Since moving to France in 2000, I’ve written endlessly about French lifestyle and the small cultural habits that shape everyday wellbeing.
And without question, one of the subjects that fascinates readers most is how the French eat — adults and children.
More specifically: what do French women actually eat in a day?
We’ve all heard about the French approach to food. Smaller portions, leisurely meals, good ingredients, and pleasure without guilt.
But I’ve always been more interested in what happens in real kitchens and around real tables than in the usual clichés about French women and their supposedly effortless relationship with food.
So I decided to ask some friends.
In 2022, I asked five French women to photograph everything they ate and drank on an ordinary weekday and tell me a little about their eating habits, exercise routines, and approaches to wellbeing.
No specially prepared menus. No professional food photography. Just five women sharing what they actually ate.
Of course, five food diaries aren’t representative of an entire country, and a single day can’t tell us everything about someone’s diet. But they offer a fascinating glimpse into everyday eating in France.
And what I find most interesting is how different their meals are.
Some eat bread every day. Others don’t. Some enjoy cheese regularly, while others rarely eat it. Breakfast might be fruit, cereal, a buckwheat crêpe, or buttery brioche.
There’s no single formula.
For a broader look at everyday French habits, see → The French Approach to Wellbeing.
And for more about the foods that appear regularly in French kitchens, read → Why French Women Love the Mediterranean Diet.
I returned to this subject in 2026, asking more French women to share their everyday meals. You can read their stories in What French Women Eat in a Day (2026).
Leonor
Breakfast (7:00 am)
Fresh fruit and coffee. A very classic French breakfast: light, simple, and mostly hydration plus caffeine.
Lunch (12:30 pm)
Large salad, fruit, cheese, and Greek yogurt.
Her salad includes mâche, tuna, seeds, corn, green peppers, avocado, and parsley. A generous, nutrient-rich meal that’s filling but not heavy — very typical of French weekday lunches.
Snack (5:00 pm)
Two madeleines and herbal tea. A gentle pause that keeps hunger at bay until dinner.
Dinner (7:30 pm)
Risotto and green beans. A warm, satisfying evening meal, balanced by vegetables.
Wellbeing Habits
- No alcohol during the week; wine or champagne only when going out to a dinner party or restaurant.
- Desserts are generally reserved for weekends or special occasions.
- Bread occasionally, rather than at every meal.
- Walks daily, plus two or three weekly activities such as tennis, hiking, or swimming.
- Skiing or snowshoeing on winter weekends.
- Vegetables every day; meat occasionally.
- Always chooses seasonal fruit.
- If dinner will be late, she has a small afternoon snack rather than arriving at the table ravenous.
- After dinner, she enjoys herbal tea or decaf coffee.
Catherine
Breakfast (7:30 am)
Homemade buckwheat crêpe with almond butter and raisins, plus a cup of organic vegetable juice.
Lunch (12:30 pm)
Fish cooked with tomatoes, onions, ginger, and pepper; basmati rice; and fruit salad.
Snack (5:00 pm)
An apple with herbal tea.
Dinner (8:00 pm)
Homemade vegetable soup (carrot, potato, leek, zucchini) and a salad of endives, half an avocado, olives, and a sprinkle of pumpkin and flax seeds.
Wellbeing Habits
- If she wants something sweet after dinner, she enjoys a few squares of 80% dark chocolate.
- Cheese isn’t part of her daily routine, but when she does eat it, she usually chooses goat cheese.
- Drinks up to 1.5 litres of water and herbal tea a day.
- Pilates once a week, plus at least two weekend activities such as hiking, cycling, skiing, or snowshoeing.
- Because her work often takes her to restaurants, she makes a point of eating plenty of vegetables when she cooks at home.
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Delphine
Breakfast (7:30 am)
Mixed cereal with almond milk, almonds, walnuts, goji berries, and fresh pear, along with herbal tea.
Lunch (12:00 pm)
Chicken with leeks, rice, cheese, and bread.
Dinner (8:00 pm)
Pasta with peas, onions, and peppers, plus a salad with beets, carrots, and vinaigrette.
Wellbeing Habits
- Drinks water and herbal teas throughout the day.
- On weekends, she may enjoy up to two glasses of wine.
- Tries not to eat too much sugar or dairy.
