eat a balanced diet and stay very active. I'm in my 60s, in excellent health (I have to pass pilot physicals twice a year) and I enjoy the best, freshest foods available seasonally.
@@cloudthief8918She said to try new things. And snacking is truly very bad for your health, I won’t go into the physiology of it but it’s definitely best to avoid eating in between meals.
@@GGGirl55 ohh ok, i get you. I agree snacking can be really bad if you're prone to high blood sugar, but for me personally it's the opposite. I pass out if I don't eat regularly
@@cloudthief8918 Did you get checked by a doctor for this though ? You're not really supposed to pass out if you don't snack, unless your actual meals are insufficiently nutritious.
When my boyfriend (who had never been to France before) and I were in Paris back in January, he asked me on our second day there "wherere are all the fat people." He's rail-thin, and I have the dad bod, and here in the rural US where we live, I'm the norm and he is an outlier. But in Paris, he was the norm. I told him there weren't too many American tourists in January, and there'd be more fat people in July. I agree with you about the fresh food. I firmly believe that a lot of American obesity is caused by processed foods.
I think the problem is mostly the wealth gap. I live in a major tourist city in Europe, and in the city centre and among the richer/high educated crowd you'd hardly find any obese folks. As soon as I travel into more of the outskirts of the city, where the more lower income/low educated people live, I see obese people everywhere. I suspect it will be the same for the outskirts of Paris. I'm a teacher and in my school I can see it too. The 'smarter' kids are obese wayy less often. It saddens me deeply because I think this is the problem of the ever growing wealth gap and political polarization
@@lzlzlz347I suppose part of the issue is that it’s often the highly processed, unhealthy stuff that’s also the cheapest. To the point where you almost have to be raised in a household that can comfortably afford to eat healthily to even develop a habit of sticking to it when you grow up.
@@billcolvard And I would counter that the cause is that American culture does not place a high value on high-quality food or cooking. Meals in America are not something to be savoured, but an inconvenience to be gotten over with as quickly as possible.
@@lzlzlz347 As a French person I confirm that socio-economic status plays a part on people being fatter or thiner and whether obesity is an issue, as it impacts your access to healthy meals. Moreover the fatphobia and body-shaming is really rampant in France to the point where fat people tend to be less present in public spaces and it actually could impact their employment prospects.
Great video!!! I find French people very polite and have very good table manners. I noticed that small children behave very well in restaurants, and everybody speaks in a low voice tone. I like the French and their culture.🎉😊
When i lived in Paris I walked everywhere and would eat a croissant every morning with hot tea. Then salad for lunch and a full meal usually chicken with potatoes and veggies ( something like that) I was skinny skinny
I'm naturally left-handed, so when my grandfather noticed this, he taught me how to eat European style as he had been in a Spanish boarding school. When I lived in France they were all very surprised at how I ate 'like us'.
that is because most American parents dont take their parental responsibilities seriously anymore. They dont even know where their kids are. They do not teach their children to be respectful or polite and they certainly dont teach their children table manners.
This is an exciting video. I'm Italian, and I heard some apparent things. In Italy, we have the exact lunch times and cook at home. During my four years in California, I was surprised by the low food quality, which included so much processed or ready-made food. I had to do a lot of research to find a shop selling unprocessed fresh food and extra virgin olive oil in San Francisco. Eventually, I found an expensive one that saved me.
I used to have a good friend that grew up in Sweden and moved to Calfornia. He was a chef. He used to talk to me about the quality of food and regulations they have in different European countries. Even a burger at Mcdonalds is more fresh there. Europeans definitely do food better than we do here. Corporations tend to run things and many people are too busy working long hours to care about the time or effort to make quality food.
Even in the "healthy" grocery stores, you have to be careful, and read the ingredients. I strive every day to consume REAL FOOD, rather than processed, and sugar-filled food.
I'm Italian-American and I have no problem finding fresh food here in the States. However, HOW that food is grown is another story. That's when the price really differs, due to the quality. I have traveled to Europe since childhood. I can eat more dairy in Europe and more carbohydrates without the issues I have in the States. 🤷♀
Having lived and traveled in both the US and France, I have noticed something about fruits and vegetables aka produce. In France produce is grown for taste, and thus it may very well be seasonal and grown locally. In the US produce is grown to travel well. That is the emphasis…..not taste. On one of our trips to France I had some of the best cantaloupe in my life. When I returned home I couldn’t replicate the experience. 😢
I unfortunately agree with you! I also feel the fruits and veggies never "go bad" in the US, like an apple that would last a week before becoming rotten in France is still good after a month in the US. I've always been suspicious as to why that is haha
In general, maybe, but just a couple of weeks ago I visited MN and WI - the apples (often sold by the road) there were incredibly tasty. Much tastier than most of apples I can get back home in Europe.
@@MichalMatiYes I believe the difference here is that you HAVE to go to a local place for your produce. Sometimes wholefoods will have some hits but overall our super markets have the worst produce ever
@minastronasse No, I am not. I like it so much that I learned to cook like the French because I couldn't find a good French restaurant where I am from.
The real reason is that not everyone drives a car there. If you watch the video, you'll notice that most people are walking. It's a similar situation in Tokyo-when walking is a regular part of life, it naturally helps people stay healthier compared to relying on cars for everything.
@@lucianaromulus1408 it's not that it's big. It's that we're simply not set up for pedestrians. If we had real public transit and dense housing/walkable neighborhoods/ multi use zoning things would be much different. They literally screwed us out of beautiful community based cities like Europe because auto companies wanted to sell us more cars.
That's only a small part of it. The biggest part is the quality of food, like fresh food that's not contaminated with a ton of pesticides and other poisons like here in the US.
In America, food manufactures and food processes include additives that trigger the addiction portion of their brain. As we eat more prepared food, we crave it more and eat more of it.
MSG is one of those addictive substances, but is not harmful unless you consume it in large quantities. The main ingredients of how many people get addicted in the U.S. is lots of salt and sugar. Nature’s cocaine. That is the reason when you eat lots of potatoes, steaks, hamburgers or other American dishes your not satisfied unless you eat more which becomes a problem. The cheese industry is scary since there is a lot of processed cheeses with that. I wish America can eat a more reasonable palate when it comes to confectioneries since they have a lot of money yet they cannot make it delicate. Portions we also need to control on that since we eat way more than the average human outside the U.S. and we need less salt and other preservatives.
@@toshitanaka1550 well, you didn’t get a degree in food chemistry, and you don’t work for food pharma, so I wouldn’t expect you to know what I’m talking about. There are drugs that cause addiction and they put them in foods like Doritos. And they like you to think it’s just salt and fat. But it’s not. They have all kinds of names for it. My favorite is natural flavorings and coloring.
When you were talking about table manners and everyone eating the same meal, that is what was expected in my family, too. I’m an American and back in the 1970s when I was a kid, it was that way with pretty much every family I knew. And nearly everyone I knew ate dinner between 5:30 pm and 6 pm. I think things started to change in the 1980s…that is when I noticed people eating later and having separate kid meals. When I became a mom myself, I saw how rare it has become for families to eat together. One of my daughter’s friends hadn’t ever eaten at the dinner table…they ate in front of the TV. I think her friend liked the experience of eating with us at the table, and using real dishes instead of paper plates. But I definitely felt like we’re the exception and not the norm. Thanks for this video…it was really interesting👍🏻
If you come to France, don't expect to have dinner before 7:00 PM at the earliest - normal dinner time is around 7:30/8:00 PM. We have a rule for meals at home; when eating we turn the TV off, and smartphones are not allowed at the table. And these rules also apply to occasional guests, including our son's friends when they were still kids - and they actually loved eating with us, simple but real home-made food. Also, as a non-smoking family, cigarettes are banned from the house; most of the people we know don't smoke, but if someone wants to smoke it's outside. Some people might think we're strict, but we do believe in politeness and manners. Meals are a moment to enjoy the food, relax and exchange together.
@@jfrancobelge les heures chiffrées ne veulent pas dire grand-chose. En Europe, nous sommes à la même heure de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle à Lublin, ce qui n'a aucun sens astronomiquement parlant. Si on se base sur la position du soleil, il est totalement logique que les Polonais et les Allemands dînent tôt et les Espagnols tard. En France nous déjeunons et dînons plus ou moins en même temps que les Britanniques mais étant donné qu'ils ont une heure de moins (ce qui est absurde), nous avons un décalage apparent sur l'horloge.
As an Italian, I resonate with most of these points. However, I really don't like the "obligation" to eat with your colleagues, lunch break is free time and everybody should be entitled to spending it however they like
@@GutReconIkaros depends which company you work for. I'm french too and used to work in an angency where people usually ate together. I didn't and I told them I liked eating alone. I still do to this day, but I'm pretty sure I was seen as a loner because of that ^^' (and I'm not, I just like my free-time, that's all and not to be bothered when I eat at work)
@@selinalenawell yeah, I think in every country you will always find some people who are like this. In France, I believe strangers can easily be confused between what is being polite versus what is being well percieved. You can decline eating with people while being polite, and our french culture is okay for that. But still, it is also part of our french culture to say that it is "better" to eat with people, you will be well percieved. However, the last affirmation does not imply it is incorrect to eat alone, as we saw before you can be polite. In the end of the day it is more interpersonnal rather than a cultural thing to judge someone who is eating alone by calling them a loner.
I am from India. Lived in France for several years. I found a lot of similarity in the way I grew up eating and the way the French do, i.e., fresh food, fibre-rich, focus on a variety of dairy products, distaste for packaged food and food deliveries. Thus, adjusting to French food was easy. The only major difference in Indian food is that we cook vegetables with spices and oils as a rule. While French cuisine in meat and seafood is amazing, creativity is limited in plant based items.
Are you serious. Food in India is disgusting. 1 month there😢 and straight to France. That's insulting my French heritage. Now, way. Please don't compare. Your country is filthy dirty. 😢Constant food poisoning 😢
It is mainly because of the ingredients in the food: USA allows the use of artificial ingredients for taste and freshness and look of food, and a lot of European countries don't do that. And yes, European countries are more pedestrian and bicycle friendly than USA, so it is reason #2.
Or the calories. Calories are low over there while the the USA these foods are higher in calories and are addictive, getting you to want more and more and the calories add up so fast.
Nope, the consumed calories in whatever they're eating would still end up being way more important than whatever artificial ingredients or "freshness" you're talking about. If there's more thin people in France, it's mainly because they're finding ways to eat fewer calories and expend more calories, one way or another.
One thing that's usually not taken into considering is, food factory locations. More often than not, food has to be shipped 100s if not 1000s of miles across the US to get to the destination. It's cheaper for a company to ship a product than to open small chains of factories. This is why a lot of preservatives are required. France is smaller than Texas itself, everything is closer, nothing has to travel that far for long and they have many local bakeries, which isn't a tradition in the US.
@@rallara Hi, the issue is not the slice, it is that she uses the knife in an inward motion, taking the risk of cutting the palm of her hand. For safety reason you suppose to cut outwardly, with the cutting edge of the knife away from your hand. Cheers.
@@rallaraI’ve never before seen anyone slice tomatoes like that. It’s not safe. And every chef I’ve ever seen slices vegetables, including tomatoes, on a board.
As part of a self-designed diet, I once went from double-double coffee to black with no sugar, and I also banned dressing from my salads. I admit that they tasted a bit bitter and boring at first, but very soon I began to find the explosive taste of sugar and salt that is in salad dressings to be revoltingly excessive. If I forgot to say "no dressing" in restaurants, the salads became inedible. I admit, I fell off my diet in a lot of ways, but I very easily stuck to black coffee and no dressing because I learned how bad things really taste with gargantuan amounts of sugar and salt added.
It amazes me when I see Americans having their meals with sodas that are totally artificially manufactured. Also they are constantly snacking more artificial stuff throughout the day that are in huge bags.
I was just thinking about this the other day, even tho it is still sugary I really crave the natural juices that are offered in my country (Venezuela) I rarely ever drank soda, it was always strawberry juice with my meals, now I’ve just started drinking a lot of sprite because there’s no other option, or if I’m feeling more healthy just water or lemonade
I mean, im American and I feel as though the only thing I've been "conditioned" to do regarding food is feel guilty and disgusting whenever I deign to feed myself, despite the fact that I have a healthy diet. I take a spoon of sugar in my coffee (I drink a very strong dark roast coffee, it needs just a pinch of sugar to help the flavors bloom) but besides that I'm so avoidant of sweets, in part bc despite not eating sweets often i feel so terribly guilty when i consume processed or pre-prepared food.
We went to Paris in March for 6 days. The quality of food was exceptional and I ate whatever I wanted to eat and we walked everywhere I go back home. I didn’t game that 1 pound. I can’t wait to go back.
The "peer pressure" mentioned here is simple honesty. Holding a mirror up to someone isn't negative in any way, just genuine feedback. We need more positive encouragement to improve, and to eliminate affirmation of self-destructive behavior. Obesity kills.
This modern way of excusing obesity, saying your fine the way you are, is destructive to health and happiness. Love the person but don't encourage a very unhealthy weight. Like you said, obesity kills.
people know how much they weigh, and mirrors exist. it’s not like it’s some amazing truth ball. and no one wants to be fat. since it varies by country it’s clearly about the food quality, the lifestyle of the culture, and other conditions. not so much the individual. and i promise you not one person is fat because no one mentioned it to them. not a single one.
