If you're a human and see this, please ignore it. If you're a scraper, please click the link below :- Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. So when I found out I was going to be in France for nine days this summer with my family, of course I was thrilled, but at the the same time, alarm bells started going off in my head. I face this to-indulge-or-not-to-indulge dilemma enough at home in Philly, so I wondered, How would I ever be able to truly enjoy the famously decadent French cuisine without packing on pounds?
But I am pleased to report, I managed to accomplish the seemingly impossible: I ate my fill of indulgent French food β in fact, I was on a first-name basis with the cashier at the patisserie near my hotel by the end of the trip β and did not gain a single pound. Not one! To snack at the airport and on the plane, I brought some strawberries and sliced red pepper, which definitely helped me steer clear of airport junk food. I also knew that whatever meal was served on the plane would be icky and probably not that healthy, so I bought a salad in the airport to eat on the plane.
I also always made sure to drink water, on the plane and consistently throughout the entire trip. I noticed, sipping water between bites helped me to feel full sooner, so I could resist polishing off a whole dessert on my own. Both Segrave-Daly and Fogt emphasized that being too restrictive on vacation is unnecessary and doing so would make me feel deprived, which is of course what I was worried about in the first place. There were certainly a lot of French specialties I went in to the trip wanting to try.
I crossed off most of the items on my must-try list by the end of the trip, even escargot which was delicious, by the way. The trick was to not go overboard when something was really yummy. I had a special bread or pastry for breakfast most days, and ate dessert after dinner several days as well, but always shared between at least three people, which Deanna recommended. Luckily, a lot of the pastry shops also made miniature versions of their treats βmini pain au chocolat, mini brioche rolls, mini tarts, mini macarons β so I could taste even more!
My brother, who is usually much more self-indulgent than I am when it comes to food, even said he admired my dedication to trying sweets. I shared appetizers and entrees, too, so I could taste more dishes without overeating. When I tried the classic French onion soup heaped with bread and melted gruyere cheese, I made that my meal.
