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Lessons From A French Woman: Preparing Lunch

August 30, 2010 by

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With my extremely busy schedule, I don’t always find the time to make my lunch for work. And, quite honestly, it’s not always a time issue. In some instances, we don’t have much of a selection for lunch food in the house or I’m tired of eating the same old dishes. At these times, I often think about what a French woman would do. More often than not, a French woman would bring a carefully prepared and delicious lunch to work. But, on days where she’s pressed for time or on special occasions, she will plan to go out for lunch. The key word here is plan – she plans to take her lunch or she plans to go out to eat. In either case, her lunch is well thought out and she looks forward to it all morning long.

What Would Mireille Do?

I came across a recent article by Mireille Guiliano, a French woman and author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, that showed a very simple strategy for taking easy, fresh, and healthy lunches to work. Guiliano’s strategy for making quick and tasty lunches includes adding the “holy trinity” to every lunch – carbohydrates, protein, and fat. She also suggests adding something sweet to finish off the meal, such as chocolate or fruit.

Following this strategy, I find that it’s much easier to mix and match the carbs, protein, and fat than it is to make a full, standard meal lunch, such as a stir-fry or chicken parmesan. And we all know that when a task is easier, you’re more likely to do it. Although Guiliano offers several templates for making lunches in this “mix and match” fashion, here are my top 5 choices – my own creations, all of which include the holy trinity:

Top 5 Bistro Chic Holy Trinity Lunches

  1. Tomato and mozzarella salad topped with small chunks of crusty bread and chopped basil, mixed with balsamic vinegar and olive olive oil; a boiled egg with salt and pepper to taste; and pear with a drizzle of honey.
  2. Veggie-based soup topped with chopped avocado; 1 slice of thick french bread; a few slices of gouda cheese; 1 peach.
  3. Half a sliced turkey sandwich on whole grain with sharp cheddar and sliced apple; small green salad with oil/vineger; 1 small piece of dark chocolate.
  4. Potato or rice-based soup with ham; cucumber and tomato salad with feta cheese and vinagrette; and 2 clementines.
  5. 1 cup plain, cold pasta mixed with cold grilled veggies, cubed swiss cheese, tossed with red wine vinegar and olive oil; 5 ouces of plain Greek yogurt mixed with walnuts and blueberries.

Do you have a secret for making quick and delicious lunches for work? Let’s hear it!

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French Women and the Secret of Yogurt

May 6, 2010 by

(Photo courtesy of Flickr)

French women have many secrets. They have secrets related to beauty, particularly skin care, secrets related to fashion and style, and, as we all know by now, secrets related to weight loss and health. A big proponent of how French women stay so slim is a magical white cream that can be found in just about every grocery store and market. No, it’s not a thigh firming cream (although I’m sure they use that too!) – it’s a simple food staple that the French know and love – yogurt.

According to Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, ALL French women eat yogurt. Whether they eat it for breakfast, lunch, or a late afternoon le goûter, yogurt is consumed by French women in mass quantities. I recently saw a statistic that said the French eat nearly 50 pounds of yogurt annually per person. That is, on average, about 2.2 ounces of yogurt per day, or about 3- 5 oz yogurts per week. Wow, now that’s a lot of yogurt!

But how does yogurt help French women stay slim and healthy? Well, no one really knows if French women are slim because of yogurt itself, but yogurt does have slimming qualities. The high amount of protein in yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, keeps people feeling fuller longer. As a result, they may consume fewer calories throughout the day. Furthermore, the probiotics in yogurt promote a healthy digestive system and may actually boost our immune system.

So, with all of the health benefits of yogurt, it should come as no surprise that Mireille Guiliano featured this magical dish as the first recipe in her new book, The French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook. Her yogurt creation, or Magical Breakfast Cream as she calls it, is a combination of regular yogurt, finely ground grains and nuts of your choice, plus a few surprises.

Although Mireille prefers to make her own yogurt, with just milk and cultures, I haven’t built up enough courage to try making my own. However, I was adventurous enough to try my own version of Mireille’s Magical Breakfast Cream. Here’s what you’ll need:

Bistro Chic Magical Breakfast Creame (adapted from Mireielle Guiliano’s version!)

