[femmennoir]

Originally Posted by Gemme

I've heard the French do that since sugar stimulates the appetite. It always made sense to me, but I want dessert at the end too.

Nope! We have a very strict order of the meal: appetizers (to open the appetite, so usually raw vegetables in salads, pâté with tiny cornichons, sometimes a few cold cuts....unless the meal is more festive), a main course of meat or fish with a starch and some cooked vegetables (small meat portion, small potato, rice or pasta portion, plenty of cooked vegetables), then a green salad (for digestion, as the vinaigrette helps cut down the fats in the previous dish), a cheese platter (with at least four or five different cheeses and crusty baguette), and dessert, which usually is fruit or yogurt (or both). On festive occasions, pastries, chocolate mousse, etc.... The only drinks are wine and water, sparkling or not. This is the kind of meal I had growing up, twice a day! No eating in between, no snacks etc....
So, in effect, French people do not eat much sugar!
The exception to the snack rule is tea time: a proper French tea is a large pot of tea, usually flavoured, served with an array of petits fours (here too, the rule is smaller is better!).
Voilà! (sorry if it disappoints!)

Elle*