Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
French poster again. OK, you guys made me laugh. Lunch is NOT the main meal. Dinner is NOT bread and jam. Ha ha!
Please understand that France is a diverse country and everyone eats exactly what they want.

However, traditionally, breakfast is of the "continental" kind (as opposed to "English Breakfast" with meat like bacon or sausages). People often have egg and tartines. For example, the soft-boiled egg in an eggcup in which you dip little fingers of buttered toast. My mother has yogurt, fruit and coffee. That is much less caloric than a croissant. People who leave the house before their breakfast can buy a pastry, of course. That's what they're there for. The sweeter ones are for the 4 o'clock kids' gouter (snack), or for special treats. When I worked late as a grad student, one of us would buy an enormous bag of pain au chocolat for the group.
Then most people eat lunch in their workplace cafeteria, which are often cheap but very good for the price. My father used to have 2 hour lunches with his colleagues, where they talked about nothing but food, but alas, people now grab a quicker lunch. My private high school cafeteria had individual bottles of red and white for the teachers, and very good food.
Then dinner is whatever parents can put on the table when they get back from work - but I've never heard anyone eat bread, jam and cheese for dinner! It's usually a cooked meal, but simple. And then on weekends, something more elaborate.

I am the bread and jam person. I lived in Belgium. I said I lived in Europe, not in France.

Anonymous wrote:
French poster again. OK, you guys made me laugh. Lunch is NOT the main meal. Dinner is NOT bread and jam. Ha ha!
Please understand that France is a diverse country and everyone eats exactly what they want.

However, traditionally, breakfast is of the "continental" kind (as opposed to "English Breakfast" with meat like bacon or sausages). People often have egg and tartines. For example, the soft-boiled egg in an eggcup in which you dip little fingers of buttered toast. My mother has yogurt, fruit and coffee. That is much less caloric than a croissant. People who leave the house before their breakfast can buy a pastry, of course. That's what they're there for. The sweeter ones are for the 4 o'clock kids' gouter (snack), or for special treats. When I worked late as a grad student, one of us would buy an enormous bag of pain au chocolat for the group.
Then most people eat lunch in their workplace cafeteria, which are often cheap but very good for the price. My father used to have 2 hour lunches with his colleagues, where they talked about nothing but food, but alas, people now grab a quicker lunch. My private high school cafeteria had individual bottles of red and white for the teachers, and very good food.
Then dinner is whatever parents can put on the table when they get back from work - but I've never heard anyone eat bread, jam and cheese for dinner! It's usually a cooked meal, but simple. And then on weekends, something more elaborate.

Anonymous wrote:They walk so much more then Americans. This is key.

Anonymous wrote:I thought French and Europeans in general are really into daily fresh bread. But I suppose fresh bread with a lot of good butter schmeared on it probably isn’t much different than a plain croissant.

Anonymous wrote:My French friend in Paris does this. But her croissants are the length of her thumb. I asked her why she likes mini croissants but she said they're normal sized.