Focus On Your Health: A French Lesson

The holidays are upon us; it is easy to have a cookie here, a piece of pie there, a second helping, and to lounge by the fire. I thought this incentaHEALTH article might be a good reminder to watch our portions.

French food is known for its rich ingredients including butter and cream, yet France is one of the healthiest countries in the world.  How is this possible you ask?

It is all about food quality and portion sizes.  Americans tend to value the quantity of food over the quality, and the French are very particular about food quality and eat small portions.  A typical portion size in Paris is 25% less than in Philadelphia.  Additionally, American candy bars are 41% larger, sodas are 52% larger, and yogurts are 82% larger than those in France!  So even when the French have “Americanized” fare like candy bars and sodas, they are eating less.  To top it all off, Parisian Chinese restaurants serve 72% smaller servings than Chinese restaurants found in Philadelphia!  Take a lesson from the French; if you are eating small portion sizes, then the food choices you make will not be as drastically apparent on your waist line.

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Alan Ishida – Regional Director, Nelnet Partner Solutions