Meals in France

In France, there are four main meals of the day and depending on the time of day,  meals can consist of around seven courses, starting with an aperitif and ending with a small dessert.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/different-courses-in-formal-french-meal-1375353

Breakfast – (le petit déjeuner) 

https://turbigo-gourmandises.fr/histoire-du-petit-dejeuner-a-la-francaise-manifeste/ 

Usually they will have bread, croissants with butter and jam, or perhaps cereal.  Bakeries and pastries shops will always have items for breakfast such as pain au raisins or pains au chocolat. However breakfast is not considered an important meal of the day to the French.

Lunch – (le déjeuner)

https://www.ledevoir.com/societe/553986/le-sacro-saint-dejeuner 

Many cafés and restaurants open for lunch from 11:30 AM and accept customers until about 13.0 0PM. It’s common in France to take a two hour lunch break, many working parents return home for lunch, schools send children home and shops and businesses close from 12:00 PM to 14:00 PM.

Dinner – (le dîner)

https://hr-infos.fr/les-francais-privilegient-toujours-lalimentation-a-domicile/

Dinner is, for most French people, the main meal of the day and it is tradition for the family to eat together in the evening – it’s not unusual to spend up to two hours at the table for this meal. Generally dinner in France is later than most countries (between 7.30 and 8.45 PM). French TV schedules key programmes to start at 8.45 PM as it’s considered bad etiquette in France to watch TV while eating dinner.

Family meals - ( Prend le repas en famille )

https://www.femina.fr/article/repas-de-famille-comment-donner-envie-a-ses-enfants-de-parler-a-table 

In France, meals play an integral part of family life and most French people continue not to rely on pre-processed ready-made food. Many French families prefer home cooked meals made from seasonal products – although there are signs of change and supermarkets seem to be stocking up much more on ready-made goods even in small villages. A traditional “family meal”, such as Sunday lunch, or a meal to which guests are invited, can last two to four hours, or even longer in some parts of the country.

It is quite usual to have a bowl of green salad with every meal.  Often this will be solely lettuce with a drizzle of French dressing, particularly in colder months when it’s the only seasonal fresh salad available.  It’s considered a palate cleanser in France like a sorbet which you might find served in fine dining restaurants, and is very common in both home dining and restaurants.

Don’t be surprised to be served a different wine with each course at the home of your French hosts, most people in France consider themselves if not experts at least seriously interested and they like to impress with their wine choices.

If you get invited to a meal at a French home or you invite French people to your home for a meal, there are some rules of etiquette you might wish to be aware of.

Etiquette for French dining

• The French always have bread with their meal.

• A bowl of lettuce (or salad) served after the entrée (starter) is commonIf there is a cheese course and a dessert, the cheese course always comes first and no surprise cheese is eaten with bread, not with biscuits.

• Don’t take a bottle of wine to your host’s house – it’s considered a bit cheeky, almost as if you don’t trust them to choose the wine!

• Do take a floral tribute to your hostess, a lovely bunch of flowers or a floral display that are made so beautifully in the florists. Or take chocolate, really good quality from a chocolatier – not a bar of fruits and nuts.

• Don’t be too late but don’t arrive just on time!

• Don’t start eating until your host or hostess has bid you “bon appétit”.