Why Italy

Is there such a thing as healthy Italian food?

I love Italian food. Pastas, garlic, onion, delicious sauces, ect. Is there any way to eat dishes like this and loose weight? I need low calorie or low fat recipies for Italian food. Anyone know any?

Public Comments

1. This is a quick and easy recipe to make, requiring only four main ingredients. There's no clean-up, either, as the chicken breasts are cooked in foil packets. All that's needed to accompany this low fat Italian-style chicken are some vegetables on the side and perhaps some noodles. INGREDIENTS: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 cup no-salt-added marinara sauce (like Trader Joe's organic) 1/2 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup freshly chopped basil PREPARATION: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Tear 4 sheets of foil wrap measuring 12" by 18". Place one chicken breast in the center of each foil sheet. Spoon one-fourth of the marinara sauce over each chicken piece, followed by cheese and basil. Bring up the sides of the foil and fold the top edge over twice. Seal the edges, leaving enough room for air to circulate inside. Place each packet on a large cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Unseal foil packets carefully, as the steam will be extremely hot. Enjoy with noodles and vegetables. Serves 4. Per Serving: Calories 239, Calories from Fat 49, Total Fat 5.5g (sat 2.4g), Cholesterol 108mg, Sodium 275mg, Carbohydrate 4.1g, Fiber 0.6g, Protein 43.4g
2. I once saw a program that made chicken parmesan with toasted panko breadcrumbs. You coat the chicken with the breadcrumbs and bake on a rack in the oven for a crispy fried taste with little calories. To toast the breadcrumbs use approximatley 1 cup and 1 tbl olive oil and fry till toasted. Just make sure you use little cheese and a low calorie tomato sauce.
3. There is alot of healthy Italian food - in fact, most Italian food is based on the Mediterranean diet, which in terms of heart disease is one of the healthiest types of diet out there! This is due in large part to the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils they use instead of saturated oils and trans fats like our typically American diet. Olive oil is the main oil they use, and alot of fish, and fruits and vegetables. Pasta is fine in moderation, too, especially with olive oil and veggies - meat can be used almost like a condiment, to give extra flavor, in small portions.
4. Real Italian food is very healthy - with durum semolina and rich in flavor and vegetables it is the American versions made with flour and loads of animal fats you need to shy away from. On the whole Italian foods are really great for loosing weight. Try some with fresh fish, shellfish and real semolina pasta you will get full faster and always have a soup and salad before the main course to help your digestion - for dessert have a small glass of brandy instead of cakes or cookies or a demitasse of espresso. Try northern Italian dishes and those from the coast for the best richest flavors with the least fat. Abbondanza!
5. http://www.ediets.com/mediterranean/diet/
6. try this one.. Low Fat Italian-Style Chicken This is a quick and easy recipe to make, requiring only four main ingredients. There's no clean-up, either, as the chicken breasts are cooked in foil packets. All that's needed to accompany this low fat Italian-style chicken are some vegetables on the side and perhaps some noodles. INGREDIENTS: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 cup no-salt-added marinara sauce (like Trader Joe's organic) 1/2 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup freshly chopped basil PREPARATION: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Tear 4 sheets of foil wrap measuring 12" by 18". Place one chicken breast in the center of each foil sheet. Spoon one-fourth of the marinara sauce over each chicken piece, followed by cheese and basil. Bring up the sides of the foil and fold the top edge over twice. Seal the edges, leaving enough room for air to circulate inside. Place each packet on a large cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Unseal foil packets carefully, as the steam will be extremely hot. Enjoy with noodles and vegetables. Serves 4. Per Serving: Calories 239, Calories from Fat 49, Total Fat 5.5g (sat 2.4g), Cholesterol 108mg, Sodium 275mg, Carbohydrate 4.1g, Fiber 0.6g, Protein 43.4g
7. Check out these links: 1. http://www.virtualitalia.com/recipes/vegetarian.shtml 2. At this website, scroll down to Vegetarian & Vegan recipes: http://www.knowledgehound.com/topics/italianr.htm#veg
