Abstract EN:

From the 1960's to the end of the 1980's, not only transformations in life style but also increased household income have allowed for a restructuring of the french dietetic repertoire. From the sterile and purified to the raw and uncooked, from ready to eat fare to deceptively complex culinary kits, the product range offered the public has revealed the new needs of consumers and their basic alimentary function along with collective representations of our society. The relative values accorded to dietetic discourse (varying constantly accor ding to modes) and vacation time (even if the latter concerns but half the french public) influence alimentary behaviour. It is the valorization of these two influences that serves as the subject of the author's analysis. The increased distance between the work place and home, the spreading adoption of a continuous uninterrupted workday, and the entrance of more women into the workforce are all factors that have encouraged the development of new restaurants styles as contemporary alternatives to existing meal plans at both cafeterias and fixed-menu establishments. These changes in the conception of nourrishment have come into direct colli sion with a more customary dietetic sensibility most notably at a regional level. The acceptance of new and different dietetic practices relies on a door to door diffusion of novelty. Nevertheless, the famous "paradox of the omnivore" still holds true for contemporary consumer is obsessed with variety as much as he or she is with a notion of security.