I know, shoot me down but I never thought for a minute I would be raising a topic about how awful the bread is in France but I am. I swear we have not had a decent sandwich since we left the UK 5 years ago! OK baguettes are fine but we try and eat healthily and buying some decent sliced brown bread in France is a joke. Can anyone recommend any? I have tried various "granary" and "seeded" bread (I use the terms loosely) from Hyper U, Bio bread from Intermarche which is better used as a door stop and is quite a heavy bread, and is more a breakfast bread with jam, and that disgusting Harry's stuff which has the customary first one or two slices that are stale and end up in the bin. We have also tried cereal loaves from Leclerc, all of which are shocking, some of which of are sweet! Yes, we can go to the boulangerie and buy a boule but it isn't sandwich bread and what's more is not spreadable and is better suited for breakfast bread as opposed to sandwiches. We have been using some from the UK on the British Corner Shops website but is not cost effective and is a treat, although does not last for long as the shelf life is short and delivery can be too long for such an item. I have even frozen that to find it is stale after defrosting. It is also not practical to go out and buy baguettes every day for work and is also not healthy. I need to take proper sandwiches into work with me. Even home made bread is not sandwich bread!

I think probably your problem here is your 'need to take proper sandwiches into work with me' while the French don't automatically always slap a piece of bread each side of their lunch, so they don't make so much bread for this purpose. I guess "pain de mie" is best for "sandwich bread" although it's not exciting in itself. I like it that you can get such a wide range of good bread to be eaten and enjoyed for itself - cereal bread, wholegrain bread, fig bread, walnut bread, etc. I often take just a couple of slices of nice bread with butter on, to eat alongside a chunk of cheese and a few bits of salad.

Can't comment on supermarket bread because I have 2 boulangeries within easy walking distance, and I don't know what 'Harry's stuff' is, I've never seen it.

French packed lunches, from what I see (which is mostly when I happen to be on a train and at 12h30 and people produce lunches, complete with paper serviettes) tend to be salads, grains, pulses, pasta, cheese, tartlets, fruit. Perhaps with a couple of chunks of baguette to accompany. Which, arguably, is more healthy than large quantities of bread. Here are a few ideas for packed lunches French style:
Six recettes � emporter dans sa "boîte" - L'Express L'Entreprise

Personally I love it although I prefer it toasted with things like Roquefort or Blueberry jam with a proper expresso and or a perfectly poached egg.

Mass produced bread is not what France was built on hence the lack of diversity in that type of loaf here, it won over in the UK although a lot of folk considered it horrendous initially.

Chorleywood: The bread that changed Britain - BBC News

French bread is ideal for ploughman style meals so just adjust your eating habits.....

I think I am massively changing my eating habits just moving to France as I cannot eat fish or seafood, so when we dine out a majority of restaurants here do nothing other than fish or beef and never change the menu. I never ate beef in the UK and now it is pretty much all I eat. I also don't want to compromise my diet and healthy eating white baguette day after day if there is a possibility i can eat better and healthier food.

+1
I was going to say that many French people take a Tupperware of protein-rich salad, accompanied by a piece (or two) of healthy bread. No spread in sight, no need for slices.....

Yes, but 5 or 6 days a week is a little excessive. Just want a nice sandwich now and then. Is that too much to ask? Clearly it is

Missed this in my reply. Do you eat out THAT often? Change your restaurants if yours never change their menus. And there are plenty of other meats to choose from for eating at home (and adding cold to your Tupperware!)...

Missed this reply in my reply, too! Can't advise any more, either make do with French sliced bread or take time to think of varied Tupperware salads!

But why would you eat white baguette day after day - there is a possibility you can eat better and healthier food because surely a varied diet with fresh fruit and veg, quiche, salad etc is far healthier and also more interesting than eating 2 or 4 slices of bread every lunchtime

But since you're clearly attached to your sarnies, have you tried using croissants? Filled croissants, eg ham and cheese, work very well IMHO.

