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Eating Out on a Diet: Italian Food
By WLR Dietitian
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You won’t find better pizzas or pasta dishes anywhere else
in the world, but most Italian menus also include grilled fish
and chicken, which can be great diet choices.
Unfortunately, delicious extras such as garlic bread, Parmesan
cheese and the liberal use of olive oil can make a big
difference to the calorie and fat content of meals, so watch
out.
Antipasta
Many starters or antipasta dishes include vegetables such
as mushrooms, peppers and artichoke hearts, but while these
might sound like healthy options, they’re often marinated in
olive oil and so are packed with calories and fat. If you
can’t resist, dab off the excess oil with a serviette or piece
of bread.
Watch out for bruschetta, too – consisting of garlic
toast with tomatoes, it might seem harmless enough, but
sometimes olive oil is liberally poured over the top.
Finally,
beware of fatty, cured meats such as Parma ham or prosciutto –
not only are they packed with fat, but they’re also very salty
with the result that you’ll be tempted to down an extra few
glasses of vino.
Pizza
Traditional Italian pizzas have a thin crust and so are
often lower in fat and
calorie
content than those found in chains
such as Pizza Hut or Dominos. You need to order toppings
sensibly, though, to take advantage of this.
Good choices
include onions, chillies, mushrooms, peppers, spinach, olives,
asparagus, pineapple, tuna, prawns, chicken, sweetcorn and
extra tomato, while salami, pepperoni, bacon and extra cheese
should be given a wide berth. And if you can’t resist the
Quattro formaggio (four cheeses), order just one slice or
share it around!
Pasta
Despite the many different pasta shapes, sizes, colours and
flavours, most have a similar calorie and fat value and are
packed with starchy carbohydrates, which help fill you up.
Pasta also has a low
glycaemic index making it a good choice
for slimmers as it helps to keep blood sugar levels steady so
that between-meal sugar cravings are less likely.
Regardless
of the type of pasta you go for, you need to choose your sauce
wisely. The best bet is to opt for tomato-based sauces such as Napoletana and Arrabiata, which are far lower in fat than
cheesy or creamy sauces such as Carbonara.
Don’t be afraid to
ask your waiter for a starter sized portion of pasta for your
main course, either – you’ll get all the taste for half the
calories.
Ice Cream
Wander down any Italian street and you’ll find a gelateria.
These traditional ice-cream parlours offer a vast array of
tempting flavours, but each scoop alone provides 100 calories.
While it might be tempting to try them all, stick to just the
one. You’ll save even more calories, too, if you have it in a
tub rather than a cone.
More Food Information
You can find out full nutritional information for thousands
of UK foods with the database in WLR.
Try it free for 24 hours.
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