@YeshuaKingMessiah Nobody is claiming that they're unaware. But a lot are deluded into thinking that they can be healthy at any size and that wanting to lose weight is somehow a mentally unhealthy mindset. A real friend will dispel that kind of illusion and help them to get back in shape, not stay silent about it or encourage them by saying that it's fine. This is the way the culture is in just about every society on earth outside of America. Its honestly ridiculous for us to act like the rest of the world is bad for being blunt about this subject when they don't have preteens walking around with type II diabetees. Our culture is the toxic one, it's quite literally killing people with 'kindness'.
I want to offer something. I grew up in an Italian family and mealtime was an absolute non-negotiable 363 days out of the year (I don’t know the reason but perhaps 2 days out of the year we could for some reason get out of it 😝) and we never, ever ate at a restaurant; it was TABOO. We ordered takeout pizza as an ultimate treat a few times a year, but get this: my mom still cooked a full dinner those nights and we just had a slice or two of pizza alongside that. I complained about this so much. Now of course I realize I was very fortunate. I am a single lady just me and my dog, so of course it is the case that I eat alone often, which I know is not ideal. But I am very nice and skinny and very healthy in my 40s, and I was not always so slim in my younger years. I put many restrictions on my diet, and it really backfired. I believe that you should always eat whatever you truly want, just as long as you prepare it yourself. I became skinny when I adopted this rule. 😊
Same for my French family. Eating at the restaurant was uncommon and only for a "special" event so... 3/4 times a year ? We would eat at 19:30 and it was almost always homemade. Good memories:)
I have friends that are from both Mexico and Ukraine and they are not discreet about weight observations so it's not just a French thing. At first it caught me off-guard but I quickly grew accustomed to it.
I’m American n my family were quite outspoken about being fat I had one poor cousin who was quite large and she was picked at mercilessly by extended family, on a diet from age 10 by her mom, seen as an embarrassment. Then I got heavy after my 1st 2 babies and they started at me. It was rly awful. My cousin never ever got smaller and she’s now 70.
That is a very Latin thing to do. I am from a Latin country with friends from all over Latin America, and they have no qualms in telling you how you look.
As a fellow European I remember seeing (when youtube was still fairly new) a video of an American who proudly announced she made sweet potato fries "from scratch" - I was so confused. Over time I learned Americans use this expression a lot and started understanding that what is normal for us in Europe is not necessarily in the States. With the example of sweet potato fries I remember thinking : "what other way is there?" We don't ever say anything akin to "from scratch" because that's just how you prepare food here. Normal. I'm also surprised when so many people ask for the recipe under videos that show you a meal idea. For me and many people who are used to cooking, that's not necessary. Even little kids know basic kitchen skills over here. Anyway it's an interesting cultural difference!
Not everyone in France is thin. I was thin until menopause. I am still on the slim side but not slender. I don't live in France. When I see a slender older French woman... I often discover that they smoke. Wonderful reflections on how people do eat healthier in many ways... in France. I do believe there is more quality overall. I think the butter is different too... starting with what the cows are fed.
I once met another Canadian, who had taken a 10-day pottery course at a farm in the Italian countryside, the year before. She reported that, in Canada, she has a lot of food allergies and intolerances, but in Italy, she was able to eat everything, including ice cream. This suggests that the additives and substitutions (and maybe traces of pesticides?) are a large part of the food intolerances in North America.
Maybe that's why I didn't gain any weight at all in Europe. I walked a lot, didn't eat fast food or packaged goods, only the fresh stuff, and I smoked. LOL
Thank you. Exactly. It's not a data point for a premenopausal young woman to do the analysis on this one. The public health data indicates her body type is not the average at all in France, and smoking is NOT a solution to anything except dying a more painful death, after all. I'm enjoying your handle name :)
The huge difference is mostly time. The US work hours are among the highest in the world. It forces people to eat fast food, mass supermarkets sell low quality tasteless hmo foods, creating allergies, shift work means no family meals etc. I'm an American but my mother has half french ancestry and dinner was at 730 pm with my mother. family, homemade, and without exception. Yet my mother also worked. The days she worked late I made the family dinner. I wouldn't say in the USA it's a cultural choice. It's how you need to live to make an income. Just like ridiculously long commutes and working 365 days a year without breaks. Stress and time.
"The US work hours are among the highest in the world." [raughs in Chinese] But seriously French people actually spend more time away from home due to lunch not counting as working hours.
Nope, old cliché. We are one of the highest in the word (before us) in term of productivity and average hour of work will be 9/9-30 to12_-30 Than 13-30 TO 19 very often later. the goal is to be at height at home for diner. But the compensation is 5 weeks vacation paid, social security, retirement contribution, 8 weeks minima maternal leave, half transport paid and often a 8 to 15 euros in daily meal coupon you can use in any restaurant or take away place as a boulangerie. Welcome in a country ( like many other europeens one) where working is not suppose to be your all life but the financial support of it. So were efficient at work cause it's balanced and it make sense ...
It’s true that French mealtimes are exactly on time. I used to go to France a lot and frankly I was astonished by the food consumption. It was a bit like whatever us brits were advised not to eat the French ate loads of it. Red meat, butter and especially cheese. And the national motto is if in doubt pour in more cream. And then there’s all the saucisson, sausages and I won’t exaggerate as the French also do also eat a lot of vegetables often cooked in butter, French fries ( with steak, the national dish). A lot of soup ( usually with cream!). Charcuterie and anyway. Yeah. Most of it pretty delicious much of it not specially ‘healthy’. And as for sweet pastries. They are lovely but in fact the French really don’t eat many and I reckon it’s because they are quite pricey. Ordinary middling people can only afford this stuff once a week or less. I just want to make this observation. In the uk we used to be skinny too. What did we eat? Bacon cooked in lard, fried eggs cooked in lard. Chips( French fries in the English fashion) probably cooked in lard. Full cream milk, cheese. Sunday roast dinners Yes there were a few veggies and a lot less fast food/ supermarket ready meals. But the brits started getting fatter almost from the moment that government dieticians began to advise that we cut down on fat eggs, red meat, and replace it with carbs. So everyone stuffs their face with pizza and pasta and starchy vegetables. Because that is the dietary advice. It’s probably wrong. All that starch was avoided by previous generations as being somehow substandard, fattening and low in nutrients. Can someone please explain how those dieticians are still even in employment? Oh yes salads in France are actually tasty as they do often contain eggs, bits of tuna or liver and plenty of olive oil. In the uk you’re expected to subsist on salad made with lettuce, maybe a bit of pepper and low fat dressing. No wonder people give up and reach morosely for the chocolate biscuits.
50 years or so ago in North America we were smaller too- but many jobs were farmers/labourers & got food down the road at a local farm.. then along came processed foods, larger portions & a sedentary lifestyle.
Yes today we eat more and more processed and move a lot less ,trying to reverse things is very difficult when you have a lot of technology about keeping us sendentry,and a lot less labour intensive jobs today to ,people also snack a lot ,it's a vicious circle of today's society
That's a very good point Chocolates are so accessible But also processed food and even m&s ready meals That's sad that some countries moved forward and others kept their values per se This is all over the world though In Japan they have so many good selection of junk snacks everywhere
@@ANDREAT08 some countries seem more conservative with food. France and Spain say, or even Ireland. The Irish these days are actually quite a lot less fat than the English. Does the average Irishman have a conspicuously healthy diet compared with an Englishman? Of course not! It’s just that an Irishman being informed that bacon and eggs and soda bread for breakfast, a mixed grill for lunch and Irish stew for dinner isn’t good for the health just ignores the advice and carries on as before. His British neighbours are consuming low fat everything, cutting back on meat and cheese and weirdly getting fatter and fatter! I wish the British health authorities would admit that current health advice is flaky to say the least. Want people to loose weight? Just revert to a 1970s diet. Lard, red meat, butter, eggs, ham, full cream milk and all! Cut back a bit on starch and reduce sugar intake. Well look I might be wrong but all those flipping dieticians are wrong too and I don’t get paid for my advice.
A huge difference that I noticed when I moved from Down Under to Canada in the seventies was the amount of water consumed while eating. At so many restaurants here ( and in the USA) water seemed to be the first thing offered. I had been brought up to believe that you only drink water 1 hour before and 1 hour after a meal as the water dilutes the stomach acids necessary for good digestion. This does not apply to wine which can aid digestion.
The peer pressure can definitely be huge. I've gained a bit of weight recently which combined with being really tall has made clothes shopping hell. But when I visited the US it wasn't so bad, even the UK wasn't too bad. And also having friends who were bigger in their youth and what that meant for their school lives. It can be rough. I also grew up eating a lot of home cooked which was really a blessing. And it really taught me to eat different things.
As an American who has found myself pressured by all kinds of crazy diet fads, I am finally learning that balance, as you said, is the path to healthy living. Good video!
My husband is from Normandy. We spent our time in France biking and walking everywhere, even when we moved away from Paris back to Normandy, where the car was a necessity, but we still went on hikes and biked everywhere. I miss the markets so much. Once we returned to the US, I put on 60 lbs and developed food allergies that I didn't have in France. After those allergies developed, my doctor said I was probably allergic to the pesticides and additives in some of the food. I lost weight and most of my allergies because I started cooking from scratch. I still have allergic reactions if we eat out, but that's few and far in between because we mostly eat at home.
Also bread in Europe, especially France, is not the same as the bread they eat in the States. For any lovers of the film Ratatouille: you recognize good bread by it's crust🤓
It seems to me most of the French attitude about food is good. I especially like the attitude toward training kids' tastes and not letting them eat junk or get used to special kid meals. We used to do that in the US but somewhere we lost our minds and have let kids eat junk, get fat, and become picky monsters at the table. Good for you guys for keeping sanity.
As far as eating times are concerned-in the US this is because of the erosion of workers rights here as compared to France. Many people have unpredictable work schedules with random assigned “lunch” at weird times of day. Often workers only get 30 minutes to shove food in. It is definitely unhealthy. And for children it’s very similar-sports matches are scheduled during dinner time or even close to bedtime. It’s very hard to have a normal routine here. And it’s not good. I don’t know why my fellow citizens put up with it.
Our infrastructure was designed to not be walkable. The history of getting rid of public transport in favor of automobiles, development of suburbia, and lack of side walks is criminal.
Obesity is a global public health problem that continues to grow. Over the last 25 years, obesity has grown in France, especially among youth. In 2020, one in two adults was dealing with overweight or obesity in the country. Indeed, 47 percent of French adults were overweight, of which 17 percent suffered from obesity.
Unfortunately, it's very related to one's social class. In Paris, the only obeses will be 50+ years executive men who don't care because they have all social recognition and power. The ratio between obesity in the more modest decile is 3 to 1 to the upper-class. Only 5% of people with a PHD are obse, 25% amongst people who stopped school before college. Poor people go to supermakets, buy the cheapest food, which is also horrendous in terms of quality and health... It's really problematic indeed. She's clearly talking about the average parisian from high/middle-class who earns at leat twice the average revenue.
@@fredericdehohenstaufen7874 Thanks for your thoughtful response-it’s true that socioeconomic factors play a huge role in obesity rates, and the disparities you mentioned are an important part of the conversation. That said, videos like this one, claiming it’s 'so easy to be thin in France,' are incredibly damaging. They perpetuate a romanticized and false stereotype that completely ignores the rising obesity rates and the systemic challenges many people face, especially those in lower socioeconomic brackets. Simplifying these issues into a Parisian fantasy does more harm than good and overlooks the real public health crisis in France.
Upper middle class and rich can eat all the fresh produce and meats & dairy Lower middle class to poor are eating carbage. Margarine on mashed potatoes - no one ever buys sour cream or even butter. Chicken leg quarters with sugary sauce, or frozen chicken strips, rarely have hamburger. Canned corn, peas, no greens or broccoli. Etc etc etc
The structured day is something to be admired in France. Being British, sometimes it is a little annoying if there are some shops or the post office which is closed during the lunch break but it actually makes you give respect towards yourself and others to stop, relax and eat. Also, you can get good fruit, veg and cheese at the bi-weekly / weekly market. The quality of the fruit or veg is so satisfying that you don't reach for something stodgy to fill you up.
This happens in India too, the banks close during lunch time.. there is a certain discipline in Indian way of living, which the current generation is slowly beginning to appreciate..
As a German I once heard the comparison: German people spend their money on expensive cars to drive to the discount supermarket to buy cheap, low quality food. French people spend their money on cheap cars to drive to the restaurant to enjoy good, high quality food with their friends and family.
Bonjour! Oui! Bien sûr! Tres bon! My very healthy answer to this video, if you are in America, is Trader Joe’s. They don’t use any artificial ingredients, are extremely international and totally delicious. I also love the fact that sweets are used only for special occasions/once in a while. That’s my philosophy. You should know that dark chocolate does have a lot of antioxidants, however.
Just home from France and missing the food, among other things. My household also focuses on quality, taste, nutrition. But it's harder to source that here in Canada. I put a lot of work in to do it, where in France it was just around the corner usually, as the video says. In North America, our systems tend to privilege the success of 'Big Food' or 'Big Agriculture' rather than local, fresh, and tasty.
