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How can I eat healthy while traveling in Italy?

Italian food, Italian style
  • Seasonal fruits and vegetables.
  • Whole grains, beans and legumes.
  • Abundant seafood and lean poultry.
  • Low-fat dairy, including yogurt, feta cheese and mozzarella.
  • Olive oil, nuts, seeds and other healthy fats.
  • Infrequent, moderate portions of red meat.
  • Nutrient-packed herbs and spices.




Eating healthy in Italy is surprisingly easy if you follow the "Live Like a Local" philosophy. The core of Italian cuisine—the Mediterranean Diet—is naturally rich in vegetables, legumes, and healthy fats. To maintain a balanced diet, focus on "Contorni" (side dishes), which are often simple, grilled, or sautéed seasonal vegetables like chicory, spinach, or roasted peppers. Instead of heavy pasta with cream sauces, opt for "Primi" dishes with tomato, seafood, or bean bases, such as Pasta e Fagioli. When dining at a "Trattoria," you can often order a simple grilled fish or meat as your "Secondo." A great tip is to visit local "Mercati" (markets) or grocery stores like Coop or Conad to stock up on fresh fruit, Valeriana greens, and yogurt for snacks. While it's tempting to indulge in daily pizza and gelato, remember that real Italian gelato is made with whole milk and contains less fat than ice cream—opting for "sorbetto" is even lighter. Finally, prioritize walking as your main form of transport to balance out the extra carbohydrates.

People Also Ask

  1. Order Vegetable Side Dishes. ...
  2. Portions Are Not as Big as I Assumed. ...
  3. You can Easily Order Gelato in a “Kid's” Size. ...
  4. Save $$ by Going to a Bar Offering Aperitivo. ...
  5. Try to Stick with 1 Starch Per Day. ...
  6. You Don't Have to Tip at Restaurants. ...
  7. Let's Skip the Oil & Bread. ...
  8. Take Food for Snacks at Breakfast Buffets.


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Then there's the Mediterranean-style diet, with plenty of fruits and vegetables, fish a few times a week, lean meats or chicken, whole grains, olive oil, and red wine. All of this helps Italians enjoy long lives, he says.

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Here are eight helpful tips to eat healthy while seeing the sights, so you return with memories, not extra weight.
  1. Bring your own snacks. ...
  2. Avoid the mini bar. ...
  3. Don't skip breakfast. ...
  4. Indulge smartly. ...
  5. Stay in a place with a kitchen. ...
  6. Try local restaurants, split meals if possible. ...
  7. Stay active, wear comfortable shoes. ...
  8. Stay hydrated.


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Pack healthy non-perishable snacks.
  • Whole or dried fruit.
  • Nuts (pre-portioned into snack-size bags).
  • Nut butters (travel packs are great for planes).
  • Whole-grain pretzels, crackers and bread sticks.
  • Trail mix.
  • Snack bars. Look for bars made with whole grains, nuts and fruit and with minimal amounts of added sugars.


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Pack Snacks Hunger in between meals can lead to overeating when it's actually time for food. To prevent this ?hangry? feeling, she recommends packing snacks like whole or dried fruit, nuts and trail mix, pretzels or crackers with hummus or nut butter, or protein/granola bars.

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  • Cappuccino, Coffee and Croissant. A cornetto, together with an espresso or with a cappuccino becomes the joy of lots of Italians who love to have a breakfast in a café, in their favourite pastry shop or at the cafeteria just outside the office. ...
  • Bread and Jam. ...
  • Milk and Cereals. ...
  • Yoghurt and Fruit.


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Pasta is often served as a primo (first course), with a meat, seafood or vegetable course called a secondo coming after that. To do as the Italians do, try serving a smaller portion of pasta as a primo for an Italian-inspired dinner party, or as precursor to a meat, fish or vegetable main.

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Their foods contain little or no fatty creams and oils and are always in fairly sized portions. These eating habits are basically the proper way a person should eat if such a person chooses to eat healthy. Italians love to take vegetables, pasta, beans, fruit, bread, and nuts.

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Eat your way to savings
  1. Tips to save money on dining in Italy and eat better for it. ...
  2. Look before you tip. ...
  3. Be a pig at breakfast. ...
  4. Be your own chef. ...
  5. Splash out at lunch. ...
  6. Become a street food gourmet. ...
  7. Fast food, Italy-style. ...
  8. Eat for free.


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Fresh fish is the best: Because Italy is a Mediterranean peninsula, seafood is an integral part of the cuisine. Include omega-3-rich seafood in your diet two or three times each week. Italians eat all types of seafood. Anchovies, tuna, sardines, and salmon can be used with stews, pasta, pizzas, and risotto.

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Located to the east of Rome, Abruzzo is arguably the cheapest and the best region to live in Italy. It has great mountains, fantastic scenery, good food, lovely Italian people and plenty of expats. This region is often compared to Tuscany. Like Tuscany, Abruzzo has medieval villages and towns dotted atop rolling hills.

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Keeping your body moving is a great way to ensure that you stick to your weight loss plan. Getting plenty of physical activity, even while away from home, is a great reminder of all your hard work, and exercise has a positive influence on weight balance. Don't just lie on the beach catching the sun's rays.

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