The French don't snack. Another thing I need to add to my list entitled "huhh?"
You eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner ...and that's it. However, there is something known as "le goûter" a snack or small meal you eat around 4pm. My research has proven different as to who enjoys what I think will be a life saver pour moi.
A frenchman I have been consulting has told me you only eat a goûter if you're under the age of 12. I think it usually consists of something like a piece of bread with nutella. Other resources have informed me, that anyone can take part of this late afternoon nosh session. I would imagine that I will be eating a daily goûter since the French don't eat dinner until about 8pm... That's going about six to maybe eight hours between meals. Mon Dieu!
The official French stand on snacking is that it's bad for your health... snack food advertisements are required to have a warning (not unlike their
cigarette packaging ) that mentions the health risks involved with snacking.
There have been lots of books and articles written about how superior French parenting is to our own. I believe there is a chapter in "Bringing up Bèbè" that talks about how we Americans are always giving our kids snack*. Going to the Park? Better bring a snack. Taking a long car ride? Grab a bag of gold fish. And Jesus, Mary, and Joseph... don't forget the juice cup. I don't have an opinion on this yet, since I have successfully used snacks to quiet fussy and cranky children. And haven't the French heard of food bribery? Seriously, a kid will do anything for a cupcake. I even use it myself. In college, I would reward myself with *three* cheezits for every page of a reading I was supposed to get done. This no snack thing is also in direct conflict with my idea of healthy eating which is basically to eat all day long without ceasing... that way your metabolism doesn't stop. Right?
*Okay, I haven't read that book yet. There is like ten holds for it at our library.