I recently visited Tokyo and did not see one overweight person. They walk everywhere and the portions are normal. Really enjoyed eating out and not feeling overwhelmed at the serving sizes
Basically almost every taste is an aquired one, so if you are brought up on "kids meals", you're palate doesn't develop during the formative phase and it requires much more of an effort to get it later.
Loved this video and how clear and straightforward everything was articulated. You are very well spoken and described very well what the relationship is between the French and your food. I learned a lot about your culture in just this one video that I would not have otherwise found anywhere else. You definitely have a new subscriber here. Thank you and keep up the good work!😊
I recently returned from 2 weeks in France, went directly to Lyon where our friends live then a roadtrip to their home in northern Normandy and back. Coming back home to 'Murica, i was determined to eat more like we did in France and be more active, but alas it seems nearly impossible here. If you can find quality food here, it isn't affordable, and not many places in USA are truly walkable like in France. It's got me thinking about retiring to Normandy when the time comes (ain't too far off) but not confident I could learn French language well enough to be functional. 😛
@@DrewJmsn I hope you try to learn the language. I’ve been learning for the past two years and I’m still in awe at my progress. I think you will be surprised at what you can learn. Even if you learn only enough to get to Normandy, it will still be enough! Bonne chance!
The French women I know eat next to nothing during the day but when they go out with friends, colleagues etc. they do aaaallllll the courses wine and extra cream with the dessert and they behave as if that’s their usual behaviour towards food style „ I eat everything, I am not complicated, I am so cool and relax I just enjoy life“ and I applaud. Next day: tiny to no breakfast green salad for lunch half a cookie „regime“ as „goûter“ in the afternoon and 100g of fish for dinner. 😂 everyone has their own idea of „balance“ I guess
Weird. I am a French woman, surrounded by other (thin) french women at work. And at lunch we eat normally 🤷🏻♀️ Only depends on how good the cafeteria is that day I guess. We also never skip afternoon snack.
@@Hoid. This is good to know! I have always heard that French women do not snack, but I know I would not be able to go from 12:30 until 8pm without a substantial healthy snack in between. Always wondered how the French did it!
@@stargirl33343 I have to precise that it depends on the person. For some people, snacking in between meals is non existent. For the rest of us, it's usually not a very substantial afternoon snack. Usually something small with a coffee (or tea). But we do snack on apples or bananas when we get hungry. And when I get home, I definitely snack on bread!
What I noticed (but that’s only my personal observation) French people are just small. They are not really having wide bone structure, never seen them with massive calves or tights, which I am seeing a lot in Slavic countries, and I don’t mean fat people there. Same for most of Portuguese (I’m living in Portugal now)
@@Hoid. Interesting! Is the same true for very active people? For instance, I walk 7-10k steps per day and do moderate-high intensity weight lifting 4x a week. I assume that is maybe not as popular in France as it is in the states? Also cannot blame you, bread is amazing.
It's interesting, I'm from Oregon, USA, and everything you said about meals was exactly the same in my family growing up. We were all thin and fit too. I feel like advertising, and the culture, have pushed the idea of eating dessert, and all the treats every day. So now so many Americans are obese. Very sad. Thank you for telling us this better way.
Think here in the US, everything revolves around work. Work is more important than eating. If you are lucky, you may get 30 mintues to eat for many jobs. This causes people to rush while eating, and increases stress while eating and that impacts the body negatively over time. 1st hand experience. The French way is the healthier way.
Yeah 30 minutes to eat and you have to drive everywhere most the time so by the time you get your food you have like 10-15 minutes to hork down your super fried/processed food. Some places are getting better about offering salads instead of just burgers, but there is no in between for fast meals.
Having grown up in the late 40s thru the 60s, we always had fresh food at home, as well when visited my grandparents' farm, fresh milk and eggs daily, and chicken, for other things they bartered for them. Having also lived in a former French colony in Africa, all my friends were French, and I understand the culture quite well. I became a vegetarian 40 years ago, now living in the Carithian Alps, I have given up all processed foods, buy only fruits and vegetables, cook everything fresh daily, and do all my own baking from breads to whatever I would like to have, all additive free. Having moved out of the center, I miss the French sellers who come a couple of times a year, with lots of French goodies to eat. Thx for the video, merci!
Great video! Although I grew up in the states I've always made 90% of my meals from scratch. Taking the time to cook for yourself is not only fun but I think more about what I'm eating and where it comes from than I would if I just ordered out.
A point about the remarking on a friends weight gain. If they were looking sick, were losing hair or having a bad color to their skin we would care enough to tell them, why not hold someone accountable about weight gain? I needed this myself decades ago.
In America I believe very few people would ever say anything to anyone that is not complementary. If you can’t say anything good, then say nothing. I weighed over 300 lbs at one time & I am only 5’ 2”. Naturally I was having medical problems, not one of my Dr’s ever suggested I change my diet or lose weight. How’s that for medical care? I now weigh 205 lbs less, I mentioned at several Dr’s office that I had lost that much weight, I got a very mild that’s good. They would never have noticed had I not mentioned it, but they really did not care one way or another either. I still need to lose about 90 more, but they don’t care about that either, they are too busy passing out prescriptions to care about anything else.
I know my hair is falling out and my skin is looks like death Y would I need u to remark in it?? Same for being fat. Aw, durn; I had no idea I’m revolting. Thanks for telling me 🙄
I’ve been to France many times mostly in Paris, but also in Avignon. The people are very active compared to most places in the United States. But one thing I noticed is that so many women smoke to stay thin and that is so unhealthy. I was actually shocked at how many people in general smoke. When I visit Paris, I’ll eat a croissant every day but not here in the United States because they taste terrible. I don’t eat many pastries, but I love the simple French desserts like cream caramel which I was told is an old-fashioned dessert. I talk to people on the street especially when they have a dog and they’ve all been nice to me in Paris. But I’m unusual maybe because I’m older they don’t yell at me. Although in the beginning, I made a few mistakes, I always try to speak French. I was hurt once when a waiter actually told me he didn’t understand one word I was saying. So I said,“Cest Magnifique and everybody is happy again Aloha from Hawaii.
This is what I miss the most about living in Venezuela, we had such an immigration wave from Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal and it influenced the culture in the best way possible, there we all used to buy the bread, cheese, charcuterie, and veggies literally every day fresh, now I am living in Colombia which is more influenced by the US and my gosh how I miss getting freshly baked bread and desserts 😔
I have also noticed people here in Paris don't normally snack in between meals. They'll even say it's for children and ads for treats have a health warning against snacking much like on cigarette ads.
I'm Latina/Hispanic but live in Scotland. My parents were shocked at how British people often feed their children a different dinner very early, put them to bed super early and then eat their actual dinner later with their spouse or partner. The one who feeds the kid will often finish off the kids' leftovers and gain weight, and then complain when the kids wake up at 5am. Needless to say, we didn't do that with our children! I make a few salads and two soups on Sundays so lunch is easy and bake fresh bread a few times a week. Butter is very expensive here now but easy to make yourself.
I’m so glad I grew up like this and then learned about this in college when I minored in French. I now teach my kids that sugar is a treat, we always have fruits and veggies in the house to eat. We also drink water and we all eat meals together. I also teach my kids that soda is poison. They won’t drink it.
It’s a lovely country, I have been there. The weather is moderate, not to cold, that’s explains everything, happy people, happy vegetables 🥗, good food 🍱💕🥰
@@reyjay1965 Just saying what is considered as polite or rude can be relative and depend on your viewpoint which can be informed by where you are from.. There are so many examples of this.
I’ve lived in France for a long time. It’s because most french people smoke and spend all morning on coffee and cigs, eat a little entree at lunch and a salad or soup or small meal at dinner and walk a lot.
The social aspect of the meal helps you digest better, perhaps, as you take your time eating rather than consuming in a short period of time. And to a certain extent, there is more enjoyment of the meal itself instead of it being a consumption activity.
French person married to an American here (we live in the US) and I can relate to pretty much all of this. Food habits was one of the things that was a big culture shock for me. One of my first times going to my in-laws' house, it was getting around 7pm and I ask my husband what time dinner will be, and he goes "uh, they already ate, just help yourself to whatever in the fridge". No making an actual meal, let alone eating together at the same table. Their habits have slightly changed for the best since then, but still, what a shock. Americans also tend to eat "dinner" at 5-6pm and then snack the rest of the evening because ya know, dinner was so early they got hungry, smh (this is still a point of contention to my husband who thinks with my French eating habits we "eat too late". My goal is usually around 7pm.) Same as Lucile described, we always had fresh fruits and veggies at the ready on the kitchen counter at my parents' house. One of the things that I find important to mention is the easy access to produce, and tasty food in general : corner stores that sell fresh fruits and veggies, bakeries everywhere, boucherie-charcuterie shops widely available. There are not many fast food places in France, because there is little need for them when the local bakery has options, or the boucherie doubles as a deli and offers sandwiches, etc. Regarding the portions, although that IS true that portions are smaller per item in France, there is always so much more variety to eat in the same meal. We almost always had a side salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc, you name it) to complement the main dish, then cheese before dessert (often fresh fruit or yogurt). Also, this may have been my own family's habits but, we ate less meat in general. Sometimes I feel that a lot of Americans are crazy about meat and eating it at every meal, very different from where I came from, not to mention that meat in the US is not as "healthy" as in France. Which brings me to the last part of my comment : the way things are grown / farmed, and processed in the US. I've been there about 15 years and have kept my food habits very similar to what they were in France, still I am 10 kilos heavier. Not saying the practice does not exist in France but everything in the US is so industrialized it's ridiculous. Everything is very processed and contains more "ingredients" than the same items made in the EU. Many things have more salt, more sugar, more fat. And by more sugar, what I really mean is "high fructose corn syrup", this is everywhere, even in foods that are not "sweet". Small businesses like street bakeries or butcher shops are very very rare so access to meat that is directly from the farm (as I am used to with my hometown) is pretty much not an option. Not only this is not the norm, but buying any of those better food products is incredibly expensive, so the very prohibitive prices of good quality meat just keeps people buying the same things. Small exception for fresh fruits and veggies in my area because in spite of being a high density, very urban state, we have a lot of local farms, which is a relief. One of the "funniest" parts about this, although I'm very much "French chubby", here people think I'm skinny. Very different point of view. I could talk about this for much longer but, tl;dr : Lucile nailed it ! @Lucile Si jamais vous lisez mon commentaire, merci beaucoup pour cette vidéo de point de vue, cela fait du bien de savoir que je ne suis pas seule ! Continuez votre bon travail.
The dinner parties en France!! Qu'est-ce que ça me manque!! I've been in Spain for 27 years (too long) I Lived in France for 3.5 years. The Spanish rarely if ever invite you to their homes! The Spanis home is a very private space. Tant pis!! Very good video!!!!
I moved to France almost 20 years ago from the UK and i've been in many countries over the years (mostly european countries and only a handful outside), imo the ratio of "slim" to fat" people in France is hardly any different than most other countries i've been in. Outside of Paris the French aren't so active, they tend to choose car over walking.
Interesting observations. I recall my holiday in Nice when I had lunch where the locals were.The next table from me was occupied with two ladies in their 40´s in business/office outfits. For starters they shared a bowl of oysters and the main course was "steak avec frites". Both were slender. I left before their dessert...In many Continental European countries you don´t see the endless shelves of sweets and sugary drinks in grocery stores that we have in the Nordic countries and in Britain.This was my teenage childrens observation from Spain and Italy; when it is not offered in the shop you don´t think about wanting it. Most people in the Latin countries don´t eat snacks. Don´t know for sure, just the impression I have got.
But despite that obsession with candy in Nordic countries, the average BMI in those countries is very close to that of France, though Nordic countries have far fewer smokers.
2:11 Don’t say “portions are small (in France) compared to the rest of the world” rather say “compared to the US”. I’m living in Germany and I’ve lived in the UK and your breakfast would easily last me until lunch as well. Of course there are bigger “breakfasts” but they are rather late breakfasts or brunches and then I, as well as the people I know, will skip lunch.
I loved this video !!! As a Cuban-American, I can relate to some things you mentioned. We like to eat fresh homemade food, and we all eat together at the table. We eat a lot of boiled plantains, tostones, rice and beans, and sweet potatoes. We also like to snack on fruit.
My best friend has celiac disease. She was exposed to gluten in France and had NO stomach pain. She decided to try a tiny piece of bread… again no pain. Ended up eating an entire baguette 🥖, NO pain! I wonder why that is?
@LaneSims Non-GMO, non-hybrid wheat that is not saturated with glyphosate. All of those things are banned in Europe. My daughter had the same experience when she went to the Netherlands. She was so happy to be able to eat everything!
I would also argue that living in a major city in the US with good public transportation, you’ll see a lot of locals are slimmer because they are using their feet as their main mode of transportation in between taking the subway. Our food may not be as high quality but the activity levels are so helpful to staying healthier.
