Every meal is better in courses

Living with a host family, I get to experience "French cuisine" in its most natural state.  No escargot, no cute French waitors-- I get to see the eating culture in an "unpackaged" sense.

And, let me tell you, every meal is a big deal.

Breakfast: The French breakfast is in general very sweet-- if you think of the classic French breakfast, you probably will think of croissants, pain au chocolat, more pastries.... etc.  I usually stick to cereal and fruits.  Nonetheless, breakfast is in courses.

A typical French breakfast for Jess:
Entree: toast with jam
Plat: plain yogurt with cereal
Dessert: apple or other fruit

Lunch: I eat lunch on my own, so my favorite lunch is to go to a bakery.  Often bakeries have excellent sandwiches (sandwiches on a baguette, of course).

A typical French lunch for Jess:

Plat:  Baguette sandwich
Dessert: Pastry

Snack: So I'm a snacker. French people don't usually snack, so this is just a Jess thing.  Nonetheless, I try to make my snack choices conform with the culture.

A typical French snack for Jess:

Morning: dried fruit
Afternoon: Banana-Nutella crepe
Evening: Granola bars (more like a distant relative of a American granola bar)

Dinner: I'll describe a typical dinner with my host family. Note: since lunch is usually the 'meaty' meal of the day, dinner is intended to be lighter on the tummy.  It is usually eaten a lot later than American dinners: we usually eat around 8pm.

A typical French dinner for Jess:

Entree: (optional) Salad
Plat: Cooked veggies, either in quiche, or with a sauce, etc.
Plat de fromage: Cheese plate
Dessert: Fruit, or occasionally, a pie or cake

*** Note: I don't actually eat all of this, every day. This is a rough outline, veering on the maximum!

Et volia la cuisine francaise !