Francia

In 2019, 81% of French employees had lunch on a daily basis. It is 10 points more than the European average, which is of 71%. This figure has remained quite constant over the past 8 years. However it is steadily increasing: from 77% in 2012, to 80% in 2015.

French employees care more and more about locally produced and seasonal food when served in a restaurant. Indeed in 2019, 71% if employees believe that local and seasonal food is an important, or very important, criterion when choosing a restaurant for lunch (they were only 36% in 2013).

When choosing a restaurant, in 2019, French workers consider important or very important practical criteria linked to working life constraints such as a quick service (93%) and the location of the restaurant, which had to be close to their workplace (70%). Also, it was important/very important that tap water was served free of charge (77%) and that the restaurant served affordable/cheap food (75%).

French workers pay attention to the balance of their dish.
In 2019, 72% of French workers consider important meals of good nutritional quality offered in a restaurant. This figure iss close to the European average, which is of 77%. The share of French workers considering important of very important the nutritional quality of the meals offered when choosing a restaurant for lunch has remained quite constant and significant over the years.

In 2019, more than half of French employees (54%) took into account the balance of the dish when choosing what to have at lunch, right after what they wanted at the present time (68%) and the price (63%).

The majority of french employees pay attention to the balance of their dish when choosing what to have at lunch. This criterion is steadily rising over the years: 44% in 2015, and then 52% in 2018.

In 2019, 49% of French restaurants declare that they have a medium knowledge about balanced nutrition and could learn some more. 40% of them declare that they have a high level of knowledge on the topic, and this share had never been so high over the past 8 years.

In 2016, only 24% of French restaurants notice an increased demand for balanced/healthy meals. It is somehow lower than the European average (31%). This figure has been quite constant over the years.

In 2019, French restaurants have quite positive opinions about healthy meals cooking.
Less and less restaurant believe that healthy cooking is more difficult (20%), that is takes more time (13%), or that it is costly (26%).

Prejudice against healthy food appear to be on the downside.