Croissants with cheese? Cartainly not a healthy alternative to a sandwich although have tried this before. Not something I would want too often!

Cripes you're a hard person to please. Even bbcgoodfood.com approves of savoury filled croissants
Bacon and Mushroom Croissants | BBC Good Food

Have you tried this range? My GCs like sandwiches made with it when they come here and I have to admit is by far and away the best "shop" bread I have ever had in France.

Harrys - BEAU & BON

A couple of questions:

Which bread did you use in Blighty and what do you put in your sandwiches? Ever thought of using wraps, pitta HM flat breads?

We had some friends who came for two weeks holiday in france with their caravan and brought enough Brit sliced rubbish to last the entire time and were proud of the fact.

We have some brilliant bakers round here but I also love making my own bread and things like oatcakes, scones and crumpets when I feel a twinge of taste nostalgia

Do you really take sandwiches every day?

As dmu says, probably about time you found a few new restaurants, though if you really want to eat healthily fish is much better for you than meat, unless of course you are allergic.

No Not every day but a good sarnie a couple of times a week is greatly missed! I too use wraps but cannot seem to get on with them as they go quite hard and don't seem as soft as the wraps you buy ready made in the UK. I buy warburtons in the UK or a good Hovis granary from British Corner shops. I too live making bread but is always more bread and jam bread rather than for a filling as they can be a little heavy. Even our neighbours make bread rolls but they too are more breakfast bread. I can eat white fish but nothing beyond that and cannot risk eating it out as many dishes are served with a Fruit de Mer sauce. It is strange because restaurants here seem to think Fruit de Mer and poisson are different!!!??? I also cannot eat Frogs legs or snails as they too contain the same ingredient that is in seafood. Restaurants are very ill informed on allergies and is quite a worry. I have even ordered vollaille and it came out with a crevisse on the plate despite me telling I couldn't eat any seafood or fish! Anyway, that is away from the topic in question.

Do you think that UK brown bread is healthier?
"The French have always used local wheat. It is low in protein.
Protein when mixed with water forms gluten.
Gluten is like chewing gum and is unique in wheat. It allows the gas generated by the yeast to be trapped in bubbles.
The stronger the wheat the smaller the bubbles.
The English have historically, because of the Empire imported wheat from India, Australia, South Americas , America and Canada. These wheats are strong in protein allowing English bakers to make small bubbles. It also allows more water to be added, if you then add a bit of fat, it allows the loaf to last for longer.

Traditional French Bread is made with only flour , yeast and water. It goes stale very quickly."

Have a look at this article:
The shocking truth about bread | Features | Lifestyle | The Independent
Perhaps the UK philosophy of brown bread good - white bread bad does not translate to France.

Most certainly not but prefer to know that I am eating fibre rather than too much stodge. Anyway, the question was does anyone know of any good granary bread for sandwiches?? I also know that fibre helps prevent many types of cancers etc and a country that consumes as much bread, cheese, wine and cigarettes as it does is not a prime example of how I wish to manage my diet and mortality.

I'm allergic to shellfish, too, and say "no sauce, thanks" when I choose white fish on the rare occasions when we eat out. Likewise I give the occasional "crevette", "écrevisse" or whatever, and the mussels when we buy paella at the market, to OH. In the same way as brains, sweetbread, pigs' trotters, etc.., I don't eat frogs' legs or snails (I did try each delicacy once). I just don't like them and didn't know the latter contained the same allergens as shellfish....
Back to bread, I always have "Maxi-Jac Complet" in the freezer for emergencies and which OH uses to make croque-messieurs, even vegetarian ones, for family returning home after a visit. They are delicious cold and as nice as savoury-filled croissants, with a tomato, and fruit to follow.
Hope all these replies are giving you ideas for your lunches!
P.S. Once again, our posts crossed. Ask for "pain multi-céréales" which, I presume, is French for granary bread. They can cut it for you for a price.