After a summer of indulgence, it’s time to ease back into real life and introduce a healthy diet full of flavour and energy.
It’s early September, and following the great escape to holiday homes and beaches across southern Europe, la rentrée has begun. The academic year is about to start, office workers are back at their desks and cultural life is starting up again.
Although the French claim la rentrée as their own – it started in the 1930s when Parisian workers were given paid holidays – this phenomenon is no longer their exclusive preserve. Many Italians and Spaniards now also disappear to the seaside in summer, before returning en masse at the end of August.
After a summer of fun, it might be hard to embrace the return to your busy life, but here are a few ideas for incorporating nourishing eating plans into family life – looking and feeling great will help you all face new challenges at school or work.
Keeping everybody fit, healthy and happy is always a challenge, so it’s time to get organised and ensure that the whole family sits down to eat wholesome and sustaining dishes together.
Plan menus ahead so you know exactly what to buy at the grocery store, market and supermarket. Look for easy recipes like veggie burgers or spaghetti carbonara for quickly prepared meals, and make a list of fresh and healthy ingredients to take with you when you go shopping.
A balanced diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy is what you are aiming for, and planning ahead will stop you grabbing something sugary or full of carbohydrates for a quick pick-me-up after a long day back at work.
Kids nervous about the big return to school? Buy them new lunchboxes and fill them with healthy goodies. Even if pupils are eating a balanced school lunch, they still need an energy boost to get the best out of the day. Keeping them filled up with low-sugar snacks combining fibre and protein is easy, even if you don’t have time to cook.
Send them off to school with one of the following:
- a pot of nuts and dried fruit
- celery with peanut butter
- wholegrain crackers with cheese
- a tub of plain yoghurt
- lightly salted popcorn
- chopped fruit like melon or pineapple.
Lessen the blow of reality intruding after your long summer in the sun and celebrate autumn… Make a picnic and enjoy it outside, eating artisan cheeses and seasonal treats like foie gras, cèpes mushrooms and game pâté from china plates, and drink rich claret from delicate glasses.
Or how about recreating your favourite summer dish? Find the recipe online, or get creative with fresh ingredients and make your own version of Provençal pissaladière, tapas from Andalusia or tomato-topped focaccia all the way from Puglia.
And if all else fails, head for the nearest brasserie and indulge in a lavish seafood platter to remind you of leisurely lunches by the Mediterranean Sea!
Tours 37000 , France
Thematic cuisine, Thematic parties
Treat yourself to a delicious Italian meal at Albert's Place restaurant during your stay in Tours. Our peaceful dining room is popular with visitors and locals alike, who come for the menu of the day on their lunch break, a business dinner or a romantic supper.
Limoges 87000 , France
Bistronomy, Terrace
To the delight of all gourmets, ANTIQ has opened its doors in the heart of the Limousin capital. On our menu: modern bistro cooking that revisits classic dishes, served in welcoming contemporary surroundings paying homage to the Ville Rouge's rich industrial heritage.
Paris 75008 , France
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5, based on 102 reviews
French, Terrace
In a former private mansion in the heart of the bustling Concorde district and Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Blossom offers an elegant, modern and unique setting. The room, decorated by Didier Gomez, is inspired by a winter garden and opens onto a delightful courtyard. Chef Anaïs Foray's garden spirit inspires refined cuisine that celebrates the richness of nature.
Le Coteau 42120 , France
Rating: 3.9 stars out of 5, based on 110 reviews
Bistronomy, Terrace
Do you enjoy the simple pleasures of cooking that reminds you of home? So do we! In the town of Le Coteau, just south of Roanne, BO é BON offers tasty comfort food to be savoured in a warm ambience with family or friends .
Genas 69740 , France
Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5, based on 154 reviews
Bistronomy, Terrace
With an experience that is just as gustatory as it is visual, COTÉ le restaurant offers inventive and passionate bistronomic cuisine which highlights local products. What's on the menu? Delicious specialities from Lyon re-imagined by our chef Jean. Treat yourself to a culinary getaway in a modern, zen atmosphere overlooking our Japanese pond.
Laxou 54520 , France
Rating: 4 stars out of 5, based on 21 reviews
Bistronomy, Terrace
Escape to the countryside when you head to La Cachette in Laxou, just outside the capital of the Dukes of Lorraine. Here, an atmosphere of contemporary friendliness awaits. Our chef reinvents traditional recipes and prepares healthy, gourmet dishes enhanced with aromatic herbs from the vegetable garden, to the delight of our guests.
Pau 64000 , France
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5, based on 34 reviews
Bistronomy, Terrace
Take a pleasant break at Pau's La Basse-Cour on your way to the Pyrenees. Here you'll find stylish décor, a lively atmosphere and wholesome cuisine celebrating famous regional produce from the land and the sea.
Aix En Provence 13100 , France
Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5, based on 60 reviews
Mediterranean, Terrace
La Table du Roi is a charming and welcoming restaurant in Aix-en-Provence. Our menu will certainly surprise you, with flavours influenced by the changing seasons. Take a seat in the dining room, on the terrace or in the winter garden and let yourself be guided by a subtle blend of grace and refinement.
(*) Average meal price calculated on the basis of starter and main course or main course and dessert, excluding drinks, menu and promotional offers. The average price is an estimate only, calculated according to the prices provided by the restaurant. Depending on the country, the average price may or may not include all taxes. ↩
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