I grew up in the US. I am in my early 60s we always ate what our parents ate. We learned to cook and bake. Table manners were required and you did not get dessert if you did not eat your meal. We were not allowed to leave the table, unless we asked to be excused. Things have changed here. We only ate fast food as a rare treat, if we were out at lunchtime. We were exposed to many different types of food from different cultures. I am appalled when my friends with small children dictate what is eaten at a meal. I keep my opinion to myself, but I am secretly judging. 😂❤❤
Want to thank you so much! I watched your very good videos and bought your amazing map before going to Paris for our second time. It was so helpful and the recommendations were exactly what we like and looked for. Thanks to your map our visit was so much better than the first one and we enjoyed Paris so much! ❤❤
I love that blue and white bowl. Beautiful. One thing you didn't mention was the place, or lack, of snacking in France, but I infer from your focus on three square meals that snacking is not common. In the US, it's an industry. Not only do Americans snack, but what we choose to snack on is often high-calorie, non-nutritious junk food. It's one factor in weight gain. Other factors include: highly processed junk food meals and sodas, all loaded with sugar and/or corn syrup; urban food deserts, where fresh fruits and vegetables are scarce; stress and stress eating; our car culture; and work schedules that lead to a reliance on fast food and take-out.
I've watched a few similar videos and the key rule is that the French are great at masking how little they really eat.Sweet breakfast -why not 300kcal lunch a biiiig bowl of leaves with a little bit of everything and a few drops of dressing , some bread with a microscope to see that bread , then tea -dark chocolate -a small piece and that's it and tadam , ladies and gentlemen DINNER the one and only decent meal eaten for 3 hours. Grand total 1500 kcal for mesdames and 2000 for messieurs looking like an all day feast.
Funny comment 😀 More seriously, the officialy recommend "average daily amount of calories" is 2000kcal. As it is an average for all people, it is more specifically 1800 to 2200 for women of working age and 2400 to 2600 for men of working age. It is a little bit less for the chidren and the elderly. You make it seem like we are starving ourselves, I assure you, we are not 😉 And yes, I know, I am that fun at partys... 🙄 Cheers
@@grgtzm4837I could never eat 1800 calories a day without putting on weight.😩💔 I'm not elderly or a child, but middle aged. The guidelines are kinda ridiculous and need to take height, age and activity level into account. It's not uncommon to need less than the recommendation.❤
I live in Normandy. I was helping my French neighbour to move house over a period of weeks. There would be days when another fifteen minutes at the end of the morning would see the van full, which would have made efficient use of the time. When I suggested that we keep working instead of stopping for ( a long ) lunch Étienne really didn't understand the question. Delaying lunch was simply not an option.
You made very good points! I e noticed this while working in France. One thing I’ll add is I think the natural body type of many French people is also very very lean, not only in fat but also muscle. Obviously you can see this in women but I’m mostly struck by how noticeable it is among the men compared to other countries
Yes and also the aesthetic ideal has always been a bit different in the US. For instance, in general, women « should » look more like Sports Illustrated models and men « should » look like even more muscular versions of Greek gods. So it’s also unrealistic pressure, just a different version of it 😂 I think in the 1930s-60s there was more similarities between the US and (generally) European beauty ideals
@@isagrace4260 I think there is something genetic too. I live in another country and have just had my son and 7 French friends staying. They are all super slim, the girls super skinny, but boy did they eat! Also, we work pleasure craft business on the beach and I can always pick out the French families. 1. The dad often looks kind of stiff. 2. They have their kids doing homework on the beach
My Brazilian family ate all meals together every day and I took it for granted! My American family never eats together! I feel like I don't even know them and it's like we're all roommates! It's sad honestly : (
Your videos are so insightful, and it's interesting when you share your experiences when living in USA to make us understand the differences! Since I have lost weight I have found myself eating on a schedule similar to the French one you shared here, to me it makes sense and is practical. Much success to you in all you do!
So interesting. 90% of what you talked about sounds the same as also in Japan. I lived in Japan for over 10 years, and food culture, specially on balance of everything, food quality, eating real food, portion size, variety of food, active daily lifestyle, food education, and even peer pressure (saying you gained weight is normal). I never had weight issues when I was living in Japan even eating everything I wanted. I moved to USA and lived her for 5 years, I gained so much weight, and doing so much, even exercising, and eating healthy version of food in USA is still not helping to loose weight. So, the environment is so important.
My friend lived in Paris for 15 years. He gained 80 pounds in the first 18 months. He used to buy an original style baguette and a 2-3 big pieces of cheese each day on the way home from work. Plus he do the three hour restaurant lunches with coworkers once per week. And he would eat at restaurants on weekends. The sauces were dangerous because of the cream and butter. Plus he went through five bottles of wine per week. Once he figured you can't go full throttle like this and do some exercise he took the weight off. Having said this, the French don't have huge portions at a time. Plus they also walk a lot much like people in other European countries. They manage to keep the weight down unlike people from Canada or the U.S.
Nice video. Regarding the markets: I'm still impressed when I went to buy a melon years ago at a market in Lyon and the seller asked if I wanted to eat it tonight (it was lunchtime) or tomorrow. I didn't get the impression that it was a show. And if it was, the melon was just perfect. By the way, my heart stopped for a moment when I saw how you cut the tomato. :)
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Metabolism period.
I visited Paris, they just don’t eat very much and getting extra steps in keeps total calories low.
This is just exaggeration that all this extra shit is the reason why. It’s just a calorie deficit.
But France has a growing obesity problem because there's a serious lack of muscle in the population. "thin' is becoming "skinnyfat" I'm certain the government will be pushing high protein diet campaigns in no time.
@@coachmindy Thanks for your analysis
You are so right on. I lived in France for 25 years, had and raised my children there…
We came back to the US and it was a culture shock for me to see how things had changed concerning meals.
I grew up in the 70’s, 80’s in the US and mealtime was always with family. Then I moved to France.
Since I’ve been back in the states, it’s so different.
Kids with food allergies, food aversion, extracurricular activities, parents with such differing schedules- makes it almost impossible to share a meal sitting down with family.
In France, our Sunday lunches at Mamie’s lasted hours, with an aperitif, entree, main course, cheese, dessert and coffee. Then we’d have a break and go for a walk or play outside, and sit again as a family playing a game together. Sometimes I was bored but mostly I was happy that it gave my kids an idea of what family time looks like in France.
We are back in the US and now when the kids come home from college or jobs, they look forward to our sit down dinners together. Being in France in the traditional fashion feels like being in the US back in the 70’s and 80’s before life was so chaotic. Just my humble opinion.
Even in the 90s. My family ate dinner together every night. It helps that we naturally ate later than many American families (8p usually). But I say I think we spent more time with friends, activities, or teams vs hanging out with family all Sunday, for example. Life was certainly better before email/smartphones/working around the clock.
Thank you so much for sharing this story, I enjoyed reading your comment :)
Why on earth would you move to the USA 😭
We can agree on everything, but please don't demonize food allergies, intolerance or even other restrictions such as vegetarianism. I am an omnivore Italian living in Paris and I had basically zero culture shock in terms of food, however I have vegetarian, celiac and lactose intolerant friends and for them it is already quite the nightmare because all of these things here are not considered enough yet. However, these issues have nothing to do with having bad habits, they still totally eat classic French (and I would say west/south European at least) meals, they are still in good shape and they still want to enjoy social eating, which is a real challenge, even relatively fancy restaurants sometimes fail at exposing allergen lists or inform correctly on the presence of ingredients.
@@flaviopons142 I don't think they meant it that way, or at least, I didn't read it that way. I think it is more that a narrow range of food options and the overall approach to food is leading in part to aversions and allergies. People that can't stand the sight of certain vegetables, for example. Where elsewhere those vegetables would be a staple. I noticed that when people in the US do veganism or vegetarianism, for them it's so different. Whole countries eat more or less vegetarian diets but you wouldn't 'feel' it as much when you eat their cuisine or eat in those countries, it doesn't feel restrictive. Americans also tend to make everything convenient, so even when they eat vegan they tend towards convenient vegan foods, rather than soaking and cooking a pot of split peas or white beans. They tend to focus on what they can't eat rather than what they can eat. So food becomes a source of stress (for them).
Protect and support your farmers
I completely agree with Lucile, the keys are fresh food, regular meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner, nothing in between. Typically we never open the fridge for a snack.
And yes it’s true toddlers are introduced to varied adult food very early.
Knowing that you’re going to eat at the same time everyday - especially good food - I almost cried a little for my younger self. Even though I have access to good food now, I realize that I still eat in a way that reflects those times when food was scarce.
Same
it's different for different climates i think.
if you go to spain/italy/portugal then a light breakfast is on, and long early lunch, just like france, but evening meal is REALLY late usually 9-11pm
@@bigmacntings7451 it’s not so much the time of the meal, rather knowing that there will BE a meal. Food insecurity. Sometimes, all we had to eat was air
@@bigmacntings7451 That's not true for Portugal, evening meal is normally around 8.
Same 💕
Everything in this vid is true, but there is an elephant in the room. Smoking. I just got back from walking 100 miles in the French country side. I'm old and a life time nonsmoker. I was shocked to see young people long distance walking and smoking. Not to mention all the smokers on the streets and sitting in cafes.
I haven’t been to France, but I was in Switzerland, and I was also surprised how many smokers there were. It seemed to be more fashionable there than in the U.S.
@@zaram131 it's hard to get rid of smoking in France because it has become a way of socializing for the youth & also a rite of passage into adulthood. Stats show 6 smokers out of 10 want to stop though.
One bias might be that it is forbidden to smoke inside most buildings.
So all the smokers go outside. Which can explain why you see so many of them outside. 😅
Yes.. one hotel we stayed in had a smoking lounge, which I haven’t seen in the US for years.
smoking is a big appetite suppressant.
As an American who worked for a Paris headquartered company, I agree with the many reasons mentioned. A big factor is French banned GMO grains, hormone laced butter, milk, cheese, yogurt, and eat minimal packaged junk food.
Exactly 🎉
What is the link between GMO grains and being fat? Genuinely curious
Agreed re the Non GMO, and I try to only buy cheeses from France and Italy, and Europe as well as cured meats and olives and olive oil and butter etc. Even jams etc because American food doesn’t have the same bans on glyphosate’s and Europe also.
Also, so did I (I worked for Jacadi, Paris)
Absolutely right. In the US we tamper with food too much. Too many artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, fake this and fake that - you end up pumping your body with artificial chemicals instead of nutrition.
why milk, cheese, yogurt?
I'm from Paris and I moved to Canada, gained so much weight here. The environment is enough to make you change your ways without you even realizing it, trust me
Gotta build that insulation lol
Understood.
Exactly the environment is paramount
@@MichaelTheophilus906 yes, cold weather can make you hungrier.
@@MichaelTheophilus906 that and the easy access to low quality foods
I was in Greece recently and I found similar values followed there as well, I think it’s a very European thing. They ate 3 square meals, the food was absolutely fresh wherever I ate and I complimented the Greeks on the same and they said serving non-fresh food is just not an option in Greece and that people would protest if that happened. I went to restaurants and people followed immaculate etiquette, nobody used phones while eating and everyone ate slowly while engaged in conversation. People walked everywhere.. the elderly don’t retire, they drive taxis etc to keep themselves occupied. I found most of the taxi drivers were all over 60 or 70..
that's because greece had an economic crisis it's not exactly a choice. their pensions all went to nil. they would retire if possible.
Because the pension is basically impossible to survive on
I am tri-cultural - and lives half of the year in the states, and the other half in Spain (or Brazil). It doesn’t matter if we go on a month vacation to Mexico, or if we are in Italy,France, etc - every time we are out of the states for longer than 2 weeks we start to lose weight and debloat. We change nothing about our eating habits, and remain at the same level of activeness… my husband and I just were talking the other day that the addition of so many preservatives in the foods in the states really affect us personally (so won’t be surprised if also it affects others) 🤷🏼♀️
I like in the UK, had a holiday in Spain for almost 3 weeks. Started to lose weight, and ate everything, drinking no restrictions
I think it’s about the quality of of food 😅 and the portions. Each time i go to the US 🇺🇸, as a french woman, it’s hard for me with the food because even the bread taste more sweet like if they put sugar in it and the meat, milk everything taste different 😅
So i lose weight finally 😂
@ ouais exactement - surtout la qualité de la nourriture est merde 😂😂 mais en ce qui concerne les portions, je voulais dire que même chez nous - on cuisine, on dîne au resto rarement - on mange peu mais on continue à prendre du poids, mais c’est comme tu l’avait mentionné, je dirais que c’est à cause de la qualités des produits aux états
I'm thin because I want to be. Everyone keeps coming up with excuses for why they gain weight, when they do, but it definitely involves an excess of calories or a macro imbalance. Hormonal imbalance is another issue as well. I hardly leave the US, and I end up weighing under 110 lbs when I'm not pregnant or postpartum. I've stopped exercising moderately, still drink alcohol several times per week, eat a high fat high protein diet, love salads, and snack twice per day. Here I am at 97 lbs with two toddlers, and I haven't left American soil since 2018 or 2019.
I only get bloated from eating pasteurized dairy and certain fruits after 12 pm. I eat a lot of Tex Mex, Mexican, American BBQ, and southwestern cuisine. I don't even smoke like a European, lol.
Unless you're keeping track of your exact calorie intake and macros wherever you travel, you can't be certain about American foods being the reason.
I only gain weight when I'm around baked goods, savory or sweet. There's something about grain carbs and sweeteners that goes wrong in my body. Eating a lot of carnitas and carne asada tacos and refried beans honestly does nothing to my weight.
