The French Diet

The French Diet: Which Foods are Allowed?

You can eat a huge variety of unprocessed meat, fish, poultry, grains, bread, dairy, veggies and fruit. A varied diet is essential, as each food contains different vitamins and minerals essential for long term health. It's really ALL about portions.

Keep in mind that your protein at each sitting shouldn't be much larger than a deck of cards, and should be eaten with salads and vegetables.

Desserts are allowed too. Instead of everybody ordering an individual piece of cheese cake though, order one for the table. Eat it slowly, let it linger on your tongue and you will be satisfied with less. Even better, opt for the fruit salad.

Croissants, pastries and even baguettes are fine, but in very small portions. Croissants in France are a mere 1 ounce! Not monster size as they are in many countries.

Real cheese is certainly allowed - the French love to go to the fromagerie. Eating a small portion of cheese will keep you full and satisfied and dissuade you from snacking. Processed cheesed is the most consumed cheese in the United States but is definitely NOT allowed. Examples of what not to eat include Cheez Whiz and Velveeta.

Red wine is packed with antioxidants and has recently been proven to be heart healthy. The French have a low incidence of heart disease and many cite red wine as the reason. Just 1-2 glasses a day remember, not a whole bottle.

Lastly, the French eat a large proportion of vegetables and fruits. These are low in calories and nutritionally dense. They also use heart healthy Olive Oil, rather than artery-clogging hydrogenated cooking oils.

The French Diet: Which Foods are Not Allowed?

All processed snack food like potato or corn chips, pork rinds and snack bars. All snacks are out, besides perhaps a low calorie snack to get you through to the next meal. If you have to, opt for a bit of fruit or a low fat yogurt.

Soda and other sugary drinks, high calorie cocktails, Frappucinos (a Starbucks 20-ounce Frappuccino with added whipped contains a whopping 650 calories and 25 grams of fat!).

Stay off the fast food and turn your back on McDonalds and KFC. The French would turn their nose up at this low quality junk food in a second, and for good reason. Fast food is unnatural and packed with preservatives. Not on the French diet!

Pre-packaged meals and Frozen meals. The French like to prepare their meals carefully from only the freshest ingredients. You know the big aisle with the frozen dinners in your local market? That aisle is much, much smaller in a French supermarket.