Is Italian Food one of the healthiest food on the planet?

Italian Food is good not just for tasting but also it is good for YOU and for YOUR HEALTH.
I am an Italian Cooking Class Instructor in Italy and I love eating and cooking the real and authentic Italian food with authentic Italian Ingredients: 
Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, 
 Extra Virgin Olive Oil (a marvellous healthy and genuine juice), 
 Cereals (Farro, Orzo, Segale), 
Vegetables (Cauliflowers, Artichokes, Broccoli, Arugula, Spinach, Lettuce, Leeks, Peas, Beans, Asparagus, Zucchini, Eggplant, Pepper, Celery, Tubers, Carrot, Radicchio.... etc.), 
 Farina 00, 
Tomatoes,
 Parsley, 
Basil, 
Oregano, 
Garlic and Onions,
 Fresh Fish and only 1 day per week Meat.

These ingredients reduce the high risk of cancer, high colesterol and obviously heart desease.
Some examples?
Tomato is full of nutrients and antioxidants like lycopene that reduce your risk of breast cancer! 
Or about garlic: do you know that garlic is full of health benefits (sulphur, allicin and selenium) and it helps to lower blood plessure?
And basil? It has unique antibacterial properties.
And oregano? It is full of antioxidants!!!!
Parsley: ohhh incredible, parsley has 3 times of vitamic C as an orange and remember.... parsley can help you to prevent arthritis and it is full of iron (as spinach) and antioxidants, of course!
And Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano (the kings fo Italian Cheese, unique taste and unique old tradition): 30 g per day and you'll help your bones. Parmigiano and Grana are full of calcium (380 mg per 30 grams), but they don't have very calories and fat. Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano are totally natural, very rich in vitamins, proteins and minerals and highly digestible. One kilo of Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano is made with 16 liters of milk.
And Extra Virgin Olive Oil...... oh a healthy ingredient full of antioxidants, because it is "pure" juice from the olives and not fruit of chemical processing and it don't include adding chemicals to remove the odor or the color or obviously the taste. The best Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made by squeezing olives with big granite rocks, and then later by pressing them between screened platforms. No chemicals are used, and the olive oil that come out is the best and purest: in Italy this is called "SPREMITURA A FREDDO" COLD FIRST PRESS o "PRIMA SPREMITURA" (FIRST PRESSING). This Oil is Extra Virgin, but today unfortunately some companies use electric centrifugal machine and don't squeeze olives with big granite rocks. If you see a cheap price, you must know that it is not genuine and it is not the real and healthy Extra Virgin Olive Oil I want and I use. And if you see the color of Extra Virgin Olive Oil is too green, probably means other chemical stuff or/and pigment chlorophyll are added to it.
I am lucky because I can use Extra Virgin Olive Oil made with olives from the same property (from my mother-in-law's farm in Umbria region, Italy). The olives are pressed with big granite millstones in a very old "Frantoio" (Olive Oil Mill, with a long and old reputation to protect) within 12 hours of being harvested, and the production is Extra Virgin Olive Oil of the first squeezing and not filtered.
Another example about the healthy Italian cuisine: in our Italian Diet the fresh fish is very important. Fish and Omega-3 fatty acids are very good for your heart. The Fish (mostly Sardines and Anchovies, very rich in nutrients, low in fat, and some of the best sources for omega-3 fatty acids) can help your heart, reduce your wrinkles, help you with depression and reduce the risk of cancer. It's very important to increase the value the health benefits of Omega-3-rich seafood.

But Italian Food is not only a Feast for your Health but also it is a Feast for your Eyes and your Mouth. 
Italian Food smells wonderful, it is full of colours and fresh and full of vegetables and fresh fruits. And in your mouth the taste is good!
I decided to open a very small in-home cooking school to pass on some of my family’s tips, tricks, and Italian traditions about the food and to share the importance to eat some genuine Italian ingredients every day. It's my opinion that teaching to understand the importance of health food is a great thing.
Even if now you don't eat the real Italian food, even if every day you cook with vegetable oil and you love frying all the food.... you can change your lifestyle and start using for example the Extra Virgin Olive Oil whenever possible in your baking and cooking or start using more Italian ingredients. If you add Extra Virgin Olive Oil and not Vegetable Oil to your diet, I'll tell you that it will helps you to have a healthier body.
One of my dream (fortunately realized) is sharing the importance of authentic Italian food, because I really hate the International-Italian Food. The internalization of Italian food has unfortunately given a lot of Italian food a bad rap for being unhealthy.


Some examples about the True Italian Food & Ingredients & Cuisine and Not True Italian Food & Ingredients & Cuisine:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: from Italy, of course
Vegetable Oil: not true Italian ingredient
Unsalted Butter: from Italy, of course
Heavy Cream: not true Italian ingredient
Sautéed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil: from Italy, of course
Deep-fried in Vegetable Oil: not from Italy
Vegetable-based sauces with fresh vegetables: from Italy, of course
Creamy Sauce: not from Italy
Fresh Italian Cheese: from Italy, of course
Processed Cheese: not true Italian ingredient
Crispy and thin Pizza: from Italy, of course
Fat and not thin Pizza: not from Italy
Tiramisu (only with ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese, sugar, Italian coffee and cocoa powder): from Italy, of course
American and International Tiramisu (with liqueur): not from Italy
Fresh Egg Pasta (Tagliatelle, Fettuccine, Ravioli...... totally homemade) with Vegetable-based sauce or with Meat-based sauce or with Fish-based sauce: from Italy, of course
Macaroni and Cheese: not from Italy
Spaghetti alla Carbonara (with Spaghetti, eggs, "guanciale" or "pancetta", garlic, black pepper and the real Pecorino Cheese NOT WITH HEAVY CREAM!!!!!): from Italy, of course
Pasta alla Carbonara (with pasta, eggs, bacon, garlic, and HEAVY CREAM!!!!!): not from Italy, of course
Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar Dressing: from Italy, of course
Creamy Italian Dressing: not from Italy
Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano: from Italy, of course
Parmesan Cheese in a can: not from Italy
and at the end.....
Alfredo Sauce: not from Italy
If you love Ethical and Healthy Eating and Cooking, but if you hate Fast Cooking, Fast Food, Fast Eating, Fast Chefs and International-Italian Food, you can probably come learning the importance of Authentic and Healthy Italian Food!
"It's no secret that my favorite food in the whole world is the fresh, delicious, healthy, easy and SIMPLE Italian food" by Mama Isa.
Now this "idea" could become yours!


Search in the Recipe Archive