Just like their Parisian counterparts, residents of Canada's French-speaking province have somehow managed to figure out a way to indulge in their favourite sweets without having to loosen any belt loops after dinner.
According to a study by The NPD Group, a top consumer marketing research group, French Canadians were shown to consume the most post-supper dessert per capita, while remaining the slenderest population in the country.
The 15th annual Eating Patterns in Canada report revealed that Quebecers, on average, finished off a good meal with a little cake (19 per cent) or a few cookies (18 per cent) on 112 nights of the year per capita.
Compare that to the first-runners-up in Atlantic Canada, who indulged in a little sugary treat 89 meals a year. And Ontario and Western Canada consume after dinner sweets at 57 and 55 nights a year, respectively.
"We're certainly seeing influences of the well-known French European diet in French Canada, but with the demands of the western world, convenience is a key factor for Quebecers when preparing meals," says NPD Group Foodservice industry analyst, Joel Gregoire, in a press release.
So how do they maintain the lowest obesity rate in Canada at 22 per cent (verses a 24 per cent national average)?
The report suggests that people in Quebec still value home-cooked meals made from scratch, with six out of 10 lunches and 6.5 out of 10 dinners prepared on the kitchen stove.
Perhaps even more telling, 29 per cent of Quebec households polled say they try not to snack between meals and do their best to avoid skipping any of the three traditional meals of the day.
A commenter named mirg from a recent Huffington Post article about this survey writes that portion sizes in La Belle Province are considerably smaller compared to those in the rest of the country.
"I grew up in [Quebec City] and had desert after every single dinner I ever ate and was always very thin (it's harder now!) but it was, one cookie, one slice of pie etc... Even eating out, the size of the deserts made sense and fruits were a big part of it. Then I started traveling and living out West and suddenly you order a slice of chocolate cake and it is brought out on a dinner plate, it's the size of a small chicken and it's smothered in sauce.... Yes, that will do it..."
As we've long known through books like French Women Don't Get Fat, the key for many people is to indulge in a little bit of your favourite foods each day and avoid feelings of guilt and deprivation that can lead to overeating.
So go ahead and have a small piece of chocolate tonight. Your waistline may thank you.
Watch the video below about a metabolic conditioning workout with just 3 simple steps.
Link:
http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/video/benefits-metabolic-conditioning-200418319.html
Source:
Canada’s thinnest province: Quebecers eat the most dessert, but remain the slimmest | Shine On - Shine from Yahoo! Canada
http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/shine-on/canada-thinnest-province-quebecers-eat-most-dessert-remain-212028096.html
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