- Regularly eats lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
- After a particularly indulgent dinner party, she likes to have plenty of bouillon broth the following day.
- Her weekly exercise includes Pilates and lower-body toning.
Vanina
Breakfast (6:30 am)
A large bowl of fresh fruit and yogurt, with tea.
Lunch (1:00 pm)
Salmon with a salad of red pepper, cucumber, and avocado, followed by cheese and two pieces of fruit.
Dinner (8:00 pm)
Sausage, green beans, potatoes, cheese, bread, fruit, and applesauce.
Wellbeing Habits
- Sometimes chooses smaller portions or simpler dinners during the week to balance out restaurant outings or larger lunches.
- Walks whenever possible.
- Enjoys Pilates, tap dancing, and tennis.
- Skis every winter and plays golf a few times a month.
Katerina
Breakfast
A typical French breakfast of brioche with butter and honey, and coffee.
Lunch
Steak with green beans.
Dessert is one spoonful of chestnut “cream” with coffee.
Snack
Chocolate brioche.
Dinner
A classic light French evening meal: a bit of charcuterie, capers, blue cheese, bread, and fruit.
Wellbeing Habits
- Eats until she’s satisfied, rather than overly full.
- Generally doesn’t take second helpings, unless she’s a guest.
- For dessert, chooses either cheese or something sweet, but not both.
- Includes carbohydrates in her meals.
- Prefers a moderate breakfast, a substantial lunch, and a lighter dinner.
- Sometimes skips an afternoon snack, depending on what she ate for lunch.
- Enjoys a teaspoon of honey, a glass of wine, and bread every day.
- On weekends, treats herself to a croissant or pain au chocolat.
- Makes sure to include plenty of vegetables at lunch.
What We Learn From French Women
What strikes me most about these five days of eating is just how ordinary they are.
There are vegetables, fruit, fish, meat, grains, and homemade dishes. But there are also madeleines, brioche, cheese, chocolate, and wine.
No elaborate diet products. No identical meal plans. And certainly no single menu that every French woman follows.
A few patterns stand out.
Vegetables Are Part of Everyday Meals
Every woman includes vegetables in her day, often at both lunch and dinner.
They’re not treated as a special diet food. They’re simply part of the meal.
Lunch Is Often a Substantial Meal
Several of the women eat a proper midday meal, sometimes with multiple components.
Dinner may be simpler, although not always. Vanina’s evening meal, for example, includes sausage, potatoes, vegetables, cheese, bread, and fruit.
It’s a useful reminder that real life doesn’t always follow the tidy rules we read about.
Pleasure Has a Place
Madeleines, brioche, chocolate, cheese, and wine all appear in these diaries.
What I find interesting is that these foods aren’t necessarily presented as indulgences requiring an elaborate explanation.
They’re simply foods the women enjoy.
Their Habits Are Individual
Léonor eats seasonal fruit and enjoys weekend skiing. Catherine favours vegetable-rich meals at home. Delphine regularly eats legumes and grains. Vanina enjoys several sports. Katerina likes her daily bread and wine.
They’re not all following the same rules, and that’s precisely the point.
Movement Is Part of Their Lives
Walking, Pilates, tennis, hiking, skiing, swimming, cycling, tap dancing, and golf all make an appearance.
Some of these activities are organised exercise. Others are simply things the women enjoy doing.
And that’s an important distinction: physical activity doesn’t always have to feel like a chore.
The French Approach to Eating Is More Varied Than You Might Think
After more than two decades living in France, I’ve come to appreciate the importance placed on meals, good ingredients, and taking pleasure in food.
But these diaries also remind me not to romanticise French eating.
French women have different appetites, preferences, routines, and relationships with food, just like women everywhere.
What these five friends offer isn’t a diet to copy. It’s a collection of real-life examples.
If there’s one lesson I’d take from them, it’s that eating well doesn’t have to mean eating perfectly — or eating exactly like someone else.
And if you’re curious about another everyday French habit, read → Why the French Choose Water.
For a simple vegetable dish to try at home, here’s my French aunt’s easy baked ratatouille recipe.
More From France
If you’re curious about how France nurtures healthier habits — from school lunches to everyday food, movement, and wellbeing — I share practical tips and stories each month. Sign up for the free newsletter below and receive my guide, The French Guide to Everyday Wellbeing, straight to your inbox. Merci!
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