Is the food in Paris, France bad?

Question

I hope it is because I want to lose weight when I go there soon.

My sister lost 10 pounds the last time she went because you walk around a lot and she said the food was bad.

Is the food bad? Consider my likes/dislikes: I love fresh fruit, vegetables, not bread so much. Like ice cream but not cake or chocolate. Hate fast food, like Italian food but not too much.

I've heard the portions are smaller? Is that true?

What is the food like?!

Specifically would like someone who lives/lived/has been to Paris to answer.

Answer 1

Your sister must have been backpacking

There is so much to eat there you will gain 10 pounds!!!

but you don't like bread so you wont enjoy baguette

or the sweets

everyone eats baguettes... everyone!

the people that live there usually sit in the cafes, drink coffee, and smoke

hippo is a great steak restaurant: you will usually find restaurants with 7 course meals but the locals usually avoid them

noura has amazing shawerma's

Answer 2

Quality -- Excellent.  As to losing weight, 10% of French people are medically overweight/obese compared to 23% in USA.  Must have something to do with their diet...b

Answer 3

it is so yummy

Answer 4

U can get the best tasting food in the world in France. From healthy ones like fruits and veggies to "unhealthy" ones like the finest croissants to chocolates to ice creams.

Compared to American portion size, they are way smaller,  but that means u'll have more room to try more food!

Have everything in moderation coupled with exercise and you'll be fine.....

Answer 5

Well,portions are so small,but there is lots of bread and cheese in everything that makes it hard to chose a low calorie meal.Honestly french people are thin and not really are worry about their weight.In some restaurants you might not find diet coke!!!Which is odd here.I remember once I asked the healthiest food in restaurant and they brought me some cauliflowers floating in melted cheese...and there are lots of pastries...but consider that french people don't eat that much and principal meal is dinner.You might be surprised to find most of restaurants empty in lunch time which is bizarre in us...

Answer 6

Is the food bad in Paris? I'm not sure which Paris you're talking about considering the food I've eaten there. You can find some of the best food in the world in Paris - after all, it's the French capital and France is famed for its food.

If you're concerned about weight loss/gain, you won't be able to enjoy the food properly. There's plenty of fruit and veg on offer at restaurants, and all the supermarkets and markets are have excellent fruit and veg. The French are famous for their 'pâtisseries' which means pastries. I really would reccommend just trying one - it can't hurt you that much and you'd really be missing out!

As for portion sizes, they seem normal to me (I'm English) but I don't know what portion sizes are like where you are. But consider the number of obese French people; it is extremely low, due to their lifestyle and diet. They don't eat exessively, they eat a lot of fruit and veg, and most of all, they're sensible.

As long as you too are sensible, you shouldn't gain any weight. However, I can guarantee you won't lose weight thanks to 'bad food', but it's quite feasible you will lose some weight, but only due to the constant walking and maybe smaller portions than what you are used to. I have never once had a bad meal in Paris, and that's saying something since I've been 6 times.

Hope that helps :)

Answer 7

dont know about it and never been there!

Answer 8

Actually, the food is pretty good. I ate alot of sweets, which were yummy but I walked alot so no weight gain.

Answer 9

Bad in what sense? Bad for your health or bad-tasting?

In terms of taste, I thought the food in Paris was great. France is such a multi-cultural country that you can find something that you like almost no matter what you like. If in doubt over some of the more traditional food, many American restaurants are in France. Also, many sandwich shops have American-style food. But, in France, you can find Middle-Eastern, North African, Italian, Chinese, Thai, American, Spanish, etc. food.

Health, it depends on what you eat. Pastries are quite prevalent. Those things are full of sugar, carbs and fat, but they're good. They also use a lot of butter in cooking.

The easiest food to get in France are sandwich shops, you'll see them all over the place. They'll have cold sandwiches on baguettes and hot paninis on a bread similar to baguette (not the same as a panini you would get in the US).

Portions tend to be smaller in Europe. Americans are notorious for portions that are two times too large. Even at fast food restaurants, the portions are smaller than you'll find here.

If you're afraid of trying traditional French cuisine, it's easy to find other options given the multicultural aspect of French culture.

It's easy to find fresh fruits and veggies in France. It'll be fresher than almost anything you could find in the US.

Answer 10

for you it would be bad

they had delicious chocolate and gelato

and they live on bread

yes the portions are smaller considering in the us ppl eat like bears we eat portions wayyy to large it's disgusting

Answer 11

i would say Paris has some bad food. I might be best to just go to the local market, because that's what I did. there were fancy, expensive restaurants on almost every street! And a big thing over there were the crepe stands. you know what crepes are right? well if you don't, they are big flat pancake things with whatever you want on them. like chocolate, berries, sugar and butter, ect. and then they roll them up in like a a mini burrito. Really fattening. They also have a lot of bread there, in restaurants too. There were a couple of ice cream  stands, but not to many. Mainly they were for desert in restaurants. And there were some fastfood places like they have here in america, like Mcdonalds and Starbucks. I would just get the fresh food at your local market if i were you.

I hope this helps!

Answer 12

Well ive been living in Paris the last 5 weeks and ive lost weight!

I like the food here but im from Ireland I tended to eat a lot back home cuz of boredom but now Im never bored in Paris and Im always gone out walking looking at all the beautiful things paris has to offer.

But everybody is different.

Hope you enjoy your stay as much as I do!!!

Answer 13

Who told u french food was bad ? lol jk! French food is great and there are allot of different types of french food so there should be something there that you will like. Your sister is wrong because french food is good ( in my opinin lol) the reason french people looses weight is cuz they walk around allot and they are balanced. They don't eat a whole cake and then go sit on their couch whatching tv all day. They exercice or smoke which helps to looses weight. Go to museums ( a.k.a. Le Louvre ) walk around and then eat the great food of France!!!! :) BTW you are so lucky that you are going there!!! Have fun !:)

Answer 14

The food is WONDERFUL!!!!!!!

The portions are sometimes smaller.  It depends on what you order and where you go.  You will probably lose weight because you'll probably walk a lot more than you do at home.  I know that I always lose weight when I'm in Europe, despite indulging in the delicious food.  

The cuisine is often filled with fresh, seasonal vegetables and fruits.  There are many different kinds of cheeses, very fresh fish, and tender lamb chops.  Food is seasoned enough to enhance the natural flavors without over-powering them.  For example, the ham is not as salty as what you normally find in an American grocery store deli.  

My favorite lunch in Paris comes from a place called Cafe Le Canon des Gobelins.  It's a simple panini with ham, swiss cheese, tomato slices, and lots of fresh crisp lettuces on bread that has sesame seeds on the outside.  The panini press toasts the sesame seeds, which increases their flavor tremendously.  I can hardly wait till September, when I'm back in Paris, to have this simple sandwich again!  Yummmmmm!!!!

Answer 15

People there tend to eat much slower and listen to there bodies. When I went there, my meal took forever, but I ate much less because I didn't feel any pressure to eat quickly. The food portions are less but they are in general very rich.

There is a lot of creamy stuff and wine, but actually its not really unhealthy.

But don't focus on the weight. Focus on the experience. You'll be in a whole new place so hopefully you won't be fixated with eating there.