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.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I lived on Europe for 7 years and you don't put butter on bread unless you are making like a ham sandwich. Fresh bread is something you have dialy but it is a small bit of baguette with a bit of cheese and maybe a bit of ham. Dinner is often a small piece of bread with some cheese or jam since lunch is often the main meal. When I got back from living in Belgium for a long time, dinner would be bread, raspberry jam or a small nit of cheese. I miss it now that I think about it. I might do it for my kids.

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

Anonymous wrote:Do French people put bacon, egg and white cheddar cheese on their croissants or is the fresh croissant breakfast sandwich an American bakery invention? It's so indulgent but sooooo damn good -- correct me if I'm wrong I don't think bacon really exists in Europe. Thing is, all the European bakeries sell this. The best croissant breakfast sandwich ever is out West in a ski resort town. You're really burning those calories and it just hits the spot every morning in those European bakeries in the faux European ski villages.

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.

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.

Anonymous wrote:

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).