I'm 100% certain that smoking is the main reason most Europeans are thin. As for Asians, especially northeast Asians, they definitely eat much healthier and resort to weight loss injections if necessary.
Honestly, social class determines obesity level, and that can definitely explain the US. The poorer someone is, the more likely they are to eat more cheap junk food or cook more fried or sweetened foods at home. I see this being the same tale in most countries as well. Culture is significant. I personally value either thinness and actual fitness. That's why I normally drink just iced water, coffee with cream, and kombucha rather than soda or some other crazy liquid throughout the day. Culture matters. Personal ethics matter.
I’m from America and she said there’s no bad foods but I don’t look at it as good or bad in the form of meat or dairy is bad for you or cakes and cookies but rather quality like everyone is saying, it’s additives. I just hope Kennedy fixes the problem here in America with his MAHA.
Many older American generations were taught table manners. I grew up in the 60s and I was taught manners and expected to follow them both home and out. Our family had different schedules for breakfast and lunch but we ate dinner together. I started helping Mom cook when young and by the time I was 12, I would start dinner after school and have it prepped and in the oven when my parents got home.
Sadly, so many Americans don't know how to feed themselves and cook decent meals.
Long ago, I adopted Julia Childs rules:
Small, reasonable portions, no snacking, no seconds and try new things or a little of everything.
I am an omnivore and eat a balanced diet and stay very active. I'm in my 60s, in excellent health (I have to pass pilot physicals twice a year) and I enjoy the best, freshest foods available seasonally.
No trying new foods or snacks ever seems a bit much. If it works for you that's good tho
@@cloudthief8918She said to try new things. And snacking is truly very bad for your health, I won’t go into the physiology of it but it’s definitely best to avoid eating in between meals.
@@GGGirl55 ohh ok, i get you. I agree snacking can be really bad if you're prone to high blood sugar, but for me personally it's the opposite. I pass out if I don't eat regularly
@@cloudthief8918 Did you get checked by a doctor for this though ? You're not really supposed to pass out if you don't snack, unless your actual meals are insufficiently nutritious.
@goldenaxe7564 general exams and blood work come back fine so I think tis just me 😅
When my boyfriend (who had never been to France before) and I were in Paris back in January, he asked me on our second day there "wherere are all the fat people." He's rail-thin, and I have the dad bod, and here in the rural US where we live, I'm the norm and he is an outlier. But in Paris, he was the norm. I told him there weren't too many American tourists in January, and there'd be more fat people in July.
I agree with you about the fresh food. I firmly believe that a lot of American obesity is caused by processed foods.
I think the problem is mostly the wealth gap. I live in a major tourist city in Europe, and in the city centre and among the richer/high educated crowd you'd hardly find any obese folks. As soon as I travel into more of the outskirts of the city, where the more lower income/low educated people live, I see obese people everywhere. I suspect it will be the same for the outskirts of Paris. I'm a teacher and in my school I can see it too. The 'smarter' kids are obese wayy less often. It saddens me deeply because I think this is the problem of the ever growing wealth gap and political polarization
@@lzlzlz347I suppose part of the issue is that it’s often the highly processed, unhealthy stuff that’s also the cheapest. To the point where you almost have to be raised in a household that can comfortably afford to eat healthily to even develop a habit of sticking to it when you grow up.
@@lzlzlz347are the smarter kids less obese, or are you just biased to think badly of fat people?
@@billcolvard And I would counter that the cause is that American culture does not place a high value on high-quality food or cooking. Meals in America are not something to be savoured, but an inconvenience to be gotten over with as quickly as possible.
@@lzlzlz347 As a French person I confirm that socio-economic status plays a part on people being fatter or thiner and whether obesity is an issue, as it impacts your access to healthy meals. Moreover the fatphobia and body-shaming is really rampant in France to the point where fat people tend to be less present in public spaces and it actually could impact their employment prospects.
Great video!!! I find French people very polite and have very good table manners. I noticed that small children behave very well in restaurants, and everybody speaks in a low voice tone. I like the French and their culture.🎉😊
I love that parents feel comfortable going to the restaurant with their kids in Paris!
I believe that the mot juste is FORMAL, and being formal is often seen as being rude among Americans.
When i lived in Paris I walked everywhere and would eat a croissant every morning with hot tea. Then salad for lunch and a full meal usually chicken with potatoes and veggies ( something like that) I was skinny skinny
I'm naturally left-handed, so when my grandfather noticed this, he taught me how to eat European style as he had been in a Spanish boarding school. When I lived in France they were all very surprised at how I ate 'like us'.
that is because most American parents dont take their parental responsibilities seriously anymore. They dont even know where their kids are. They do not teach their children to be respectful or polite and they certainly dont teach their children table manners.
This is an exciting video. I'm Italian, and I heard some apparent things. In Italy, we have the exact lunch times and cook at home. During my four years in California, I was surprised by the low food quality, which included so much processed or ready-made food. I had to do a lot of research to find a shop selling unprocessed fresh food and extra virgin olive oil in San Francisco. Eventually, I found an expensive one that saved me.
I used to have a good friend that grew up in Sweden and moved to Calfornia. He was a chef. He used to talk to me about the quality of food and regulations they have in different European countries. Even a burger at Mcdonalds is more fresh there. Europeans definitely do food better than we do here. Corporations tend to run things and many people are too busy working long hours to care about the time or effort to make quality food.
Even in the "healthy" grocery stores, you have to be careful, and read the ingredients. I strive every day to consume REAL FOOD, rather than processed, and sugar-filled food.
I'm Italian-American and I have no problem finding fresh food here in the States. However, HOW that food is grown is another story. That's when the price really differs, due to the quality. I have traveled to Europe since childhood. I can eat more dairy in Europe and more carbohydrates without the issues I have in the States. 🤷♀
I lived in Paris for 2 years. Way less preservatives than American food. One WALKS way more in Paris. Plus that red wine does wonders! 😊
Having lived and traveled in both the US and France, I have noticed something about fruits and vegetables aka produce.
In France produce is grown for taste, and thus it may very well be seasonal and grown locally. In the US produce is
grown to travel well. That is the emphasis…..not taste. On one of our trips to France I had some of the best cantaloupe in
my life. When I returned home I couldn’t replicate the experience. 😢
I unfortunately agree with you! I also feel the fruits and veggies never "go bad" in the US, like an apple that would last a week before becoming rotten in France is still good after a month in the US. I've always been suspicious as to why that is haha
In general, maybe, but just a couple of weeks ago I visited MN and WI - the apples (often sold by the road) there were incredibly tasty. Much tastier than most of apples I can get back home in Europe.
@@MichalMatiYes I believe the difference here is that you HAVE to go to a local place for your produce. Sometimes wholefoods will have some hits but overall our super markets have the worst produce ever
@@MichalMatiYes! My point exactly. Locally grown.
Yes absolutely!! I've had GREAT food in the US at local shops!!
I had a short vacation in France few years back. It was by far the best food I have ever eaten in my life.
You're joking, right ?
Absolutely correct
@@minastronasseit's the best
I stayed in the U.K., then took a ferry to France. French food was FAR better than in the U.K.
@minastronasse No, I am not. I like it so much that I learned to cook like the French because I couldn't find a good French restaurant where I am from.
The real reason is that not everyone drives a car there. If you watch the video, you'll notice that most people are walking. It's a similar situation in Tokyo-when walking is a regular part of life, it naturally helps people stay healthier compared to relying on cars for everything.
I'm in Tokyo now and it's true. No cars in sight except taxi and vans. People definitely have access to snacks cakes etc
The US is too big to simply rely on walking sadly
@@lucianaromulus1408 it's not that it's big. It's that we're simply not set up for pedestrians. If we had real public transit and dense housing/walkable neighborhoods/ multi use zoning things would be much different. They literally screwed us out of beautiful community based cities like Europe because auto companies wanted to sell us more cars.
@wild_pixie that's my point. We're very spread out as a Nation which has its pros and cons
That's only a small part of it. The biggest part is the quality of food, like fresh food that's not contaminated with a ton of pesticides and other poisons like here in the US.
In America, food manufactures and food processes include additives that trigger the addiction portion of their brain. As we eat more prepared food, we crave it more and eat more of it.
Yeah and in Europe you feel full with smaller portions.
MSG is one of those addictive substances, but is not harmful unless you consume it in large quantities. The main ingredients of how many people get addicted in the U.S. is lots of salt and sugar. Nature’s cocaine. That is the reason when you eat lots of potatoes, steaks, hamburgers or other American dishes your not satisfied unless you eat more which becomes a problem. The cheese industry is scary since there is a lot of processed cheeses with that. I wish America can eat a more reasonable palate when it comes to confectioneries since they have a lot of money yet they cannot make it delicate. Portions we also need to control on that since we eat way more than the average human outside the U.S. and we need less salt and other preservatives.
@@toshitanaka1550 well, you didn’t get a degree in food chemistry, and you don’t work for food pharma, so I wouldn’t expect you to know what I’m talking about. There are drugs that cause addiction and they put them in foods like Doritos. And they like you to think it’s just salt and fat. But it’s not. They have all kinds of names for it. My favorite is natural flavorings and coloring.
@ either way its not that great to consume and they do that to vegan meals.
it's called sugar, salt and MSG
When you were talking about table manners and everyone eating the same meal, that is what was expected in my family, too. I’m an American and back in the 1970s when I was a kid, it was that way with pretty much every family I knew. And nearly everyone I knew ate dinner between 5:30 pm and 6 pm.
I think things started to change in the 1980s…that is when I noticed people eating later and having separate kid meals. When I became a mom myself, I saw how rare it has become for families to eat together. One of my daughter’s friends hadn’t ever eaten at the dinner table…they ate in front of the TV. I think her friend liked the experience of eating with us at the table, and using real dishes instead of paper plates. But I definitely felt like we’re the exception and not the norm. Thanks for this video…it was really interesting👍🏻
If you come to France, don't expect to have dinner before 7:00 PM at the earliest - normal dinner time is around 7:30/8:00 PM. We have a rule for meals at home; when eating we turn the TV off, and smartphones are not allowed at the table. And these rules also apply to occasional guests, including our son's friends when they were still kids - and they actually loved eating with us, simple but real home-made food.
Also, as a non-smoking family, cigarettes are banned from the house; most of the people we know don't smoke, but if someone wants to smoke it's outside.
Some people might think we're strict, but we do believe in politeness and manners. Meals are a moment to enjoy the food, relax and exchange together.
@@jfrancobelge les heures chiffrées ne veulent pas dire grand-chose. En Europe, nous sommes à la même heure de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle à Lublin, ce qui n'a aucun sens astronomiquement parlant. Si on se base sur la position du soleil, il est totalement logique que les Polonais et les Allemands dînent tôt et les Espagnols tard. En France nous déjeunons et dînons plus ou moins en même temps que les Britanniques mais étant donné qu'ils ont une heure de moins (ce qui est absurde), nous avons un décalage apparent sur l'horloge.
As an Italian, I resonate with most of these points. However, I really don't like the "obligation" to eat with your colleagues, lunch break is free time and everybody should be entitled to spending it however they like
I totally agree with you, that was one aspect of the French food culture I didn't really like!
Hello, I'm French and I can tell you that there is not really such rule. You can eat alone if you want to, this is not disrespectful.
@@LucileHRintroverts need their 'alone time!'
@@GutReconIkaros depends which company you work for. I'm french too and used to work in an angency where people usually ate together. I didn't and I told them I liked eating alone. I still do to this day, but I'm pretty sure I was seen as a loner because of that ^^' (and I'm not, I just like my free-time, that's all and not to be bothered when I eat at work)
@@selinalenawell yeah, I think in every country you will always find some people who are like this. In France, I believe strangers can easily be confused between what is being polite versus what is being well percieved. You can decline eating with people while being polite, and our french culture is okay for that. But still, it is also part of our french culture to say that it is "better" to eat with people, you will be well percieved. However, the last affirmation does not imply it is incorrect to eat alone, as we saw before you can be polite. In the end of the day it is more interpersonnal rather than a cultural thing to judge someone who is eating alone by calling them a loner.
I am from India. Lived in France for several years. I found a lot of similarity in the way I grew up eating and the way the French do, i.e., fresh food, fibre-rich, focus on a variety of dairy products, distaste for packaged food and food deliveries. Thus, adjusting to French food was easy. The only major difference in Indian food is that we cook vegetables with spices and oils as a rule. While French cuisine in meat and seafood is amazing, creativity is limited in plant based items.
Are you serious. Food in India is disgusting. 1 month there😢 and straight to France. That's insulting my French heritage. Now, way. Please don't compare. Your country is filthy dirty. 😢Constant food poisoning 😢
It is mainly because of the ingredients in the food: USA allows the use of artificial ingredients for taste and freshness and look of food, and a lot of European countries don't do that. And yes, European countries are more pedestrian and bicycle friendly than USA, so it is reason #2.
Or the calories. Calories are low over there while the the USA these foods are higher in calories and are addictive, getting you to want more and more and the calories add up so fast.
Lol, no. All kinds of artificial ingredients are allowed in the EU, they typically just have a different name than in the US.
Nope, the consumed calories in whatever they're eating would still end up being way more important than whatever artificial ingredients or "freshness" you're talking about. If there's more thin people in France, it's mainly because they're finding ways to eat fewer calories and expend more calories, one way or another.
