I’ve never actually had the pleasure of visiting France, although technically I have been there: once, more than 30 years ago, when I changed planes at Charles de Gaulle Airport. I was on my way to Moscow, and had been booked from D.C. on Air France, with a change in Paris.

And I have to say, the food on that flight was the best airline food I’ve ever eaten.

But it never occurred to me that, if I were ever to move to another country permanently, I might choose France as my new home. While the country certainly has a lot to offer, my one year of French language study in the 9th grade was enough to convince me I’d never fit in.

Still, a person can change their mind. And this picture, which someone posted on Facebook the other day, is what might do it for me:

I mean, seriously . . . compare it with this most recent food pyramid issued by the current Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.:

Which one warms the cockles of your heart? Broiled chicken, steamed broccoli, and skim milk? Or a fragrant, slow-cooked cassoulet, warm croissants slathered in French butter, and a vintage French wine?

Okay, the “grandmother’s pyramid” was satirical (I think); and Kennedy’s creation — while regrettably intended to be taken seriously — is a garbled mess. But think about it this way.

Forget cholesterol for the moment. Forget diabetes, your blood pressure, and your kidneys. Think about the rest of your life, however long it may be — something which, by the way, none of us can predict. Do you want to spend those years counting grams of fat and sodium? Or would you rather look forward to a future of sheer, indulgent, downright sybaritic bliss?

For me, there’s no contest; Grandmere’s boeuf bourguignonne wins, hands down.

And if you’re thinking about the prospect of a shortened life expectancy, forget it. Because the average person in France currently outlives the average American by four to five years. There is much to be said for all of that joie de vivre.

Unfortunately, moving to another country is probably not a viable option for most of us, myself included. But I am inclined, at the very least, to begin a search for the best French restaurants in my area.

Maybe they’ll even deliver.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/18/26