Italian
Food
Pasta and pizza
may be the first
foods that come
to mind when you
think of Italian
cuisine, but the
menus of Italian
restaurants contain
a wide range of
items, from rich
soups, antipasto,
and meat, to cheeses,
cakes and ice cream.
Here are some suggestions
to help you make
selections that
fit into a healthy
diet, whether you
eat at a fine Italian
restaurant or call
out for a delivery
from a local pizza
parlor.
Salads and light
soups, such as minestrone,
are good appetizer
selections. If you
order a salad, ask
for balsamic vinegar
or, alternatively,
ask for salad dressing
on the side so you
can control how
much you use.
Steer clear of
antipasto salads,
which contain marinated
vegetables and many
high-fat items:
olives, hard-boiled
eggs, sausages and
meats such as prosciutto
ham. Skip the fried
appetizers and order
mussels or clams
in a wine sauce,
instead.
Try not to overindulge
on Italian bread.
Select bread sticks
or plain rolls,
not buttery garlic
bread. Request bruschetta
prepared with very
little oil and go
easy on dipping
it in oil.
 Pasta
can be a good low-fat
meal, depending
on the sauce. Red
clam or meatless
marinara sauces
are good, tasty
alternatives to
high-fat cream sauces
such as alfredo
or carbonara. Keep
pasta dishes low-fat
by forgoing additional
olive oil, cheese
or fatty meats.
 Try
dishes like chicken,
seafood, veal cacciatore
or veal picata.
Avoid dishes that
have been breaded
and fried, such
as eggplant or veal
parmigiana. Steer
clear of entrees
prepared with a
lot of cheese, which
can be very high
in fat. Ask that
your entree be prepared
without oil.
Order thin-crust
pizza with fresh
vegetable toppings.
Resist extra cheese,
meat toppings, olives
and stuffed and
deep-dish crusts.
 Try
an Italian ice,
fresh fruit or a
skim milk-cappuccino!
Hold off on the
cannoli and gelati!
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