8. salads with oil and vinegar , whole wheat pastas in small portions . tomato sauce is extremely good for you as is garlic . try the low fat guy on food network .com low carb and lovin it with George Stella just remembered one from Alton Brown on Good Eats it's spaghetti squash alfredo... delicious
9. I make lots of "cream" pasta sauces using chicken stock and fat-free half & half. They always have garlic and onion, but the other ingredients vary. They might include a variety of sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, asparagus, roasted red peppers, a small amount of turkey or chicken Italian sausage or chopped cooked chicken, shrimp, grated parmesan or pecorino romano. Cook down to thicken if necessary or add a bit of cornstarch. For me the sauce being low-fat offsets the calories in the pasta for that meal dieting wise. We like this so much that we almost can't eat the high fat, ultra rich sauces in restaurants.
10. Italian cuisine is very healthy in fact, but thanks to its spices, it can increase your appetite, and that's the most common problem with it. But it requests natural and healthy ingredients, without any preservatives and sugar, and it's easy for digesting. If you want to "make a pause" and still to keep the italian style in your kitchen, there are some suggestions: Spaghetti diet (people who tried it say it was succesful): MONDAY: Breakfast: 2 orange juice, low-fat yogurt (2 dl), 3 tablespoons of mussli. In-between: a little bowl of boiled rice. Lunch: 180 g of flounder or any white fish, baked/grilled without any fats, 150 g of green pods, integral pastry (roll or something). In-between: 1 apple. Dinner: 70 g of maccaroni with tomato sauce and 1 boild egg. TUESDAY: Breakfast: 1 orange juice, herbal tea and a slice of integral bread. In-between: 1 apple. Lunch: salad consisting of tomato puree and 100 g of mozzarella, with some basil and olive oil; one piece of any soya pastry. In-between: 1 yoogurt (2 dl). Dinner: 70 g of integral spaghetti with boiled vegetables, with the addition of tomato sauce with some sage. WEDNESDAY: Breakfast: 1 yogurt (2 dl) with 3 tablespoons of oat flakes, 1 glass of orange juice. In-between: 2 kiwi fruits. Lunch: 200 g of hake, prepared without any fats; some boiled vegetbles and a slice of integral bread. In-between: 1 banana. Dinner: 60 g of integral pasta with 100 g of green pods and mixed salad. THURSDAY: Breakfast: Herbal tea, 1 apple and integral toast with the low-calory marmelade. In-between: 1 yogurt (2 dl). Lunch: 200 g of boiled pods and one boiled carrot, 100 g of shrimps fryed without any fats, a piece of integral pastry. In-between: 1 apple. Dinner: 50 g of integral rice with 30 g of beef (boiled or grilled), 150 g of fresh carrot (grated), one half of any integral pastry. FRIDAY Breakfast: 1 glass of low-fat milk with 3 spoons of wheat flakes. In-between: 1 pear. Lunch: 150 g of lettuce with one hard boiled egg, half of an apple, 4 nuts, one slice of integral bread, any light sauce. In-between: 1 yogurt. Dinner: soup made of vegetables and 40 g of pasta, 30 g of fresh white cheese. SATURDAY: Breakfast: 1 carrot juice, 2 slices of integral toast with some low-calory marmelade. In-between: 1 banana. Lunch: 150 g of grilled chicken breasts (or wried without any fats), some lettuce. In-between: 1 low-fat fruit yogurt. Dinner: 50 g of boiled rice with 150 of gourds, one slice of integral bread. SUNDAY: Breakfast: herbal tea, 1 orange and 5 integral cookies. In-between: 1 yogurt. Lunch: lentils cooked with chard and carrots. In between: carrot & lemon juice. Dinner: 1 egg omelette, 60 g of boiled integral rice, 100 g of boiled spinach, one piece of soya pastry. Some suggestions for the "light" sauces: 1) Lemon sauce: 1 lemon juice, some yogurt, mustard, salt and black pepper. 2) Pink sauce: grapefruit juice, white cheese, mustard, tomato puree. 3) Tomato puree sauce: mashed tomato, garlic, parsley, salt, black pepper. 4) Green onion sauce: white cheese, chopped green onions, salt, black pepper. 5) Curry sauce: white cheese, curry powder, lemon, salt.
11. If you avoid the fatty cream sauces, yes. Try whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce and lots of veggies. It's not real Italian, but you can sprinkle nutritional yeast on top for a cheesy flavor with less fat. Olive oil is a healthier fat, so use that in your cooking. Garlic and onion are very good for your blood (even if they do stink up your breath). Avoid creamy foods and fried foods, and you should be okay.