Food in France
hello, France -- and to a different way of showcasing nutrition information.
After spending the past month or so in Europe, I have started to observe some European food norms and how they relate to the United States. And while yes, there are a number of controversial and problematic takes regarding food and body image here, there are some things that are done differently here that I think would go a long way in the United States.
In the U.S., calorie information is displayed in chain restaurants.
While I understand the intention with this — to prevent obesity rates from rising — I want to draw attention to the fact that this does very little to educate the consumer on true nutrition. Food impacts our bodies in a plethora of ways, extending far beyond just “calories in, calories out.” The evidence supporting this is compelling, with some studies suggesting that food can alter our gene expression.
The “Nutri-Grade” system was introduced in France in 2017, with Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland following suit in 2018 and 2019. This system assigns a letter grade to packaged food items, ranging from A-E. This, however, is based upon more than just the caloric content of a food item — it also refers to how different nutritional components of the food interact with one another, such as the fiber vs. simple sugar content, or how processed the ingredients used are.
The final grade is calculated by subtracting the “bad” points from the “good” — and the lower the score, the better. This gives consumers greater insight into how our food impacts our bodies in a way that is not just purely based on numbers. This system, although simplistic, is a quick way for consumers to grasp the multidimensional nature of nutrition and its impact. If we are going to assign values to our food, the “score” the more impactful score is going to be what we’re consuming more regularly (i.e. buying in a grocery store) vs. going to a restaurant.
Fresh produce is also much cheaper and readily available in France than in the U.S.
Farmer’s markets, or marchés as they’re called here, are all over. There are over 10,000 scattered across mainland France according to The Local. The French prioritize local produce and products wherever possible, leading to a much more delicious end result. Additionally, since most items are coming from within France’s borders, the transportation costs are much lower than they would be in the U.S., where your fruit could be from in-state, or from across the country (3,000-ish miles away).
Unlike the U.S., you probably can’t find strawberries at grocery stores year-round. However, the in-season fruit is phenomenal, and much more affordable than the $9 box of strawberries I used to eye every week at the Union Square Greenmarket back in New York. Natural stores are also much more common here, with shops like Naturalia and La Vie Claire being just as common as your average grocery store.
Anyway! That’s all I got this time — just some things I’ve observed and thought were worth sharing! I hope you all have a great week, and I’ll catch you when I do.