A recent study by L'ObSoCo, the Society and Consumption Observatory, reveals profound shifts in French eating habits that may transform kitchens and dining rooms by 2025. The survey highlights a decline in the pleasure of eating, with only 57% of French people reporting enjoyment from food, down 16 points since 2016. Economic pressures are significant: 37% now restrict food spending, including 11% facing serious limitations, prompting more budget-conscious choices and avoidance of major brands.
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Dietary practices are diversifying, with one in three following specific diets such as vegetarian, gluten-free, or flexitarian. Meals are increasingly individualised, as 43% dine alone at home compared with 29% twenty years ago. Shoppers also diversify their sources, using an average of 5.3 different food outlets compared with 3.3 in 2019, challenging traditional retail dominance.
Time spent at the table is shrinking, with 53% spending less than 30 minutes per meal, while women continue to shoulder most of the domestic burden, including shopping and meal preparation. The Observatory warns that economic constraints, time pressures, and information overload risk making nutritional quality a class privilege and threaten France's historic culture of shared, pleasurable meals.
Source: www.meuble-info.fr
