Eating Right

~Blog Post #4~

April 19th, 2015
By:  Brandon Dechter

         Being overweight in America is often overlooked, however, not in Italy.  It is evident that the Italians know something we do not.  According to the International Association for the Study of Obesity, just nine percent of people in Italy are heavy enough to be considered obese.  Thirty-two percent of Americans can be considered obese, but it is not like Americans are not familiar with Italian food.  Italian restaurants are popular all across the country, and tied with Mexican food for most popular food in U.S.  The Italian food we know and love in America is much different than the preparation and dishes served and known in Italy.  Americans enjoy heavy plates of spaghetti, smothered pasta in Alfredo sauce, and slabs of buttery, greasy, and cheese-smothered garlic bread.  Portion control is also a big part of why Italian diets differ, because the smaller portions and moderation is a big element in this culture’s diet.  The sauces here in America are much heavier as well and sometimes even drown the pasta unlike the light sauce with basil and little meat recipes cherished in Italy.  An interesting fact in traditional diet of Italian culture is how lunch is actually considered the main meal.

 A typical Italian lunch has an antipasto or appetizer (soup, rice or pasta), a secondo (meat or fish), contorno (vegetables), and a dolci (sweet) or desert.  All these are small portions and not every meal offers these choices but these lunches are sometimes festive meals or Sunday lunches, which would indeed feature them all.  To Italians, ingredient quality is of utmost importance and people spend more time and money on their food than Americans.  Food is rarely imported, and Italians are generally concerned and suspicious of products that are not locally grown or made.  Italians do not quench their thirst with sugary sodas, instead with water; wine, or watered down wine.  Portions are kept small, with a glass not bottle of wine.  In America, refills are common which are unusual for Italians.  A fascinating fact is that in America’s average diet, the majority of calories are in drinks and half the sugar. 

A Caprese Salad consists of four tomatoes, two cups mozzarella cheese, fresh basil leaves, two tablespoons extra-virgin oil, salt and freshly-ground pepper.  This recipe is fresh and overall, the food in Italy’s culture is important to them and they truly enjoy their food.  Below is an example of the size of a Caprese salad, much not like what we would be accustomed to at an Italian Restaurant.  

From my own experience, I have eaten a Caprese salad as well as Italian dishes and the portions are much larger here then in other countries, such as Italian restaurants in Mexico.  In American diet, I think that there is not a similar shift, however, many Americans are being motivated to change their lifestyle into a more active and healthy way.  In the novel, similarly to Italian cuisine, food and recipes are important to them.  A healthy diet, in my opinion, is essential to a happy lifestyle and can give a person emotional and physical health and well being that many do not have.  Confidence is also present when one is dedicated to their health and body.   

"Popular Diets of the World: The Italian Way With Food." WebMD. WebMD. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. <http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/the-italian-diet?page=5>.

Web. 19 Apr. 2015. <https://chefshelby.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/caprese-salad-1-500.jpg>.