Food balance, homemade, ecology, health… The French are mostly careful about what they put on their plate, according to a survey produced by Harris Interactive. From October 12 to 21, 2016, the institute interviewed 1,000 people representative of the French population by telephone and deciphered their eating habits, according to the quota and adjustment method.
Two-thirds of French people say that a balanced diet is important, and 81% say they follow a balanced diet. For this, most of them seek information or recipes on the internet and 17% have already attended a culinary workshop. A trend that joins the “homemade” acclaimed in France, especially for soups, jams, breads and yogurts. A quarter of French people even grow vegetables at home. Foods dear to the hearts of the French whose consumption is increasing, with fruit and fish. Conversely, meat, milk and sweet products find less takers. A neglect that goes hand in hand with less trust in manufacturers: only 8% of respondents say they trust brand sites for information on food, while 64% believe that the nutrition scale system envisaged by the government would be helpful.
Trending new diets
When they don’t make their own, the participants are no less demanding when it comes to quality and freshness: 28% of respondents consume more fresh produce than two years ago, while canned foods are less appealing. Frozen foods remain stable. More than 8 out of 10 French people say they are concerned about the impact of their diet on their health, and 44% have even changed their eating habits following a scandal.
For some, this attention goes as far as adopting a special or “free” diet: vegetarian (5% of French people), vegan (4%) or gluten-free (4%). Other trends are emerging, including raw food, chrononutrition or the paleo diet.
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