One thing that's usually not taken into considering is, food factory locations. More often than not, food has to be shipped 100s if not 1000s of miles across the US to get to the destination. It's cheaper for a company to ship a product than to open small chains of factories. This is why a lot of preservatives are required. France is smaller than Texas itself, everything is closer, nothing has to travel that far for long and they have many local bakeries, which isn't a tradition in the US.
Did anyone else get anxious watching the tomato being sliced? Lol
Could it be that she likes to "live life on the edge"? LOL
Ahahaha, in my country (Uzbekistan) we slice this way for our special daily "must-have on the table" salad. This way it's more juicy and tastier.
We're from Europe we cut pretty much all soft fruits or veg like that?? The world is so weird, how is that not normal?😅
@@rallara Hi, the issue is not the slice, it is that she uses the knife in an inward motion, taking the risk of cutting the palm of her hand.
For safety reason you suppose to cut outwardly, with the cutting edge of the knife away from your hand.
Cheers.
@@rallaraI’ve never before seen anyone slice tomatoes like that. It’s not safe.
And every chef I’ve ever seen slices vegetables, including tomatoes, on a board.
People in the US drink a lot of sugary drinks, and are conditioned to think we need a sweet treat every day, maybe even with every meal.
As part of a self-designed diet, I once went from double-double coffee to black with no sugar, and I also banned dressing from my salads. I admit that they tasted a bit bitter and boring at first, but very soon I began to find the explosive taste of sugar and salt that is in salad dressings to be revoltingly excessive. If I forgot to say "no dressing" in restaurants, the salads became inedible. I admit, I fell off my diet in a lot of ways, but I very easily stuck to black coffee and no dressing because I learned how bad things really taste with gargantuan amounts of sugar and salt added.
It amazes me when I see Americans having their meals with sodas that are totally artificially manufactured. Also they are constantly snacking more artificial stuff throughout the day that are in huge bags.
I was just thinking about this the other day, even tho it is still sugary I really crave the natural juices that are offered in my country (Venezuela) I rarely ever drank soda, it was always strawberry juice with my meals, now I’ve just started drinking a lot of sprite because there’s no other option, or if I’m feeling more healthy just water or lemonade
@@elize2952 Sometimes those "power" drinks are okay if you just use a few drops to flavor your water.
I mean, im American and I feel as though the only thing I've been "conditioned" to do regarding food is feel guilty and disgusting whenever I deign to feed myself, despite the fact that I have a healthy diet. I take a spoon of sugar in my coffee (I drink a very strong dark roast coffee, it needs just a pinch of sugar to help the flavors bloom) but besides that I'm so avoidant of sweets, in part bc despite not eating sweets often i feel so terribly guilty when i consume processed or pre-prepared food.
We went to Paris in March for 6 days. The quality of food was exceptional and I ate whatever I wanted to eat and we walked everywhere I go back home. I didn’t game that 1 pound. I can’t wait to go back.
The "peer pressure" mentioned here is simple honesty. Holding a mirror up to someone isn't negative in any way, just genuine feedback. We need more positive encouragement to improve, and to eliminate affirmation of self-destructive behavior. Obesity kills.
This modern way of excusing obesity, saying your fine the way you are, is destructive to health and happiness. Love the person but don't encourage a very unhealthy weight. Like you said, obesity kills.
people know how much they weigh, and mirrors exist. it’s not like it’s some amazing truth ball. and no one wants to be fat. since it varies by country it’s clearly about the food quality, the lifestyle of the culture, and other conditions. not so much the individual. and i promise you not one person is fat because no one mentioned it to them. not a single one.
Not positively affirming obesity and not being critical of being obese are two VERY different things
No fat person is unaware they are fat.
@YeshuaKingMessiah Nobody is claiming that they're unaware. But a lot are deluded into thinking that they can be healthy at any size and that wanting to lose weight is somehow a mentally unhealthy mindset. A real friend will dispel that kind of illusion and help them to get back in shape, not stay silent about it or encourage them by saying that it's fine.
This is the way the culture is in just about every society on earth outside of America. Its honestly ridiculous for us to act like the rest of the world is bad for being blunt about this subject when they don't have preteens walking around with type II diabetees. Our culture is the toxic one, it's quite literally killing people with 'kindness'.
I want to offer something. I grew up in an Italian family and mealtime was an absolute non-negotiable 363 days out of the year (I don’t know the reason but perhaps 2 days out of the year we could for some reason get out of it 😝) and we never, ever ate at a restaurant; it was TABOO. We ordered takeout pizza as an ultimate treat a few times a year, but get this: my mom still cooked a full dinner those nights and we just had a slice or two of pizza alongside that. I complained about this so much. Now of course I realize I was very fortunate. I am a single lady just me and my dog, so of course it is the case that I eat alone often, which I know is not ideal. But I am very nice and skinny and very healthy in my 40s, and I was not always so slim in my younger years. I put many restrictions on my diet, and it really backfired. I believe that you should always eat whatever you truly want, just as long as you prepare it yourself. I became skinny when I adopted this rule. 😊
Same for my French family. Eating at the restaurant was uncommon and only for a "special" event so... 3/4 times a year ? We would eat at 19:30 and it was almost always homemade. Good memories:)
Great advice 😁 - admire your family traits for eating home & seldom having Pizza 😂 - healthy life for happy Life 💕
I have friends that are from both Mexico and Ukraine and they are not discreet about weight observations so it's not just a French thing. At first it caught me off-guard but I quickly grew accustomed to it.
I think it might be a non-English speaking world thing because I would never dream of it but my German-speaking friend would! (eeek)
I’m American n my family were quite outspoken about being fat
I had one poor cousin who was quite large and she was picked at mercilessly by extended family, on a diet from age 10 by her mom, seen as an embarrassment. Then I got heavy after my 1st 2 babies and they started at me. It was rly awful. My cousin never ever got smaller and she’s now 70.
That is a very Latin thing to do. I am from a Latin country with friends from all over Latin America, and they have no qualms in telling you how you look.
As a fellow European I remember seeing (when youtube was still fairly new) a video of an American who proudly announced she made sweet potato fries "from scratch" - I was so confused. Over time I learned Americans use this expression a lot and started understanding that what is normal for us in Europe is not necessarily in the States. With the example of sweet potato fries I remember thinking : "what other way is there?" We don't ever say anything akin to "from scratch" because that's just how you prepare food here. Normal. I'm also surprised when so many people ask for the recipe under videos that show you a meal idea. For me and many people who are used to cooking, that's not necessary. Even little kids know basic kitchen skills over here. Anyway it's an interesting cultural difference!
I love your comment and I really find that fascinating too! I don't even consider what I do on the daily "cooking" because it's super basic haha
It is funny how something that can give one bragging rights in the States is nothing special on the Continent.
Not everyone in France is thin. I was thin until menopause. I am still on the slim side but not slender. I don't live in France. When I see a slender older French woman... I often discover that they smoke. Wonderful reflections on how people do eat healthier in many ways... in France. I do believe there is more quality overall. I think the butter is different too... starting with what the cows are fed.
Well said.
I once met another Canadian, who had taken a 10-day pottery course at a farm in the Italian countryside, the year before. She reported that, in Canada, she has a lot of food allergies and intolerances, but in Italy, she was able to eat everything, including ice cream. This suggests that the additives and substitutions (and maybe traces of pesticides?) are a large part of the food intolerances in North America.
I was going to add "the skinny ones smoke nonstop."
Maybe that's why I didn't gain any weight at all in Europe. I walked a lot, didn't eat fast food or packaged goods, only the fresh stuff, and I smoked. LOL
Thank you. Exactly. It's not a data point for a premenopausal young woman to do the analysis on this one. The public health data indicates her body type is not the average at all in France, and smoking is NOT a solution to anything except dying a more painful death, after all. I'm enjoying your handle name :)
The huge difference is mostly time.
The US work hours are among the highest in the world. It forces people to eat fast food, mass supermarkets sell low quality tasteless hmo foods, creating allergies, shift work means no family meals etc.
I'm an American but my mother has half french ancestry and dinner was at 730 pm with my mother. family, homemade, and without exception. Yet my mother also worked. The days she worked late I made the family dinner.
I wouldn't say in the USA it's a cultural choice. It's how you need to live to make an income. Just like ridiculously long commutes and working 365 days a year without breaks. Stress and time.
I'm eating healthier, but STILL have to be conscious of my food, always. NO processed food, and minimal sugar! It's a daily process, esp. in the U.S.
And not to mention it’s a part time job to eat healthy in the US with the amount of research one has to do.
"The US work hours are among the highest in the world."
[raughs in Chinese]
But seriously French people actually spend more time away from home due to lunch not counting as working hours.
Nope, old cliché. We are one of the highest in the word (before us) in term of productivity and average hour of work will be 9/9-30 to12_-30 Than 13-30 TO 19 very often later. the goal is to be at height at home for diner. But the compensation is 5 weeks vacation paid, social security, retirement contribution, 8 weeks minima maternal leave, half transport paid and often a 8 to 15 euros in daily meal coupon you can use in any restaurant or take away place as a boulangerie. Welcome in a country ( like many other europeens one) where working is not suppose to be your all life but the financial support of it. So were efficient at work cause it's balanced and it make sense ...
It’s true that French mealtimes are exactly on time. I used to go to France a lot and frankly I was astonished by the food consumption. It was a bit like whatever us brits were advised not to eat the French ate loads of it. Red meat, butter and especially cheese. And the national motto is if in doubt pour in more cream. And then there’s all the saucisson, sausages and I won’t exaggerate as the French also do also eat a lot of vegetables often cooked in butter, French fries ( with steak, the national dish). A lot of soup ( usually with cream!). Charcuterie and anyway. Yeah. Most of it pretty delicious much of it not specially ‘healthy’. And as for sweet pastries. They are lovely but in fact the French really don’t eat many and I reckon it’s because they are quite pricey. Ordinary middling people can only afford this stuff once a week or less.
I just want to make this observation. In the uk we used to be skinny too. What did we eat? Bacon cooked in lard, fried eggs cooked in lard. Chips( French fries in the English fashion) probably cooked in lard. Full cream milk, cheese. Sunday roast dinners Yes there were a few veggies and a lot less fast food/ supermarket ready meals. But the brits started getting fatter almost from the moment that government dieticians began to advise that we cut down on fat eggs, red meat, and replace it with carbs. So everyone stuffs their face with pizza and pasta and starchy vegetables. Because that is the dietary advice. It’s probably wrong. All that starch was avoided by previous generations as being somehow substandard, fattening and low in nutrients. Can someone please explain how those dieticians are still even in employment? Oh yes salads in France are actually tasty as they do often contain eggs, bits of tuna or liver and plenty of olive oil. In the uk you’re expected to subsist on salad made with lettuce, maybe a bit of pepper and low fat dressing. No wonder people give up and reach morosely for the chocolate biscuits.
50 years or so ago in North America we were smaller too- but many jobs were farmers/labourers & got food down the road at a local farm.. then along came processed foods, larger portions & a sedentary lifestyle.
Yes today we eat more and more processed and move a lot less ,trying to reverse things is very difficult when you have a lot of technology about keeping us sendentry,and a lot less labour intensive jobs today to ,people also snack a lot ,it's a vicious circle of today's society
That's a very good point
Chocolates are so accessible
But also processed food and even m&s ready meals
That's sad that some countries moved forward and others kept their values per se
This is all over the world though
In Japan they have so many good selection of junk snacks everywhere
@@ANDREAT08 some countries seem more conservative with food. France and Spain say, or even Ireland. The Irish these days are actually quite a lot less fat than the English. Does the average Irishman have a conspicuously healthy diet compared with an Englishman? Of course not! It’s just that an Irishman being informed that bacon and eggs and soda bread for breakfast, a mixed grill for lunch and Irish stew for dinner isn’t good for the health just ignores the advice and carries on as before. His British neighbours are consuming low fat everything, cutting back on meat and cheese and weirdly getting fatter and fatter! I wish the British health authorities would admit that current health advice is flaky to say the least. Want people to loose weight? Just revert to a 1970s diet. Lard, red meat, butter, eggs, ham, full cream milk and all! Cut back a bit on starch and reduce sugar intake. Well look I might be wrong but all those flipping dieticians are wrong too and I don’t get paid for my advice.
The French breakfast is composed of coffee and a croissant.
A huge difference that I noticed when I moved from Down Under to Canada in the seventies was the amount of water consumed while eating. At so many restaurants here ( and in the USA) water seemed to be the first thing offered. I had been brought up to believe that you only drink water 1 hour before and 1 hour after a meal as the water dilutes the stomach acids necessary for good digestion. This does not apply to wine which can aid digestion.
Never heard of such a rule. But Australian people have the exact same average BMI as Canadians, apparently, so I don't think it's a factor in weight.
Thats all BS.
The peer pressure can definitely be huge. I've gained a bit of weight recently which combined with being really tall has made clothes shopping hell. But when I visited the US it wasn't so bad, even the UK wasn't too bad. And also having friends who were bigger in their youth and what that meant for their school lives. It can be rough.
I also grew up eating a lot of home cooked which was really a blessing. And it really taught me to eat different things.
