Anonymous wrote:American naturalized Belg PP here. A Frenchman told me that Belgians tend to put butter on their bread far more often. You do see more of the Germanic influence, vs. Medit, as in France -- more per capita dairy and meat consumption. This may be why we have one of the highest cancer rates in the world.

Are you linking cancer to buttered bread?

American naturalized Belg PP here. A Frenchman told me that Belgians tend to put butter on their bread far more often. You do see more of the Germanic influence, vs. Medit, as in France -- more per capita dairy and meat consumption. This may be why we have one of the highest cancer rates in the world.

It seems a shame to have access to all that good, fresh bread and never put butter on it. All the time, no. But there is nothing quite like butter on hot fresh bread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am here for this France vs. Belgium showdown

Ok, so I am Swiss an a new poster. I am going to be neutral and say both a right lol. In Switzerland some people like to have "café complet" as dinner, similar to what Belgian OP is describing: Bread, cheese, yogurt, maybe some cured meat. Croissant for breakfast is a treat (for the weekend or occasionally on your way to work if you walk past a bakery). People would occasionally bring croissants to work the same why Americans bring donuts. Swiss people usually to eat a healthy type of bread (pain complet, pain de seigle) for breakfast with butter and jelly, or butter and honey. We also do muesli and cereal.

Let me add that I have always been surprised by the general recommandation here to have protein for breakfast (egg, meat product).

Anonymous wrote:I am here for this France vs. Belgium showdown

Ok, so I am Swiss an a new poster. I am going to be neutral and say both a right lol. In Switzerland some people like to have "café complet" as dinner, similar to what Belgian OP is describing: Bread, cheese, yogurt, maybe some cured meat. Croissant for breakfast is a treat (for the weekend or occasionally on your way to work if you walk past a bakery). People would occasionally bring croissants to work the same why Americans bring donuts. Swiss people usually to eat a healthy type of bread (pain complet, pain de seigle) for breakfast with butter and jelly, or butter and honey. We also do muesli and cereal.

I have lived in Belgium for more than a decade. A typical breakfast is sliced bread with chocolate or other spreads and jam. Many children eat cereal. Pastries are generally a weekend treat, although a few people, typically those who commute, may eat one daily, or if they are having coffee with a colleague. I ate a double pain-au-chocolat for years but never met any true Belgian who did the same. For many Flemish people (older or childfree) the hot meal is lunch while dinner is lighter. Most parents work outside the home in normal times and are thus more likely to have the warm meal at night, American-style.

In Italy, people absolutely have a tiny pastry every morning, lunch is the major meal, and dinner is a small cooked meal. Very little snacking, constant espresso, and possibly sweet or savory snack with colleagues at work around 4.

Was it a Flemish vs. French speaker culture gap? I am realizing every family/person I knew who ate small dinners were Flemish. The few French families I knew ate more regular dinners. I spent more time with people from Flanders. Also, unless you knew them really well and you weren't "guest" status, they probably would do a full meal. I dated mainlu Flemish people, so didn't have guest status.

No matter what--no one would eat bread with just butter that is totally a US thing to me.

Anonymous wrote:Croissants in france (and italy) are definitely smaller. A small croissant and cup of coffee is really not much for breakfast. The french women I know really don't eat many calories in a day. They also don't care about having 6 pack abs and that kind of thing, so they can have bread in their lives.

And their small croissant are straight, not curved.

Anonymous wrote:I am American, although I lived in Belgium for a few years growing up. As far as I can remember, everyone ate a pretty normal dinner. Granted, if we were with Belgians we were ipso facto company and they probably wouldn’t serve bread and ham, but even on nights that I just ate at a friends house because I was there anyway, I remember regular dinners.

I lived there as an exchange student and it as always regular dinners. Maybe because I was a HS student, but lunch was not normally the main meal of the day either. Maybe on Sundays? Now Spain, yes there were had huge lunches and dinner was more "fend for yourself" during the week.

Anonymous wrote:

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

This. And none of the constant snacking Americans tend to do.

I'm a thin European and Americans work out so much more, but they eat big portions and all the time. A snack to me is an apple.

Anonymous wrote:I am here for this France vs. Belgium showdown

My German friends do bread, cheese, and a salad for dinner a few nights during the workweek. Sounds good to me!

I am American, although I lived in Belgium for a few years growing up. As far as I can remember, everyone ate a pretty normal dinner. Granted, if we were with Belgians we were ipso facto company and they probably wouldn’t serve bread and ham, but even on nights that I just ate at a friends house because I was there anyway, I remember regular dinners.

I don't actually care whether the French eat croissants or pain au chocolate all the time -- that's what I do when I'm in France and I love it. And the baguettes. I have spent years trying to find a bakery routine in DC that approximates what you can do in France and it's impossible. Even when you find a good bakery, the good bread costs so much money you can't justify buying it multiple times a week. And pastry? Please. In the US they are all enormous and cost like $5 each (if they are good and not the grocery store crap, which yes I will eat but I know better).

I also love omelettes in France and how people eat them for lunch or dinner. Food in France really is what it is cracked up to be. And the soft boiled egg with toast points the French poster above mentioned -- so good. Just so much simple food but perfectly seasoned and balanced. I have been to some fancy restaurants in France but honestly I would be happy to just be allowed to shop at a decent French supermarket regularly. So much less crap and preservatives. Instead of 80 kinds of breakfast cereal, it's 80 kinds of cheese. And you can eat well so cheaply there. Especially since they don't emphasize meat proteins as much there (though plenty of eggs and dairy, plus fish is popular) and fresh vegetables are so plentiful, with very simple preparations.

Though not to throw a wrench in things, but while I love the bread in France, if you love fancy pastry, Austria is better!

I am here for this France vs. Belgium showdown