An excerpt from Elizabeth Borelli’s new book, Tastes Like La Dolce Vita. For more on the author, read Sean Rusev’s interview.
Life is a combination of magic and pasta. —Federico Fellini
No matter how you slice it, the Italian passion for food is sexy. And counterintuitive as it may sound to our “eat less to lose weight” Western ears, food seems to play a big part in Italians’ health and happiness levels, as routinely measured and documented.
Italians rate themselves as happy and healthy, in part due to the cultural norms like slower pace, connection to community and family culture. And their love of food is clearly a big part of it.
You’re probably wondering, How do they do it? How do they stay fit over bowls of spaghetti, baskets of bread and glasses of wine? We now know it’s by choosing abundance over denial, by slowing down to savor a wider variety of foods, including fresh produce and whole grains, and spending more time dining with friends and family. But how can that possibly equate to the lower rates of diet-related disease enjoyed by this country of foodies?
As it turns out, Italians tend to weigh less on average than Americans, but not because they spend more time counting calories. While the average weight of adults varies by gender, age, and region in both countries, in the US, 2017 rates of obesity ranged between 22 and 38 percent, while in Italy, the average range was below 20 percent.
This is not a judgment on how much you weigh. It’s an observation that in this country, where approximately 18 percent of adults aged 20 and over reported being on a calorie- or food-restrictive diet in 2015 through 2018, denial doesn’t seem to be working.
Curious, I did some research to learn which cultures by country are most focused on following a diet or planned eating regimen. The US is in the lead, with a vast industry built around stringent weight-loss programs, regimented plans, current fitness trends and dietary supplements. There’s also a strong emphasis on body image and achieving a certain ideal appearance.
The UK wasn’t far behind on the diet track. While this noteworthy sidetrack could easily fill another book, my point is that neither the hyper-processed “standard American” nor the country’s most widely followed paleo diet, with its focus on high animal protein and low carb intake, are tipping the scales in the right direction.
So how does an Italian diet with staples of pasta, bread, wine and gelato measure up? Is there something different about the way these foods are made in Italy? The short answer is yes. But there’s also a nutrient that Italians on average eat twice as much of: fiber. Not by downing a daily shot of Metamucil, but by increasing fiber intake through a variety of fresh produce and whole grains.
Which leads to the other difference: Not only are whole grains more available in Italy, but they’re also key ingredients in the most popular processed or cooked foods we hear about: pasta, breads, and even pastries.
Why does this matter? First, let’s look at the numbers, which tell a compelling story about the connection between daily fiber intake, weight and diet-related disease. It turns out that most Americans fall short of meeting recommended daily fiber levels, largely due to the consumption of hyper-processed and low-fiber foods. The average daily fiber intake for American adults, as of this writing, was estimated to be around 15 grams per day. The US dietary guidelines recommended a daily fiber intake ranging from 25 to 38 grams per day, depending on age, gender, and specific dietary needs.
Italy’s traditional Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and olive oil, naturally provides a relatively high dietary fiber intake compared to some other diets. A key source of that fiber is the complex carbohydrates present in fresh produce, whole grains, and legumes.
Unlike the nationwide delivery methods we rely upon in the US, the Italian food distribution system is built upon local foods produced in small batches. This food tends to be less processed, and with less time from farm to plate, requires fewer preservatives. Italians also tend to use fewer artificial ingredient staples than our mass-manufacturing recipes—it’s just not part of a process that was established long before those ingredients were concocted.
A quick note here: You may be confused by the mention of processed foods and health benefits, since hyper-processed foods are linked with diet-related disease rates. Yet all baked goods and cooked foods are processed to an extent when chopped, cooled or heated, or mixed with different ingredients. So a piece of whole wheat toast—technically a processed food—can contain whole grains, nuts and plenty of fiber with a short list of recognizable ingredients on the label. Hyper-processed foods usually contain preservatives, added sugar or a long list of mystery ingredients that are out of place in the sexy Italian kitchen.
So while a dish of pasta might look the same in both countries and may seem like the same mix of flour, salt, and yeast, most of the time the quality and number of ingredients is different. By the way, did you know that the quality of pasta varies by drying time? In the US, most of the brands on the shelves don’t meet Italian producers’ drying-time standards. The three key processes are longer drying time, air drying or low-temperature drying, and even the cutting method used (bronze cut is proclaimed to be the best).
In Italy, numbers marking drying hours and baking temperatures are displayed on the pasta package. While some popular US brands promote slow drying times in the low single digits as proof of quality, Italians look for much bigger numbers. Alessio says you can tell by the color: the closer to pale yellow (rather than gold), the better for taste and digestive properties.
If you do a quick online search for top Italian pasta brands, you’ll see all the metrics around bronze cut and drying methods. Who knew the processing method could make such a difference?
Italians have mastered the art of enjoying foods we might label as indulgent, like pasta, wine and pastries, without overdoing it, through a combination of mindful eating habits, portion control and a balanced lifestyle. Because it’s their national norm, this path is much easier for them to follow. But that doesn’t mean we can’t find a new, more delicious route to food that makes us feel sexy, healthy and satisfied, one simple step at a time.
SIMPLE = SEXY
Most people stay set in their shopping and eating routines. For fruit, it’s apples and oranges; for vegetables, there are lettuce, tomatoes, corn, and potatoes—the “boring basics,” prepared basically the same way every time. No wonder we prefer to eat out.
Luckily, there’s a path less traveled right at our fingertips, and it’s lined with hundreds of incredible fruit and vegetable varieties available to choose from. You don’t even necessarily need to cook them! Experiment with less basic vegetables just by spending a few extra minutes in your local produce aisle.
Mix it up! Take your time in the produce section and pick up small quantities of two to three new foods a week. Keep it simple by selecting enticing veggies you can enjoy raw or cooked. Unless you really enjoy researching new recipes, limit cooking projects to one per week to avoid burnout.
There’s no need to find a gourmet grocery or local farmers’ market in order to experiment. There are many delicious vegetables that often get overlooked in the grocery store because they’re less commonly used in standard American cuisine. See the following sidebar for ideas—all of which you can find in most markets, hiding in plain sight.