Can you explain what you mean when you say it was so bad when you visited the US? In what way?
@barrysteven5964 oops I meant "wasn't"
As an American who has found myself pressured by all kinds of crazy diet fads, I am finally learning that balance, as you said, is the path to healthy living. Good video!
My husband is from Normandy. We spent our time in France biking and walking everywhere, even when we moved away from Paris back to Normandy, where the car was a necessity, but we still went on hikes and biked everywhere. I miss the markets so much. Once we returned to the US, I put on 60 lbs and developed food allergies that I didn't have in France. After those allergies developed, my doctor said I was probably allergic to the pesticides and additives in some of the food. I lost weight and most of my allergies because I started cooking from scratch. I still have allergic reactions if we eat out, but that's few and far in between because we mostly eat at home.
Also bread in Europe, especially France, is not the same as the bread they eat in the States. For any lovers of the film Ratatouille: you recognize good bread by it's crust🤓
Great reference haha
Bread that crackles on the outside and bounces on the in inside...
@@ladymacbethofmtensk896 yes!
@@ladymacbethofmtensk896 oooooh yes.....
There seems to be a lot of sugar added in American bread. It's more of a cake. Hardly any fibers present but a lot of conservatives
It seems to me most of the French attitude about food is good. I especially like the attitude toward training kids' tastes and not letting them eat junk or get used to special kid meals. We used to do that in the US but somewhere we lost our minds and have let kids eat junk, get fat, and become picky monsters at the table. Good for you guys for keeping sanity.
As far as eating times are concerned-in the US this is because of the erosion of workers rights here as compared to France. Many people have unpredictable work schedules with random assigned “lunch” at weird times of day. Often workers only get 30 minutes to shove food in. It is definitely unhealthy. And for children it’s very similar-sports matches are scheduled during dinner time or even close to bedtime. It’s very hard to have a normal routine here. And it’s not good. I don’t know why my fellow citizens put up with it.
I wonder about the evening sports also. Why not just after school ?
I eat my plate in about 10 min. I never understood needing 30 min to eat.
Either ur eating it or not lol
They eat Whole Foods, smaller portions, and they walk a lot.
Americans eat processed food, huge portions, and ride instead of walk.
Our infrastructure was designed to not be walkable. The history of getting rid of public transport in favor of automobiles, development of suburbia, and lack of side walks is criminal.
The French also smoke and drink alot of Coffee.
Obesity is a global public health problem that continues to grow. Over the last 25 years, obesity has grown in France, especially among youth. In 2020, one in two adults was dealing with overweight or obesity in the country. Indeed, 47 percent of French adults were overweight, of which 17 percent suffered from obesity.
Unfortunately, it's very related to one's social class. In Paris, the only obeses will be 50+ years executive men who don't care because they have all social recognition and power. The ratio between obesity in the more modest decile is 3 to 1 to the upper-class. Only 5% of people with a PHD are obse, 25% amongst people who stopped school before college. Poor people go to supermakets, buy the cheapest food, which is also horrendous in terms of quality and health... It's really problematic indeed. She's clearly talking about the average parisian from high/middle-class who earns at leat twice the average revenue.
@@fredericdehohenstaufen7874 Thanks for your thoughtful response-it’s true that socioeconomic factors play a huge role in obesity rates, and the disparities you mentioned are an important part of the conversation. That said, videos like this one, claiming it’s 'so easy to be thin in France,' are incredibly damaging. They perpetuate a romanticized and false stereotype that completely ignores the rising obesity rates and the systemic challenges many people face, especially those in lower socioeconomic brackets. Simplifying these issues into a Parisian fantasy does more harm than good and overlooks the real public health crisis in France.
Thank you for this. I was immediately skeptical of the thumbnail and title and this sort of check is why I actually clicked on the video.
Upper middle class and rich can eat all the fresh produce and meats & dairy
Lower middle class to poor are eating carbage. Margarine on mashed potatoes - no one ever buys sour cream or even butter. Chicken leg quarters with sugary sauce, or frozen chicken strips, rarely have hamburger.
Canned corn, peas, no greens or broccoli.
Etc etc etc
The structured day is something to be admired in France. Being British, sometimes it is a little annoying if there are some shops or the post office which is closed during the lunch break but it actually makes you give respect towards yourself and others to stop, relax and eat.
Also, you can get good fruit, veg and cheese at the bi-weekly / weekly market. The quality of the fruit or veg is so satisfying that you don't reach for something stodgy to fill you up.
This happens in India too, the banks close during lunch time.. there is a certain discipline in Indian way of living, which the current generation is slowly beginning to appreciate..
As a German I once heard the comparison:
German people spend their money on expensive cars to drive to the discount supermarket to buy cheap, low quality food.
French people spend their money on cheap cars to drive to the restaurant to enjoy good, high quality food with their friends and family.
That's so true! (French woman here)
Bonjour! Oui! Bien sûr! Tres bon!
My very healthy answer to this video, if you are in America, is Trader Joe’s. They don’t use any artificial ingredients, are extremely international and totally delicious.
I also love the fact that sweets are used only for special occasions/once in a while.
That’s my philosophy.
You should know that dark chocolate does have a lot of antioxidants, however.
Just home from France and missing the food, among other things. My household also focuses on quality, taste, nutrition. But it's harder to source that here in Canada. I put a lot of work in to do it, where in France it was just around the corner usually, as the video says. In North America, our systems tend to privilege the success of 'Big Food' or 'Big Agriculture' rather than local, fresh, and tasty.
Love reading your perspective!
Did you see the difference between your fruit loop cereal from Kellogg and ours here in the states? It’s infuriating.
@@AtHomeWithAlex no I missed that! Did not spend much time in that aisle at the grocery store--can you share what is the difference?
I recently visited Tokyo and did not see one overweight person. They walk everywhere and the portions are normal. Really enjoyed eating out and not feeling overwhelmed at the serving sizes
Basically almost every taste is an aquired one, so if you are brought up on "kids meals", you're palate doesn't develop during the formative phase and it requires much more of an effort to get it later.
Ahh - how you make me long for Paris! Such a wonderful city and a gift to the world.
I miss it
Loved this video and how clear and straightforward everything was articulated. You are very well spoken and described very well what the relationship is between the French and your food. I learned a lot about your culture in just this one video that I would not have otherwise found anywhere else. You definitely have a new subscriber here. Thank you and keep up the good work!😊
French food is the best 😋
:D
And Italian ❤️
I recently returned from 2 weeks in France, went directly to Lyon where our friends live then a roadtrip to their home in northern Normandy and back. Coming back home to 'Murica, i was determined to eat more like we did in France and be more active, but alas it seems nearly impossible here. If you can find quality food here, it isn't affordable, and not many places in USA are truly walkable like in France. It's got me thinking about retiring to Normandy when the time comes (ain't too far off) but not confident I could learn French language well enough to be functional. 😛
@@DrewJmsn I hope you try to learn the language. I’ve been learning for the past two years and I’m still in awe at my progress. I think you will be surprised at what you can learn. Even if you learn only enough to get to Normandy, it will still be enough! Bonne chance!
The French women I know eat next to nothing during the day but when they go out with friends, colleagues etc. they do aaaallllll the courses wine and extra cream with the dessert and they behave as if that’s their usual behaviour towards food style „ I eat everything, I am not complicated, I am so cool and relax I just enjoy life“ and I applaud. Next day: tiny to no breakfast green salad for lunch half a cookie „regime“ as „goûter“ in the afternoon and 100g of fish for dinner. 😂 everyone has their own idea of „balance“ I guess
Weird. I am a French woman, surrounded by other (thin) french women at work. And at lunch we eat normally 🤷🏻♀️ Only depends on how good the cafeteria is that day I guess.
We also never skip afternoon snack.
@@Hoid. This is good to know! I have always heard that French women do not snack, but I know I would not be able to go from 12:30 until 8pm without a substantial healthy snack in between. Always wondered how the French did it!
@@stargirl33343 I have to precise that it depends on the person. For some people, snacking in between meals is non existent. For the rest of us, it's usually not a very substantial afternoon snack. Usually something small with a coffee (or tea). But we do snack on apples or bananas when we get hungry. And when I get home, I definitely snack on bread!
What I noticed (but that’s only my personal observation) French people are just small. They are not really having wide bone structure, never seen them with massive calves or tights, which I am seeing a lot in Slavic countries, and I don’t mean fat people there. Same for most of Portuguese (I’m living in Portugal now)
@@Hoid. Interesting! Is the same true for very active people? For instance, I walk 7-10k steps per day and do moderate-high intensity weight lifting 4x a week. I assume that is maybe not as popular in France as it is in the states?
Also cannot blame you, bread is amazing.
It's interesting, I'm from Oregon, USA, and everything you said about meals was exactly the same in my family growing up. We were all thin and fit too. I feel like advertising, and the culture, have pushed the idea of eating dessert, and all the treats every day. So now so many Americans are obese. Very sad. Thank you for telling us this better way.
Think here in the US, everything revolves around work. Work is more important than eating. If you are lucky, you may get 30 mintues to eat for many jobs. This causes people to rush while eating, and increases stress while eating and that impacts the body negatively over time. 1st hand experience. The French way is the healthier way.
Yeah 30 minutes to eat and you have to drive everywhere most the time so by the time you get your food you have like 10-15 minutes to hork down your super fried/processed food.
Some places are getting better about offering salads instead of just burgers, but there is no in between for fast meals.
Having grown up in the late 40s thru the 60s, we always had fresh food at home, as well when visited my grandparents' farm, fresh milk and eggs daily, and chicken, for other things they bartered for them.
Having also lived in a former French colony in Africa, all my friends were French, and I understand the culture quite well.
I became a vegetarian 40 years ago, now living in the Carithian Alps, I have given up all processed foods, buy only fruits and vegetables, cook everything fresh daily, and do all my own baking from breads to whatever I would like to have, all additive free.
Having moved out of the center, I miss the French sellers who come a couple of times a year, with lots of French goodies to eat. Thx for the video, merci!
Great video! Although I grew up in the states I've always made 90% of my meals from scratch. Taking the time to cook for yourself is not only fun but I think more about what I'm eating and where it comes from than I would if I just ordered out.
Totally agree with you!
A point about the remarking on a friends weight gain. If they were looking sick, were losing hair or having a bad color to their skin we would care enough to tell them, why not hold someone accountable about weight gain? I needed this myself decades ago.
In America I believe very few people would ever say anything to anyone that is not complementary. If you can’t say anything good, then say nothing. I weighed over 300 lbs at one time & I am only 5’ 2”. Naturally I was having medical problems, not one of my Dr’s ever suggested I change my diet or lose weight. How’s that for medical care? I now weigh 205 lbs less, I mentioned at several Dr’s office that I had lost that much weight, I got a very mild that’s good. They would never have noticed had I not mentioned it, but they really did not care one way or another either. I still need to lose about 90 more, but they don’t care about that either, they are too busy passing out prescriptions to care about anything else.
they know already. no one is fat because they are unaware. and no one wants to be fat. it’s not easy to lose weight.
I know my hair is falling out and my skin is looks like death
Y would I need u to remark in it??
Same for being fat. Aw, durn; I had no idea I’m revolting. Thanks for telling me 🙄
I’ve been to France many times mostly in Paris, but also in Avignon. The people are very active compared to most places in the United States. But one thing I noticed is that so many women smoke to stay thin and that is so unhealthy. I was actually shocked at how many people in general smoke.
When I visit Paris, I’ll eat a croissant every day but not here in the United States because they taste terrible. I don’t eat many pastries, but I love the simple French desserts like cream caramel which I was told is an old-fashioned dessert. I talk to people on the street especially when they have a dog and they’ve all been nice to me in Paris. But I’m unusual maybe because I’m older they don’t yell at me. Although in the beginning, I made a few mistakes, I always try to speak French. I was hurt once when a waiter actually told me he didn’t understand one word I was saying. So I said,“Cest Magnifique and everybody is happy again Aloha from Hawaii.
This is what I miss the most about living in Venezuela, we had such an immigration wave from Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal and it influenced the culture in the best way possible, there we all used to buy the bread, cheese, charcuterie, and veggies literally every day fresh, now I am living in Colombia which is more influenced by the US and my gosh how I miss getting freshly baked bread and desserts 😔
I have also noticed people here in Paris don't normally snack in between meals. They'll even say it's for children and ads for treats have a health warning against snacking much like on cigarette ads.
I'm Latina/Hispanic but live in Scotland. My parents were shocked at how British people often feed their children a different dinner very early, put them to bed super early and then eat their actual dinner later with their spouse or partner. The one who feeds the kid will often finish off the kids' leftovers and gain weight, and then complain when the kids wake up at 5am. Needless to say, we didn't do that with our children! I make a few salads and two soups on Sundays so lunch is easy and bake fresh bread a few times a week. Butter is very expensive here now but easy to make yourself.
Kids go to bed at 6p? Mine went at 9 and got up at 8. I’m not a morning person, esp when they were young 🥱
I’m so glad I grew up like this and then learned about this in college when I minored in French. I now teach my kids that sugar is a treat, we always have fruits and veggies in the house to eat. We also drink water and we all eat meals together. I also teach my kids that soda is poison. They won’t drink it.
Great video. The quality is so much better in Paris. And go Bears! Love seeing a Bears mug in Paris.