  1. 1 serving of plain Greek yogurt (I used Dannon at 5.3 oz.)
  2. 2 tbs orange juice
  3. 2 tbs finely ground walnuts
  4. 2 tbs finely ground oats
  5. 1/4 fresh blueberries

Scoop the yogurt into a separate bowl and give it a good stir. Next, stir in the next 3 ingredients, one at a time. Finally, add the blueberries and stir. Voila!

This is so yummy and delicious, you will think you’re eating dessert!

Ciao!

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Easy and Healthy French Cooking With Mireille Guiliano

May 3, 2010 by

French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook

At a time when Americans were desperate to try any fad diet (ie. Atkins, South Beach), author Mireille Guiliano introduced the US and most of the Western world to a new concept – weight-loss and healthy living à la Française. In her 2005 best-selling book, French Women Don’t Get Fat, Guiliano describes how the French eat deliciously rich food yet manage to stay thin and healthy – a diet plan, no; a paradox, yes.

Five years and two subsequent books later, Guiliano has delighted readers once more with an addition to the French Women series – The French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook. That’s right, anyone who enjoyed Guiliano’s recipes from French Women Don’t Get Fat or French Women for All Seasons, is sure to love her new cookbook, dedicated to easy, healthy, and affordable recipes, most with a French or Mediterranean flair.

Not Your Mother’s Cookbook

Last week, I spoke with Guiliano to get her thoughts on the new book as well as the French lifestyle.

“Since my first book, I’ve met many readers who wanted more recipes that are fast, easy, and affordable,” she said. And it was during these conversations where she also learned why people were having weight problems. Americans’ issues with weight, she explained, have a lot to do with the lack of connection people have with the food they are eating. “People don’t really cook, and even those who do, don’t cook enough.” To control weight issues, she suggests people need to be aware of what they are eating, connecting with both the food they eat and the people they eat with.

Unlike most modern cookbooks, Guiliano’s book doesn’t include glossy photos of perfectly prepared dishes. Instead, Guiliano opted to keep the same anecdotal style of her previous book, providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes -  sans photos but with plenty of textual flavor. The cookbook includes more than 150 new recipes that incorporate fresh and seasonal ingredients. Many of the recipes were created by Guiliano, while others are adapted from friends. However, you’ll only find a handful of authentic family recipes in this book for one main reason. “Classic French family recipes are more difficult to prepare,” she added.

But Guiliano went on to explain that healthy French cooking doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult to prepare. In fact, many of the recipes in her book take just a few minutes to prepare, including the chicken dish she prepared on the Today Show.

10 Things You May Not Know About Mireille Guiliano

Among the 10 either/or questions, I asked Mireille to choose which best describes her. Her answers are in bold:

  • Coffee or tea?
  • Morning person or night owl? Both
  • Red or white wine?
  • Sparkling or still water?
  • Print or electronic books?
  • Beach vacation or skiing?
  • Chocolate dessert or fruit dessert? It depends, but she’d really prefer one piece of pure chocolate
  • Regular or Greek yogurt? Neither, she prefers to make her own with just milk and cultures
  • Mac or PC?
  • Skirts or trousers?

Stocking Your French Pantry

Plus, most Americans already have many of the classic French food staples in their pantry that can be turned into wonderful French dishes. And, if you’re not sure what to stock in your pantry to make these French-inspired meals, Guiliano’s book includes a thorough list of French food musts to keep on-hand, including:

  • Eggs,
  • Cheese
  • Butter (but not too much, only a little for flavor)
  • Lemon juice
  • Vinegar
  • Mustard
  • Fresh herbs and spices

Is it Just a French Diet Fad?

Like many others who are tired of reading about fad diets, I have embraced Guiliano’s French way of eating for many years. However, I’ve often wondered how long this trend in French eating will last. Recent reports have shown that obesity rates in France are on the rise and that the French have gained an average of 7 pounds in the last 12 years.

Mireille sadly admits that, although France still has the lowest rate of obesity in Europe, the French government has recognized that waistlines are growing. She explained that the globalization of the country has introduced many pre-packaged and processed foods (high in calories, salt, etc) that were, for years, unheard of in France. “The French are not used to reading food labels,” she said. And, if you’re not paying attention to food labels on processed foods, you’re weight is likely to rise.

She also explained that France is a melting pot of people and cultures from all over the world. “Many living in France come from countries where nutrition was poor and people didn’t and still don’t understand what it means to eat healthy.”

Despite reports about obesity rates in France, the US and many other countries continue to follow Guiliano’s French principles of eating for health and for pleasure. And, with the introduction of a new cookbook with easy French recipes (sorry Julia), we may just see Americans cooking more, dieting less, and losing weight in the process.

