Italian Light

Savor the taste of Italy the healthy way

Italian foods emphasize simplicity, freshness and flavor. Traditional Italian meals include several small courses rather than a huge portion of any single item. Pasta dishes are lightly sauced, and meats and sausages are often used to accent the flavor of dishes rather than served as the main course. By keeping refined carbohydrates low — or better yet, replacing them with complex carbohydrates from whole grains — Italian dishes can be a delightful, good-for-you choice.

Low-Carb "Spaghetti"

Spaghetti squash is a delicious, low-carb alternative to pasta. "Even though pasta can be part of a low-fat meal, it’s not low in carbohydrates and in calories," says Beth Anderson, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Liberty Medical. "One cup of pasta contains about 100 calories and 45 grams of carbohydrates." On the other hand, one cup of spaghetti squash has about 42 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrates.

To cook: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Rinse the skin of a medium spaghetti squash (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), and cut the squash lengthwise in half. Remove and discard the seeds. Place the squash, cut sides down, in a large baking dish. Generously prick the skin with the tines of a fork. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until tender. (Do not overbake or the squash will become watery.) Cool slightly; remove pulp by raking strands with the fork. Separate the strands to look like spaghetti.

10 Italian Pantry Essentials

In the mood for an Italian meal? Keep your shelves stocked with these ingredients, along with an assortment of fresh vegetables and greens in the fridge, and you’ll be able to whip up a simple, healthful dish in minutes.

Canned Albacore Tuna 
and Anchovies: Both of these fish are good sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. To get the most omega-3s from canned tuna, choose water-packed, rather than oil-packed, tuna. For the best-quality anchovies, look for those packed in salt, but be sure to rinse them before using. You may also need to debone them.

Canned and Dried Beans and Lentils: For an extra boost of fiber, toss a handful of canned white or garbanzo beans or brown lentils into soups and salads, or lightly dress them with a reduced-fat vinaigrette and serve as a side dish. When using canned beans, be sure to rinse them to remove the salty liquid that they’re 
packed in.

Cheeses: A small amount of bold-flavored cheeses, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, pecorino Romano and piccante Asiago, go a long way. Keep a chunk of one of these cheeses on hand to lightly grate over pastas, salads, meats and vegetables.

Fresh tomatoes, or canned and packaged tomato products: Tomatoes are naturally low in calories, fat and sodium. Make your own sauces and soups using either fresh tomatoes or canned reduced-sodium tomato products. Sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil, add a tangy-sweet tomato taste to dishes too.

Garlic: Available in bulbs, peeled cloves or minced in a jar. Rub cut garlic onto meats before cooking or sautéed garlic in a very small amount of olive or canola oil to infuse its flavor in cooked dishes.

Olive Oil: Olive oils differ in flavor, ranging from buttery to grassy. Buy the variety that tastes best to you. There are different grades of olive oil as well. Extra-virgin olive oil, from the first pressing of the olives, has the finest quality and is the most expensive. Use it for drizzling over salads, pastas and vegetables. Heating it will destroy its flavor. For cooking, use a lower and less expensive grade, such as pure or light. But don’t be fooled by thinking that “light” is lower in calories. In this case, “light” means less flavor.

Olives: Look for imported varieties — both green and black — in jars or in the deli section of the supermarket. Olives are a perfect ingredient for an antipasto platter or added to salads and sauces. Before using, rinse olives to remove the salty brine or oil.

Pastas: For a nutritional boost, opt for multigrain or whole-wheat pastas instead of white pastas. Both are available in dried forms. You’ll even find spinach, tomato and other vegetable varieties for a nutritional change of pace.

Pasta Sauces: For a quick, inexpensive meal, pasta sauces are not only good on pastas, but also delicious served over poultry, meats, fish and polenta. Sauces in a jar tend to be slightly high in sodium, so use them sparingly and compare the nutritional labels of different brands and varieties before selecting one.

Vinegars and Dried Herbs: Keep balsamic and red wine vinegars in your cupboard for sprinkling over salads or perking up the flavor of cooked dishes. On your spice rack, be sure to have basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and an Italian seasoning blend — they’re a must for adding Italian flair to dishes. All of these herbs 
are easy to grow as well!