This was the prompt word that popped up in ‘The Daily Post’ email I received from WordPress the other day. It prompted me to thinking about snacking in France.
When I’m in France, I don’t snack. Conversely, when I’m back in the UK, I find it far too easy to nibble between meals; crisps and biscuits being my usual snacks of choice. Why?
It may be a huge generalisation but, in my experience, the French don’t snack. This may, of course, be changing… Le fast-food, for example.
Such books as ‘French kids everything’ and ‘French women don’t get fat’ exemplify the not eating snacks myth. If it is a myth?
Certainly, le goûter, which is mainly eaten by children around 4pm, is a French tradition. I remember being quite surprised the first time I came across a chunk of chocolate slapped in the middle of a baguette!
Photo courtesy of Pinterest: http://www.painlaboulangere.com/fr/pains/pain-gouter/gouter-petits-pains-barres-chocolat
The nearest I get to snacking when in France is when I have something to accompany an apéro …
I’ve come to the conclusion that snacking may be a cultural habit? What do you think? I know I have readers from all round the world, as well as France and the UK. So, I ‘d love to know if you’re a snacker! And, if you do snack, what is your snack of preference?
Fancying France 
Hi June! America is the snackiest country! I grew up in a house where snacking was forbidden (parents 1st generation American –European values). Bonaparte abhors snacks–exception being aperitif accompaniments. I snack when stressed. But it is a cultural thing !!!
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Hi! That’s really interesting. I must admit that Americans are often, stereotypically, classed as being ‘snackers’. I’ve only been to California but it was the size of portions there that shocked me. I like that in France portions are much smaller which usually means I can manage three courses 😂😂😂! It’s funny but I lose my appetite when stressed! Xoxo
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We snack less now that we live here. Most French ladies I see are skinny so I try to be good most of the time. I can’t believe that they have so much bread in their trolley and can still walk in skinny jeans and high heels!
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Yes, I used to wonder how French women can be so slim when surrounded by so much temptation! Rumour has it they smoke & don’t eat!😂 Where our house is located, there are surprisingly few skinny ladies. Perhaps because it’s a very small town & there’s not a lot of money around? However, when we go to Toulouse, I notice the women are more fashionable & ‘typically’ French. I find it very hard to resist the bread…
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I love chocolate and I love baguettes but together? Non, non, non! Having only ever visited Cannes for one day, and no other parts of France, I don’t feel qualified to comment on the snacking habits of the French, though I did notice some amazing patisseries so, from this, I deduce that they must sometimes eat cake! Eloise (thisissixty.blog)
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Thanks for commenting, Eloise. I must admit baguette & chocolat doesn’t do it for me either. Although I’m not averse to a pain au chocolat. Ah! The pâtisseries… yes, the French do eat cake but to look at some of the (stereotypical?) French women, you wouldn’t think so!
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Oh to be able to eat cake without repercussion!
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