French Food Lifestyle & cooking courses for Universities & Groups

French Food Lifestyle & cooking courses for Universities & Groups

Learn the Secrets of Eating Healthy and Staying Slim

Specialised courses designed for groups of between twelve and eighteen people. On YouTube

We also offer courses in : Cooking & Gastronomie - French & Gastronomy Tour - Wine & Gastronomy Tour

Program Highlights

Objectives:

Discover the French way of life and the art of cuisine “à la française”

To show the influence that this way of life has on states of health, and how it has been preserved and maintained by the French people.

To give some adaptable advice about the local culture that the participants can take back home and integrate into their own routines.

Students will learn to prepare well-balanced, healthy dishes for the evening meal.

Nancy Riamon

State-certified Dietician Nutritionist and Food engineer – 15 years experience

Born into a traditional French family, I learned about cuisine at the sides of my grandmother and mother. I love to cook and to eat!

At my house, all the meals were prepared by my mother and no processed foods were allowed into the family kitchen. But, like a lot of the women of my generation, I wanted to work and raise a family, so I thought that processed foods would permit me to prepare the daily meals without spending too much additional time in the kitchen.

I took some specialized courses in industrial food production in order to become an engineer. However, in discovering the realities of the industry, which sometimes led away from the kitchen and into the realm of chemistry, I decided to focus my work in biological agriculture.

In order to help others to know and understand the risks of an unbalanced and industrialized diet, I became a Dietician Nutritionist. I explain how products are produced, what ingredients they contain and how it is necessary to choose foods that will keep the entire family in good health and protect them in the best way possible from the rising health issues of today (diabetes, obesity and cancer)

Program

Tour may be presented either in English or in French.

Sunday

Guests arrive on Sunday afternoon and settle in at the Villa Beaulieu

Monday

Breakfast & departure for Marcigny market visit. Marcigny is a sixteenth century medieval village and boasts the largest market in the area. (40 minutes from Roanne in southern Burgundy)

Nancy will accompany the group for a visit to the traditional market at Marcigny.

Topic - How to do your shopping: choosing fruits and vegetables, selecting seasonal products, why local and in-season fruits and vegetables are adapted to our needs.

Visit the world famous Emile Henri cookware shop

Visit and demonstration at the J. Leblanc et Fils Huilerie (oil-pressing workshop)

Topic - What are the differences between industrially-refined oils and artisanal oils (taste differences, health differences)? Why it is not necessary to ban fats when they are of good quality.

12:30 pm Lunch at the Villa

Digestive group walk

2 pm: 1 ½ hour group discussion

Show how French history has influenced our culinary habits; show how these culinary habits favorably influence our health

4.30 to 6.30pm Cooking Classes

Evening menu: a plate of seasonal, fresh vegetables and oven-roasted meat prepared in an Emile Henry casserole dish.

Tuesday

Nancy will accompany the group for a visit to the Mons facility (a renowned cheese “affineur” which specializes in aging artisanal cheeses)

Topic - The advantages of non-pasteurized cheeses

- Learning to appreciate cheese, but avoiding the overconsumption of processed dishes

Visit to Cotes Roannaises wine area and medieval villages of Saint Haon Le Chatel.

Lunch at the Villa

Group walk to the Beaulieu park

PM: 1 ½ hour group discussion

The French culture on the rituals of food consumption (3 principal meals, no snacking, small amounts of sugary drinks)

- What happens in our bodies when we eat? Ideas of balance between intake and dispersal of energy. What contributes to extra weight and type 2 diabetes?

4.30 to 6.30pm Cooking Classes

Wednesday

Visit to Favrichon, a producer of breakfast cereals using organic, local grains: breakfast cereals without added sugars, rich in fiber (the impact and importance of fiber in the body). Topic - Why do simple foods, with little processing, improve the fiber content of the diet?

Visit de Pommier, medieval village and château de la Roche

2 pm: 1 ½ hour group discussion

Processed foods: explaining the preparation processes - their contents, additives.

Why is the process different in organic foods?

Know how to decipher the product labels of processed foods in order to make good choices.

4.30 to 6.30pm Cooking Classes

Dinner at the Villa

Thursday

Morning free or yoga class

2 pm: 1 ½ hour group discussion

What comprises a quick lunch at the office? Return to the themes of the week with:

The analysis of a balanced diet (to respect it or not?)

The analysis of hidden contents (fats, sugars, additives)

How to eat quickly in a healthy manner: a good lunch at the office, dinner quickly prepared in the evenings.

4.30 to 6.30pm Cooking Classes

6.30pm Wine class & dinner at the Villa during the class.

Friday

Morning visit of Pilati chocolate & pastry shop, visit of "Les Halles Diderot" indoor market and Roanne city center.

A gourmet lunch at Château de Champlong

Menu will demonstrate how fine cuisine may be adapted to include lighter choices.

Dinner at the Villa

Program fees include accommodations, all meals, cooking classes and excursions.

The accompanying group leader is accommodated free of charge.

Perfect for community groups, universities, and business team-building programs.

For more details and price, please contact us 3ponts2@wanadoo.fr