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Do French Women Diet?

April 29, 2010 by

(Photo courtesy of Flickr)

I’ve written time and time again about the French paradox, the idea that the French can eat high fat foods at every meal and still manage to maintain a healthy weight. This concept was further popularized in the 2004 book French Women Don’t Get Fat, by Mireille Guiliano. The author describes the secret to a French woman’s slimness is not only that she does not diet, but that her weight is managed by how she eats, what she eats, and, most importantly, her healthy relationship with food.

But could the French paradox and the idea that French women don’t get fat be mere myths? They may just be. According to recent reports, 15% of French women are obese and a further 26% are overweight. The reports goes on to say that in the past 12 years, the average French person has put on almost 7 lbs and almost 2 inches around the waist, due in part to the change in eating habits in towns and cities and the increasing prevalence of fast food.

More recently, an article in the Times London describes how French women DO in fact diet to either lose weight or to maintain their slim figures. The Dukan Diet, created by French physician Dr Pierre Dukan and detailed in his best-seller book of the same name, is said to be used by more than 1.5 million French women. The diet, which will be launched in the UK next month, is similar to the Akins diet (high protein, low carb), but touts a one day on, one day off approach to dieting, while eventually working up to a 1 day of, six days off approach.

So, is the idea that French women don’t diet and don’t get fat a myth? Hmm…only time will tell. Although, I wonder what Mireille Guiliano has to say about this new information. Stay tuned to find out!

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French Strategies for Holiday Eating

December 21, 2009 by
With Christmas approaching and New Year’s just around the corner, we are heading into a very busy week of shopping, family gatherings, and many, many indulgences. In fact, all of these indulgences – a little wine, a few cookies, and and extra helpings of mashed potatoes – can add up to 7 to 10 pounds of weight gain from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day.
12.21 Christmas cookies: http://www.flickr.com/photos/85966598@N00/94535514
If you are one of the millions of Americans concerned about holiday weight gain, fear not! There are a few very simple things you can do avoid holiday weight gain but still ring in the New Year in a festive and food-filled way. I have mentioned in previous posts that French women have an inherent skill of indulging in all things delicious, yet they manage to keep their weight down to well below US obesity standards. Although the French way of eating can be practiced all year round, these French diet strategies can especially be applied to the holiday season. 
French Strategies for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain
  1. Be a Water Girl: Drink water all day long. Not flavored water, not sparkling water, just plain old water. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day can help you feel full, which can help stop unnecessary eating. 
  2. Run, Run, Rudolph: MOVE! This can mean going for a run a few times a week, practicing yoga, or taking an extra few laps around the mall while shopping. The key is to do something active everyday, above and beyond your normal activity level.
  3. Au Natural Choices: When given a choice in dinner foods or even appetizers, go for the natural foods first. Natural foods are those that most resemble foods in their original state, like cheese (not cheese puffs) with a slice of bread, raw veggies with yogurt dip, and fresh fruit.
  4. All things in moderation: If you do choose to eat foods that are less natural, such as your aunt’s casserole, take one small scoop and enjoy. After all, science has shown that even our favorite foods lose their luster after just a few bites. By eating indulgences in moderation, you can savor each bite knowing that you’re consuming fewer calories. 
  5. Picky Indulgences: During the holidays, when there’s more than enough food to go around, choose your indulgences wisely. It’s true that the holidays are a time of celebration, but why overeat on average foods, like chips and store-bought cookies? Save your appetite and calories for top-quality foods and/or foods that you can only get this time of year.
  6. Plan of Attack: Whether it’s the office holiday party or a New Year’s day football extravaganza, come prepared with a party plan. If you know the fiesta will include high-calorie appetizers that you just can’t resist, scale back the day before and/or day of the party. Focus on eating foods that are high in nutrition but lower in calories, like salads and broth-based veggie soups. 
  7. Back Up Plan: If your indulgences do end up getting the best of you, spend the next week (or even month) getting yourself back on track. Make adjustments to meals by swapping in healthier foods, or eliminating unnecessary snacks. If this doesn’t seem to be working, modify your exercise routine for a week or two by adding an extra day at the gym or taking a few extra walks with your friends. By making these small adjustments, you should be back to your old self, and weight within a few weeks.

Joyeux Noel Everyone!

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