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 around the world, as well as France and the UK. So, I’d love to know if you’re someone who snacks! 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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