Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

HEALTH

French urged to go ‘flexitarian’ and cut down on much-loved meat

The famously food loving French have been urged by a health watchdog to go "flexitarian" by cutting down on meat and fish in order to save their their waistlines and their money.

Published: 9 November 2017 16:07 CET
French urged to go 'flexitarian' and cut down on much-loved meat
Photo: David McSpadden/Flickr

Beouf Bourguignon, Confit de Canard, Coq au vin… the list of famous French dishes containing meat is a long one and explains why France is a meat loving nation where vegetarians often feel out of place.

But a new report by WWF France is urging French people to cut down on viande and eat more legumes.

Essentially WWF France is urging people to adopt a flexitarian diet, meaning “semi-vegetarian” as some call it, where nothing is forbidden but meat intake is cut down.

Dramatically cutting down on meat and fish and eating more vegetables is not only the best option for people's health, but also for their wallets given that it is cheaper and most significantly better for the planet as a whole, says WWF France.

To put together a suggested diet for the French the NGO took as a starting point the average weekly shopping basket of a family of four (two adults, two children) estimated at €190 a week.

WWF France said this basket should be made up of roughly two thirds vegetable protein and one third animal protein, which in reality would mean a drop of 30 percent in the amount of meat purchased and a cut of 40 percent for the amount of fish bought.

By not buying so much beef, lamb and veal the French would find they save more than a few euros each week.

But to compensate the amount of vegetables in that shopping basket should increase by 50 percent.

French urged to follow perfect diet and there's no room for saucisson
 
The good news for the French cheese and yoghurt lovers is that WWF France said these dairy products don't need to be cut back.
 
The new diet would guarantee nutritional balance, says the NGO and cut the carbon impact by 38 percent.
 
Shoppers would also save money or if they preferred to spend the €190 then WWF France says they will be able to spend their savings on organic or better quality products.
 
It's not the first time in recent months that the French have been advised to alter their diet.
 

Getting the French to eat less saucisson will be a tough battle to win for the agency, apparently the French munch down 2.2 kilos of saucisson each second, which adds up to a total of 70,000 tonnes a year.

This is not the first attack on saucisson by a health organisation. In October 2015 the World Health Organisation labelled classic Gallic grub like saucisson and jambon as carcinogenic.

That provoked an angry response from some locals.

An 83-year-old Frenchman told The Local that he had survived far worse than an overdose of charcuterie so he wasn't going to stop eating meat just because the health boffins at the WHO say so.

“I survived World War Two and that didn't kill me, so to hell with what they say,” said the veteran who asked not to be named.

No need to despair if you love French food, there's some Gallic grub that is particularly good for you.

The great Gallic grub that's surprisingly healthy

For members

FOOD AND DRINK

9 delicious French dishes to try this summer

It’s almost impossible to imagine a ‘bad time’ for food lovers in France – summer certainly isn’t one, with a huge range of fresh, flavourful and light produce easily available. Here’s a few of our favourites.

Published: 8 August 2024 08:14 CEST
Updated: 10 August 2024 16:06 CEST
9 delicious French dishes to try this summer

Salade niçoise

Summer is the season of salads and seafood in France. Which brings us immediately to arguably the most classic of French summer classic dishes, traditionally made with tomatoes and anchovies, dressed with olive oil.

All the extra stuff you’ll see in a modern version – hard-boiled eggs, olives, lettuce, green beans, tuna were added later and French people can get quite agitated over the question of potatoes in a salade niçoise.

Speaking of . . .

Pan bagnat

A pan bagnat is, basically, salad niçoise in sandwich form. But the secret to a proper pan bagnat is in the bread. It’s a traditional, rustic sandwich made using stale bread that has been refreshed by a trickle of water.

The clue is in the name – it literally means ‘bathed bread’. And a proper pan bagnat can only come from and use ingredients from Provence. Otherwise it’s just a (mostly) vegetable sandwich.

Tomates farcies

Potagers up and down France have tomato plants in them right now, and they’re all – hopefully – giving good fruit. Enter the many stuffed tomato recipes to cope with the glut. Expect variations on a sausage meat, onions, garlic, salt-and-pepper theme.

Of course, a simple tomato salad (perhaps with a little cheese and a sprinkle of basil) is also a joy to behold.

Flan de courgette

As it is with tomatoes, so it is with courgettes. Gardeners the length and breadth of France are wondering what to do with the sheer mass of fruit their plants are giving out.

The simple and delicious courgette flan covers many a base – and also incorporates French cuisine favourites ham and cheese. Usually served warm.

Ratatouille

It’s probably illegal not to mention the famously rustic ratatouille in any piece about French summer recipes.

The dish you probably know – with tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, pepper and garlic – is from Provence. But there are variation on this vegetable stew that you’ll find across the Mediterranean arc – think piperade, from southwest France, bohémienne, from Vaucluse, or chichoumeille, from Languedoc. 

They’re all delicious and they’ll all give you your five-a-day.

Tarte au chèvre et au concombre

Cucumbers are typical salad fare. They can be added to drinks, used to make chilled soups and detox cocktails. But you can also cook with them. Seek out a recipe for goat’s cheese and cucumber tart.

Vichyssoise

A chilled soup, perfect on a summer’s day, with a French name, created by a French chef. This chilled leek-and-potato soup actually first appeared, around 1910, as a dish at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in New York. But it has its basis in France. The chef who created it, Louis Félix Diat, said that it was inspired by his mother, who taught him how to cook. 

Chilled soups are a great bet on a hot day and you’ll see dozens of variations on menus, from cucumber to melon via variations on gazpacho (which is Spanish but the French very sensibly embrace it).

Tapenade

Black olives, garlic, anchovies, capers, olive oil. A blender. And you’ve got a delicious, simple ‘tartiner’ for a slice of toast or crusty bread. Try it. You’ll thank us.

Moules à la crème

Shellfish and summer go hand in glove. Moules-frites are hugely popular, with good reason.

But this summer moules recipe is, despite the creaminess, a little lighter overall. As always, there are always regional variations on a theme – do look out for moules à la normande, in particular.

What’s your favourite French dish on a hot day? Share your recommendations in the comments section below

SHOW COMMENTS