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Italian food can go either way when your fitness level is concerned. It can be mega nutritious and low in calories, or it can be a belly busting nightmare loaded with calories and fat. Choosing which way you’d like your meal to go isn’t a brainteaser, it just requires for you to make the choice and stick with it.
Meat: Choose a lean cut and grill it. Avoid fried versions of chicken and eggplant Parmesan. .
Vegetables: Italy is renowned for its incredibly fresh and delicious vegetables which they like to use quite liberally. You should do the same. Primavera is a term you should become familiar with and use it often when going Italian.
Sauce: The sauce is where many folks screw up royally. Your best bet? Marinara! Marinara sauce is made from tomatoes; many versions of it are naturally fat free. It’s hard to screw up and brings the true flavors Italian food is famous for. Alfredo, on the other hand, is bad bad bad. I know that we don’t like to put ‘labels’ on things, but too bad! If you are not specifically creating your own low fat version of the white stuff, stay the heck away from it. It’s made from cream, butter, cheese, and all sorts of things that combine to clog your arteries and stuff your jeans. Sauces with the words oil or butter in them need to stay off your plate as well.
Pasta: Pasta is undeniably low in fat, and that’s a good thing. It’s also ridiculously high in calories and that is a bad thing. How to make do? Always choose whole wheat pasta and limit it to no more than a scoop on the side of your protein and veggies. Never order pasta as your meal as a dish of it could pack over a thousand calories. Ouch! That’s would cost you two hours of running vigorously to come even close to burning it off. A side of pasta could put you back about 200. Clever folks just substitute spaghetti squash in its place. It tastes just as great and carries only a fraction of the calories, so I give full permission to eat a heck of a lot of it. If you’re going to have the regular stuff though, just have a little. Check out this recipe for low fat zucchini and spaghetti squash lasagna here.
Pizza: Mmmmmm. I love pizza. I also love my hips just the way they are, so I have it in moderation. Pizza crust is low in fat, but just like pasta, it’s high in calories. Stick to one large slice or two small. Choose thin crust, go light on cheese, and pile on the lean meat, marinara and veggie toppings. This type of pizza is both nutritious and filling.
Cheese: Do I need to even go here? Sure it is a dairy product, but it’s huge on fat and calories. When cooking Italian at home, use low fat or fat free cheeses. If you’re eating out, request that they go light on the cheese or avoid it all together.
Lean meat. Red sauce. Spaghetti squash. Whole wheat. Primavera. Light cheese. Viva Italia! Check out tons of delicious and nutritious Italian recipes in my book The Everything Flat Belly Cookbook!
