The Italian Diet Weight Factors

Italian Diet - Italian Foods - The Diet of the Italians

Italy's Food Sources, the Italian Basic Daily Diet:

The Italian diet is super rich in carbohydrates with delectable breads and creamy pastas creating the base for almost all things good in Italy.

Although the Italian diet is filled with tastes of heaven (except maybe for the exception of the exotic meat-faire listed below) the Italian diet is dynamited with fat.

Just a few bites of some foods contains the amount of calories that an individual may need for the entire day.

The quandary is that Italians carry their weight quite well.

Weight Loss & Walking Italian Style

One of the keys that assist Italians in keeping weight under control is the vast amount of walking performed going to and from work, to and from the markets - amid the hills and valleys. You know - they set the bar where shoe-quality is concerned, probably based on the fact that they are experts in the area of walking. It's almost impossible to beat a good pair of Italian-made shoes.

Italians' Meal Schedules

Breakfast might consist of a croissant and cappuccino - or maybe a healthy yogurt. A light pastry might suffice for a pre-lunch snack. Lunch tends to be the heaviest meal of the day as workers shut down to savor the lazy time of day. Dinner comes late in the day, sometimes into the late evening hours and is generally very light.

Some of the foods prevalent in the Italian diet include: lasagna, tortellini, mortadella, prosciutto, presto, foccacia bread.

Sun dried tomatoes are used in many of the tomato based Italian cuisine.

Exotic meat faire includes, donkey steaks, frogs, entrails pudding. Desserts are divine: cannoli, zeppole, marzipan, and tiramisu.

Nutritional Values for Popular Italian Foods

Spaghetti and meatballs can be prepared with moderate or significant calories. To keep values in check where fat and energy is concerned, opt for extra lean ground beef for meatballs. The red sauce is based on the healthy tomato and tends to be low in caloric values as most of the sauce is pureed tomatoes. Added sugar increases values.

Nutrition Facts: Spaghetti & Meatballs	Units	Per 100 Grams	1 Cup
Energy, Caloric Values	kcal	107	273
Protein	g	4.17	10.63
Total lipid (fat)	g	5.10	13.00
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	11.11	28.33
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	12	31
Iron, Fe	mg	1.31	3.34
Magnesium, Mg	mg	14	36
Phosphorus, P	mg	4	10
Potassium, K	mg	141	360
Sodium, Na	mg	406	1035
Zinc, Zn	mg	0.60	1.53
Vitamins
Thiamin	mg	0.091	0.232
Riboflavin	mg	0.106	0.270
Niacin	mg	1.986	5.064
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.064	0.163
Vitamin B-12	µg	0.28	0.71
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	µg	1.1	2.8
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	1.980	5.049
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	2.216	5.651
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	0.360	0.918
Cholesterol	mg	9	23

Italian sausage also tends to be popular within this culture. Traditionally prepared the sausage is extreme in fat, and particularly so in the area of cholesterol which can contribute to clogged arteries thus triggering heart disease and stroke - among other diseases such as cancer.

When purchasing Italian sausage in modern day markets, look for the leanest cuts containing minimal fat. To prepare, try slicing the links into tiny circles and preparing them in a pan on the stove top in which a bit of extra virgin olive oil has been added. Cook thoroughly and serve over whole grain rice. You can even add one of your favorite sauces to bring out new flavors. Or you can mix the cook sausage rings with vegetables such as carrots, shredded cabbage and broccoli florets.

Nutrition Facts: Italian Sausage, Pork, Raw	Units	Per 100 Grams	1 Link (113 grams)	1 Link (91 grams)
Energy, Caloric Values	kcal	346	391	315
Protein	g	14.25	16.10	12.97
Total lipid (fat)	g	31.33	35.40	28.51
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	0.65	0.73	0.59
Fiber, total dietary	g	0.0	0.0	0.0
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	18	20	16
Iron, Fe	mg	1.18	1.33	1.07
Magnesium, Mg	mg	14	16	13
Phosphorus, P	mg	142	160	129
Potassium, K	mg	253	286	230
Sodium, Na	mg	731	826	665
Zinc, Zn	mg	1.79	2.02	1.63
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	2.0	2.3	1.8
Thiamin	mg	0.568	0.642	0.517
Riboflavin	mg	0.168	0.190	0.153
Niacin	mg	3.250	3.672	2.958
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.300	0.339	0.273
Folate, DFE	mcg_DFE	8	9	7
Vitamin B-12	µg	0.91	1.03	0.83
Vitamin A, RAE	mcg_RAE	0	0	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	0	0	0
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	11.270	12.735	10.256
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	14.340	16.204	13.049
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	4.030	4.554	3.667
Cholesterol	mg	76	86	69

Nutrition Facts, Cheese Lasagna	Units	Per 100 Grams	Per 1 Serving (243 grams)	Per Ounce
Energy, Caloric Values	kcal	130	316	37
Protein	g	6.54	15.89	1.85
Total lipid (fat)	g	5.33	12.95	1.51
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	13.84	33.63	3.92
Fiber, total dietary	g	1.7	4.1	0.5
Sugars, total	g	4.23	10.28	1.20
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	111	270	31
Iron, Fe	mg	1.27	3.09	0.36
Magnesium, Mg	mg	21	51	6
Phosphorus, P	mg	107	260	30
Potassium, K	mg	182	442	52
Sodium, Na	mg	284	690	81
Zinc, Zn	mg	0.91	2.21	0.26
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	17.1	41.6	4.8
Thiamin	mg	0.114	0.277	0.032
Riboflavin	mg	0.154	0.374	0.044
Niacin	mg	1.361	3.307	0.386
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.069	0.168	0.020
Vitamin B-12	µg	0.57	1.39	0.16
Vitamin A, RAE	mcg_RAE	39	95	11
Vitamin A, IU	IU	130	316	37
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	mg	0.88	2.14	0.25
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	µg	9.1	22.1	2.6
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	2.110	5.127	0.598
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	1.573	3.822	0.446
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	1.022	2.483	0.290
Cholesterol	mg	13	32	4

Nutrition Facts: Ravioli - Meat Filled With Tomato Sauce	Units	Per 100 Grams	Per 1 Cup Serving
Energy, Caloric Values	kcal	99	259
Protein	g	3.41	8.93
Total lipid (fat)	g	3.41	8.93
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	13.73	35.97
Fiber, total dietary	g	1.6	4.2
Sugars, total	g	2.40	6.29
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	13	34
Iron, Fe	mg	1.05	2.75
Magnesium, Mg	mg	13	34
Phosphorus, P	mg	43	113
Potassium, K	mg	169	443
Sodium, Na	mg	354	927
Zinc, Zn	mg	0.45	1.18
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	0.0	0.0
Thiamin	mg	0.057	0.149
Riboflavin	mg	0.061	0.160
Niacin	mg	1.289	3.377
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.062	0.162
Folate, DFE	mcg_DFE	28	73
Vitamin B-12	µg	0.16	0.42
Vitamin A, RAE	mcg_RAE	15	39
Vitamin A, IU	IU	222	582
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	mg	0.55	1.44
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	µg	0.0	0.0
Vitamin D	IU	0	0
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	µg	0.8	2.1
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	1.427	3.739
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	1.590	4.166
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	0.244	0.639
Cholesterol	mg	5	13
Other
Caffeine	mg	0	0

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