Thank you for watching! And Bear Down!! We were in London for the Bears-Jags game two weeks ago :)
It’s a lovely country, I have been there. The weather is moderate, not to cold, that’s explains everything, happy people, happy vegetables 🥗, good food 🍱💕🥰
A friend's French mom gave him a scale for Christmas-very subtle message😅
Oh no, that's totally something that a French parent would do lol
How incredibly rude. The French mom obviously has no manners.
@@reyjay1965 this is normal and even seen as funny in France. You are measuring it with your own cultural bias.
@@surlespasdondine Nope, no cultural bias, just good manners. I have French relatives and they agree, this is rude.
@@reyjay1965 Just saying what is considered as polite or rude can be relative and depend on your viewpoint which can be informed by where you are from.. There are so many examples of this.
I’ve lived in France for a long time. It’s because most french people smoke and spend all morning on coffee and cigs, eat a little entree at lunch and a salad or soup or small meal at dinner and walk a lot.
Love that bowl you were preparing salad in.
I live in Switzerland and we have so much simlarities about the food culture! 😊😍 thanks for sharing 💕
The social aspect of the meal helps you digest better, perhaps, as you take your time eating rather than consuming in a short period of time. And to a certain extent, there is more enjoyment of the meal itself instead of it being a consumption activity.
I agree with you!
Not if you’re an introvert or autistic lol
French person married to an American here (we live in the US) and I can relate to pretty much all of this.
Food habits was one of the things that was a big culture shock for me. One of my first times going to my in-laws' house, it was getting around 7pm and I ask my husband what time dinner will be, and he goes "uh, they already ate, just help yourself to whatever in the fridge". No making an actual meal, let alone eating together at the same table. Their habits have slightly changed for the best since then, but still, what a shock. Americans also tend to eat "dinner" at 5-6pm and then snack the rest of the evening because ya know, dinner was so early they got hungry, smh (this is still a point of contention to my husband who thinks with my French eating habits we "eat too late". My goal is usually around 7pm.)
Same as Lucile described, we always had fresh fruits and veggies at the ready on the kitchen counter at my parents' house. One of the things that I find important to mention is the easy access to produce, and tasty food in general : corner stores that sell fresh fruits and veggies, bakeries everywhere, boucherie-charcuterie shops widely available. There are not many fast food places in France, because there is little need for them when the local bakery has options, or the boucherie doubles as a deli and offers sandwiches, etc.
Regarding the portions, although that IS true that portions are smaller per item in France, there is always so much more variety to eat in the same meal. We almost always had a side salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc, you name it) to complement the main dish, then cheese before dessert (often fresh fruit or yogurt). Also, this may have been my own family's habits but, we ate less meat in general. Sometimes I feel that a lot of Americans are crazy about meat and eating it at every meal, very different from where I came from, not to mention that meat in the US is not as "healthy" as in France.
Which brings me to the last part of my comment : the way things are grown / farmed, and processed in the US. I've been there about 15 years and have kept my food habits very similar to what they were in France, still I am 10 kilos heavier. Not saying the practice does not exist in France but everything in the US is so industrialized it's ridiculous. Everything is very processed and contains more "ingredients" than the same items made in the EU. Many things have more salt, more sugar, more fat. And by more sugar, what I really mean is "high fructose corn syrup", this is everywhere, even in foods that are not "sweet". Small businesses like street bakeries or butcher shops are very very rare so access to meat that is directly from the farm (as I am used to with my hometown) is pretty much not an option. Not only this is not the norm, but buying any of those better food products is incredibly expensive, so the very prohibitive prices of good quality meat just keeps people buying the same things. Small exception for fresh fruits and veggies in my area because in spite of being a high density, very urban state, we have a lot of local farms, which is a relief.
One of the "funniest" parts about this, although I'm very much "French chubby", here people think I'm skinny. Very different point of view. I could talk about this for much longer but, tl;dr : Lucile nailed it !
@Lucile Si jamais vous lisez mon commentaire, merci beaucoup pour cette vidéo de point de vue, cela fait du bien de savoir que je ne suis pas seule ! Continuez votre bon travail.
People are worrying your breakfast is too small when I'll usually not eat anything until lunchtime xD
The dinner parties en France!! Qu'est-ce que ça me manque!! I've been in Spain for 27 years (too long) I Lived in France for 3.5 years. The Spanish rarely if ever invite you to their homes! The Spanis home is a very private space. Tant pis!! Very good video!!!!
I have been in Paris, London and Amsterdam and I used the Airalo eSIM and it was brilliant!! I highly recommend it!!
Happy you love it too!
Great video! Thanks for making it 😊
Use of growth hormones is banned in foods grown in France and the EU. Huge difference.
I moved to France almost 20 years ago from the UK and i've been in many countries over the years (mostly european countries and only a handful outside), imo the ratio of "slim" to fat" people in France is hardly any different than most other countries i've been in.
Outside of Paris the French aren't so active, they tend to choose car over walking.
Interesting observations. I recall my holiday in Nice when I had lunch where the locals were.The next table from me was occupied with two ladies in their 40´s in business/office outfits. For starters they shared a bowl of oysters and the main course was "steak avec frites". Both were slender. I left before their dessert...In many Continental European countries you don´t see the endless shelves of sweets and sugary drinks in grocery stores that we have in the Nordic countries and in Britain.This was my teenage childrens observation from Spain and Italy; when it is not offered in the shop you don´t think about wanting it. Most people in the Latin countries don´t eat snacks. Don´t know for sure, just the impression I have got.
But despite that obsession with candy in Nordic countries, the average BMI in those countries is very close to that of France, though Nordic countries have far fewer smokers.
Your parents are so sweet creating a menu like that omg ❤
2:11 Don’t say “portions are small (in France) compared to the rest of the world” rather say “compared to the US”. I’m living in Germany and I’ve lived in the UK and your breakfast would easily last me until lunch as well.
Of course there are bigger “breakfasts” but they are rather late breakfasts or brunches and then I, as well as the people I know, will skip lunch.
I loved this video !!! As a Cuban-American, I can relate to some things you mentioned. We like to eat fresh homemade food, and we all eat together at the table. We eat a lot of boiled plantains, tostones, rice and beans, and sweet potatoes. We also like to snack on fruit.
0:12 smoke like troopers!
And coffee
More!😂
Ah! The Galouise!!
My best friend has celiac disease. She was exposed to gluten in France and had NO stomach pain. She decided to try a tiny piece of bread… again no pain. Ended up eating an entire baguette 🥖, NO pain! I wonder why that is?
@LaneSims Non-GMO, non-hybrid wheat that is not saturated with glyphosate. All of those things are banned in Europe. My daughter had the same experience when she went to the Netherlands. She was so happy to be able to eat everything!
All I have for breakfast is fresh air, 2-4 pieces of bread + fruit sounds insanely much to me, not little 😂
It sounds heaven to me
I can’t eat carbs
I would also argue that living in a major city in the US with good public transportation, you’ll see a lot of locals are slimmer because they are using their feet as their main mode of transportation in between taking the subway. Our food may not be as high quality but the activity levels are so helpful to staying healthier.
Love the name Lucile, it has this middle age France ring to it. We dont hear it that often anymore.
I grew up in the US. I am in my early 60s we always ate what our parents ate. We learned to cook and bake. Table manners were required and you did not get dessert if you did not eat your meal. We were not allowed to leave the table, unless we asked to be excused. Things have changed here. We only ate fast food as a rare treat, if we were out at lunchtime. We were exposed to many different types of food from different cultures. I am appalled when my friends with small children dictate what is eaten at a meal. I keep my opinion to myself, but I am secretly judging. 😂❤❤
Same here. German mom. She didn’t fed us crap.
Want to thank you so much! I watched your very good videos and bought your amazing map before going to Paris for our second time. It was so helpful and the recommendations were exactly what we like and looked for. Thanks to your map our visit was so much better than the first one and we enjoyed Paris so much! ❤❤
Oh that is so sweet! I'm so happy to read that my map helped, I put a lot of work into it, so this means a lot!!
I love that blue and white bowl. Beautiful.
One thing you didn't mention was the place, or lack, of snacking in France, but I infer from your focus on three square meals that snacking is not common. In the US, it's an industry. Not only do Americans snack, but what we choose to snack on is often high-calorie, non-nutritious junk food.
It's one factor in weight gain. Other factors include: highly processed junk food meals and sodas, all loaded with sugar and/or corn syrup; urban food deserts, where fresh fruits and vegetables are scarce; stress and stress eating; our car culture; and work schedules that lead to a reliance on fast food and take-out.
I've watched a few similar videos and the key rule is that the French are great at masking how little they really eat.Sweet breakfast -why not 300kcal lunch a biiiig bowl of leaves with a little bit of everything and a few drops of dressing , some bread with a microscope to see that bread , then tea -dark chocolate -a small piece and that's it and tadam , ladies and gentlemen DINNER the one and only decent meal eaten for 3 hours. Grand total 1500 kcal for mesdames and 2000 for messieurs looking like an all day feast.
Funny comment 😀
More seriously, the officialy recommend "average daily amount of calories" is 2000kcal.
As it is an average for all people, it is more specifically 1800 to 2200 for women of working age and 2400 to 2600 for men of working age. It is a little bit less for the chidren and the elderly.
You make it seem like we are starving ourselves, I assure you, we are not 😉
And yes, I know, I am that fun at partys... 🙄
Cheers
Aren't the rates of anorexia and bulimia super high in France?
@@grgtzm4837I could never eat 1800 calories a day without putting on weight.😩💔 I'm not elderly or a child, but middle aged. The guidelines are kinda ridiculous and need to take height, age and activity level into account. It's not uncommon to need less than the recommendation.❤
don't take this chick as benchmark. I personally eat a ton and don't count calories and stay in shape. But then I have a super fast metabolism.
I live in Normandy. I was helping my French neighbour to move house over a period of weeks. There would be days when another fifteen minutes at the end of the morning would see the van full, which would have made efficient use of the time. When I suggested that we keep working instead of stopping for ( a long ) lunch Étienne really didn't understand the question. Delaying lunch was simply not an option.
Lunch is sacred for French and Italian people 😂
You made very good points! I e noticed this while working in France. One thing I’ll add is I think the natural body type of many French people is also very very lean, not only in fat but also muscle. Obviously you can see this in women but I’m mostly struck by how noticeable it is among the men compared to other countries
I have noticed that too when compared to the US where everyone has played a sport growing up!
Yes and also the aesthetic ideal has always been a bit different in the US. For instance, in general, women « should » look more like Sports Illustrated models and men « should » look like even more muscular versions of Greek gods. So it’s also unrealistic pressure, just a different version of it 😂
I think in the 1930s-60s there was more similarities between the US and (generally) European beauty ideals
@@isagrace4260 It implies that those aesthetic ideals are different in the US? Different how?
@@isagrace4260 I think there is something genetic too. I live in another country and have just had my son and 7 French friends staying. They are all super slim, the girls super skinny, but boy did they eat! Also, we work pleasure craft business on the beach and I can always pick out the French families. 1. The dad often looks kind of stiff. 2. They have their kids doing homework on the beach
Your vibe seems so genuine and friendly! Subscribed ❤
My Brazilian family ate all meals together every day and I took it for granted! My American family never eats together! I feel like I don't even know them and it's like we're all roommates! It's sad honestly : (
Your videos are so insightful, and it's interesting when you share your experiences when living in USA to make us understand the differences! Since I have lost weight I have found myself eating on a schedule similar to the French one you shared here, to me it makes sense and is practical. Much success to you in all you do!
My wife and i just visited Paris and Normandy from the US a couple weeks ago. Thank you for all your helpful tips!
Happy it helped :)
So interesting. 90% of what you talked about sounds the same as also in Japan. I lived in Japan for over 10 years, and food culture, specially on balance of everything, food quality, eating real food, portion size, variety of food, active daily lifestyle, food education, and even peer pressure (saying you gained weight is normal). I never had weight issues when I was living in Japan even eating everything I wanted. I moved to USA and lived her for 5 years, I gained so much weight, and doing so much, even exercising, and eating healthy version of food in USA is still not helping to loose weight. So, the environment is so important.
My friend lived in Paris for 15 years. He gained 80 pounds in the first 18 months. He used to buy an original style baguette and a 2-3 big pieces of cheese each day on the way home from work. Plus he do the three hour restaurant lunches with coworkers once per week. And he would eat at restaurants on weekends. The sauces were dangerous because of the cream and butter. Plus he went through five bottles of wine per week. Once he figured you can't go full throttle like this and do some exercise he took the weight off.
Having said this, the French don't have huge portions at a time. Plus they also walk a lot much like people in other European countries. They manage to keep the weight down unlike people from Canada or the U.S.
You can get fat anywhere if you try hard enough. 😅
Nice video. Regarding the markets: I'm still impressed when I went to buy a melon years ago at a market in Lyon and the seller asked if I wanted to eat it tonight (it was lunchtime) or tomorrow. I didn't get the impression that it was a show. And if it was, the melon was just perfect.
By the way, my heart stopped for a moment when I saw how you cut the tomato. :)
Everything is supersized here in the US. And we eat a lot of unhealthy, high caloric snacks with lots of preservatives, sugars and other crap.
It's a shame fresh food is not as available everywhere!