If you are planning on going to France with young kids, you might be wondering what your kids will snack on once you're there. France doesn't have most of the snacks we have in the US. However, France does have some good options that your kids might like. Here is a list of snacks that I grew up having when I was little, or that my kids now like as well to have when we're in France. BN They come in two sizes, a big one and a mini one. The two main flavor choices are chocolate and strawberry, but I believe they have other flavors too, just not as common. It is two butter cookies with chocolate or strawberry jam in between. Le petit écolier This one is actually available in some stores in the US, like Walmart. It is usually made with milk chocolate, but can also be made with dark chocolate. It is usually a piece of chocolate on top of a butter biscuit. Pompote This is pretty much applesauce in a pouch. Like in the US, French kids love having applesauce as a snack. It comes with similar flavors that we have in the US. Kiri If your kids like to snack on cheese, or if they have The Laughing Cow cheese, this one is a very similar option. You can buy it by itself, or you can buy it with some sticks to dip in. I believe it is also a much better choice than the Laughing Cow, also available in France. Pepito I remember watching commercials everyday after school for those cookies. They are so good. It's a butter cookie that was dipped on one side in chocolate. It has nothing to do with Mexican flavor just so you know. Bread and Nutella Ask any French person what their favorite snack is, and they will all say the same thing: a good bread with some Nutella. Yes, Nutella is also available in the US, but I feel like Nutella and bread in France is like a PB and J sandwich in the US. It's part of French culture. Les petites barquettes This is a great one for little kids. You can choose between chocolate and strawberry but they do have other flavors as well. It's a sponge biscuit in the shape of a little boat with chocolate or strawberry in the middle. It usually comes in a little pack of 2 or 6, so it’s great for snacks on the go. Haribo Candy Candy in Europe will taste different than the ones in the US. If you ask me, I personally prefer candy in Europe. It is less sweet in my opinion. Haribo is the biggest brand for candy in France and is usually the one that French kids prefer. Though it is not considered a snack in France, it can be a nice treat from time to time. I know we have Haribo candy in France, but it seems like France has more options. For example, I am a big fan of the primavera ones. Crepes and Belgium waffles Especially in winter, you can find some booths selling crepes and waffles on the streets. They can be a great snack for little ones, but for adults too. They usually don’t have a lot of options like you could find in the US. The most common flavors you might find are Nutella, whipped cream, sugar, or jam. You can also buy premade crepes and Belgium waffles at the store. Oasis Is your little one thirsty for something sweet? Oasis is like the Tropical Sun in France. They come in many different flavors, but Oasis tropical is usually the one that everybody likes. You can find them in small or large bottles, or cans. It really does taste like Tropical Sun in my opinion. Brioche (pain au lait) A very cheap snack for kids is a “pain au lait”. When we didn’t have any idea of what to eat during snack time, this one was always an option at my house. It’s a delicious buttery brioche that looks like a hot dog bun. We liked to eat it with some chocolate spread or jam on it. Pastries For special occasions we always had some good pastries from the bakery at snack time. It can go from little tarts to chocolate eclairs to macarons. Pastries in France are so delicious. In my personal opinion I would say that they aren't rich and sweet like in the US, which makes it hard to stop yourself from eating more of it. Pastries are not very expensive either and come in different flavors. Even your pickiest kid will find something he or she will like. Madeleines This is another cheap snack in France. Madeleines are a very buttery (yes, we like our butter) little vanilla cake. They come in different shapes and some have fillings. Growing up we liked to buy the ones that look like fingers and then we would dip them in a cup of milk. They can be bought at the grocery store and in some bakeries. Galettes Mont Saint Michel This is a specialty from the northwest part of France called Brittany. They are delicious butter cookies. Those ones are great for babies as they melt in your mouth. Palmiers This one can be bought at the store and at the bakery. It's a buttery puff pastry baked in the shape of a heart with some sugar on the outside. I believe it is available at Costco in the US. It does get messy when kids eat it but it is so so good. Mikado Do you know the game Mikado? Those ones were inspired by it. They can also be found in the US under a different brand (usually in the Asian food aisle). They are French biscuits shaped like a stick, and then dipped in chocolate, though there are other flavor options. It's great for a small snack on the go. My kids eat those within 5 minutes because of how good they are! Petit Beurre Lu If you haven't got the memo yet, French people LOVE butter more than sugar. Those ones are simply butter cookies. This is another great one for babies. It literally melts in your mouth! Prince Lu Those are two Petit Beurre with chocolate in between. They are so cheap and delicious! They do have other flavor options as well. I absolutely love dipping them in my hot chocolate in the morning. French snacks are very different from what you can find in the US but they are so good too. French people have an obsession with butter and not so much for sugar (sweet like in the US). Even candy tastes different! I don't think "healthy snacks" are a thing in France like it is in the US. It is maybe because we do eat good food all day, so we can allow ourselves a little treat once a day. You might have to try different ones until you find the ones that your kids like, but I hope that this list will help a little.
Also, there are some websites that ship in the US some French goods. Check those out: https://yummybazaar.com/ https://www.mypanier.com/ https://lepanierfrancais.com/ https://trulyfoodie.com/ It might help you figure out what your kids like before going, or buy some after your trip because you're craving them!
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AuthorMy name is Melanie Ashby. I am from France and I currently live in the US. Here are some tips about traveling to France from a French and an American perspective! Archives
December 2022
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