For many years France has been known as a country that loves bread. In fact, the French consume about 10 million baguettes each year. Bread is very affordable and a common staple for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Since bread is still so cheap to make or purchase, why is it on the decline in France? Some of the reasons may surprise you.

People just donâ??t have the time to wait in long bakery lines. People in France are busier now more than ever. They are often found rushing to pick go to work or pick up the kids from school. Many of the French just donâ??t have time to stop at the bakery and wait in long lines for fresh bread. They are looking for something quick that they can take home. Fast food is becoming more popular because they can quickly get all the components of their meal and get home to their families to enjoy it with them.

The immense heat in the summer months keep bakers out of the kitchen. The French love to bake their own bread. However, as it seems to get hotter each year, individuals are trying to spend less time in the kitchen. These means that less bread is getting baked and being consumed. Even though bread is readily available in many shops and bistros, many individuals would rather have something cold to cool them off. A piece of cold bread just wouldnâ??t cut it. Many of the places that do sell fresh bread are not air conditioned so the French donâ??t even want to set foot in these establishments when it is squelching outside.

As health trends increase, eating bread decreases. Residents in France are becoming more interested in their health than they have been in the past. Because of this, many of them are taking a more healthy approach to living. Since bread contains a lot of carbohydrates, the French simply arenâ??t consuming as much of it. That doesnâ??t mean that they are cutting it out entirely. It just means that instead of having it with every meal, they may have it with only one meal or eat smaller portions of it when they do have it.

Even though the consumption of bread is decreasing in France it is actually increasing in the United States. Americans spend over $20 million dollars a year on bread. Some of the largest wheat fields in America are over 25,000 acres and do allow visitors to come and take a tour of their facilities so that they can learn where bread comes from. Taking a tour of a facility that makes bread or visiting a wheat field might be a fun way to learn more about bread and how itâ??s made.

Regardless in our opinion no visit is complete without stopping at a quintessential French bakery or pastry shop and buying a loaf of fresh baked French bread. Don't worry you will easily find one, as the enter street smells of freshly baked bread and croissants.