Healthy Italian Eating Habits

Italian eating habits dictated by old Italian food customs are known to be one of the healthiest in the world even though they are high in fat. The traditional Mediterranean diet combines a mix of beans, pasta, meats and seafoods with fresh fruits and vegetables and served with "good" oils such as olive oil. This type of eating is linked to low rates of heart disease.

Italian eating habits center around home cooked meals. Italian food customs have the woman working in the home to prepare meals of several courses made with fine homemade foods free of preservatives and chemicals. Fresh vegetables and olive oils add to the flavor and the health of the meal.

Italian food customs center around 2 meals a day - a combination of grains, fruits, vegetables and cheese with a tiny bit of meats. In Italian eating habits, the meats are more of an add on as opposed to the focus of the meal. This lowers the bad fats consumed and the generous use of olive oils increases the good fats. Meals are eaten in many courses at a slower pace and usually with wine - all very relaxing and stress reducing.

Adopt Healthy Italian Eating Habits

You don't have to be Italian to eat healthy. Simply integrate a few Italian food customs into your daily eating and you can eat a bit healthier.

For one, avoid fast foods - they are full of bad fats and low in nutrition. Try to make your own foods for most of your meals,even if you have to prepare them on the weekends and freeze them for the week ahead.

Use only good oils - switch to using olive oil ONLY. Try to replace the use of butter with olive oil. You can adopt one of my favorite Italian eating habits by mixing the oil with herbs and use it to dip your bread in instead of putting butter on. Try drizzling oil on your veggies instead of drowning them in butter.

Eat less meat - More fish and chicken, less red meat - fill up on pasta and salads and make the meat more of a side dish.

Eat slowly - Savor your meals - you'll be less stressed out, you'll eat less and the food will taste better!