RECORDED DURING THE RENAISSANCE in the 1500s, French Cuisine was born. Since those days, French people eat the foods that evolved people eat; and so, the enjoy lengthy and healthy lives. XXI century scientists agreed that their sensible recipes and health-enhancing cooking practices are responsible for such overwhelming health benefits.
This article was written to discern if the so-called French Mediterranean Diet is what French people buy in a book format or if it is their lifestyle.
To consume nutrients that Mother Nature offers, French people do not neglect buying locally grown and seasonal foods. It means that French people do not consume foods that come wrapped up in plastic. With the exception of Northern France where cattle is raised, French people eat leaner meats such as fish and poultry. These are six examples of their meals:
1.- halibut provençal is a fish meal from southern region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
2.- bouillabaisse is a fish soup from Marseilles located in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
3.- coq au vin is 'Rooster In Wine.' Originally from the northern region of Burgundy.
4.- sole meunière is fish cooked in butter sauce with flour, lemon juice, and served with vegetables.
5.- tuna nicoise is a savory entrée originally from Nice also located in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
6.- roulades de poisson aux épinards is baked fish which is rolled before baking.
• Some French Cooking Practices •
» Vegetables used are very fresh often directly from farmers. French people minimally
process them to protect nutrients.
» Vegetables are not boiled in water but briefly steamed to avoid destroying nutrients.
They use Beef Broth instead of water.
• Some French Habits •
» They have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a small meal between lunch and dinner if desired.
» Meals are cooked shortly before meal-time, and eaten soon after cooking.
» They do not start eating until the person that cooked the meal ~or served it~ is sitting at the table.
» Lunch and Dinner consist of five or six bites. Often, Lunch and Dinner are both followed by cheese
and crunchy bread accompanied by a matching-to-the-cheese white wine.
» They quietly have a meal with mostly red wine, and rushing through a meal is inconceivable.
» Most every day, they eat raw nuts and/or fiber-rich snacks.
» They do not go to sleep at night with food in their stomach.
» Many French people dedicate a day a month to only eat apples.
• French Lifestyle •
» They spread Extra Virgin Olive Oil on their crunchy bread [usually baguettes] and sprinkle
herbs which ~quite often~ they themselves grow.
» They use Light Olive Oil [the less costly] with foods to be lightly-fried. Butter, margarine,
or fat are never used for frying. The most commonly used oil is Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
» They eat sauces and foods regarded as fattening ~such as their delicious croissants and
pastries~ but they do so in moderation.
» They may drink water during a meal, but 6 to 8 ounces of red wine to enhance the taste
of a flavorful meal ~other than breakfast~ vastly remains part of the French Lifestyle.
• What Not To Do •
» French people neither run nor exercise obsessively. They know that such activities wear
out joints and fill their bodies with Free Radicals known to accelerate the Aging Process.
» Except in the northern regions, French people do not often eat red meat.
» French people do not drink wine by itself on an empty stomach.
» Most French people do not often drink sodas or do not drink them at all.
» Most French people neither eat fast food nor heavily processed meats like
Salami, Pepperoni, Pastrami, or Prosciutto.
