French Culture: The Marie Antoinette Diet

Mon 24 Mar 2014

“Let them eat cake!” is the most famous quote that the Queen of France never said, but if you want to look just like her, then just pretend that she said it anyway! A new diet trend that was developed by author Karen Wheeler in her new book, The Marie Antoinette Diet: Eat Cake and Still Lose Weight, highlights that you don’t have to swear off sugar completely. As long as you eat your cake for breakfast, eat your largest meal at lunch and settle for boring soup in the evening, then you can “let YOU eat cake!” There are some restrictions: as long as the cake is accompanied by your typical breakfast of berries and yogurt and the cake is no more than 75 grams (2.64 ounces), then you are good to go. But what French pastry is 75 grams and lets me feel like Marie Antoinette? Here are some favorites you can find around the city that are diet friendly and keep up with French culture.

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures.Photo via

opinionessoftheworld.com/2012/03/27/marie-antoinette-film.

Odette
This little shop, around the corner from Notre Dame, makes choux in several varieties of flavors. These puff pastries are supercute and around 20 grams (0.70 ounces).

Courtesy of Odette. Photo via odette-paris.com.

Les Fées Pâtissières
This boutique in the Marais creates miniature versions of everyone’s favorite French goodies, but a quarter of the size! While weight can vary, use your best judgment and just have one!

Courtesy les Fées Pâtissières.Photo via

lesfeespatissieres.com/7-collection-2014-par-eddie-benghanem.

Ladurée
This famous pâtisserie was selected by Sofia Coppola as the creator for all the beautiful pastries seen in the film about Marie Antoinette. Today it is famous for its selection of macarons that not only are 18 grams (0.65 ounces) each but also come in flavors like rose and violet.

Will this diet melt away pounds? No. Unless you want to add Marie Antoinette’s constrictive corset and extremely high social expectations combined with hundreds of people watching and judging you while you eat? Speaking of judgment, unfortunately the diet doesn’t mention one of Marie’s favorite breakfast items and a key element to French culture: a whole bottle of champagne! But I’m adding a glass to mine, because during breakfast time at my castle I am the queen of France! And it’s only 100 calories per glass. Santé!

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