Do you love classic Italian dishes like pasta and pizza but hate how bloated and unhealthy you feel after eating them? While it is true that many Italian dishes are loaded with carbs and fats, you don’t have to completely give up the foods you love. Here are a few tips that will help you to cook healthier versions of your favorite Italian dishes.
Cook with Less Meat
One way to make your Italian dishes more healthy is to cook with less meat. While meat often provides you with important servings of protein, meats can also add lots of oils and fats to your food. Eating a lot of red meat in particular can increase your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, or suffering from a stroke.
If you still want the benefits of having protein in your food, try adding lean meats to your Italian dishes instead. For example, you could make spinach and chicken ravioli instead of spaghetti with ground beef. This will help your Italian dishes to have more nutrients and be healthier.
Use Whole Grain Pasta
Many Italian dishes also have an unhealthy reputation because of the complex carbs that are in many of the foods. Complex carbs are found in white breads, such as pizza crust, and many types of pasta. Eating too many complex carbs can increase your blood sugar and cause you to gain weight.
If you still want to enjoy eating your pasta and bread but don’t want to eat so much white flour, try using whole grains instead. Whole grains are packed with nutrients such as vitamins, iron, and fiber. There are many brands of whole-grain and protein pastas that you can easily purchase. You can also buy or grind whole-grain wheat flour to make your own bread, pizza crust, and pasta dough.
Add More Vegetables
Another way to make your Italian dishes healthier is to add more vegetables to your meals. There are many creative ways to sneak more vegetables into your meals. This is particularly helpful if you have a family full of picky eaters that don’t always like to eat vegetables. One easy way to add more vegetables to your Italian dishes is to add vegetables to your pasta sauce. You can dice and saute your veggies and add them to your sauce for a delicious, chunky texture.
If you want the nutritional benefits of vegetables but don’t love veggie chunks, try cooking your veggies and blending them into your sauce. You can also cook spinach and add it to almost anything. Your alfredo sauce, cheese tortellini, and traditional pizza could all benefit from the addition of some delicious cooked spinach. If you’re extra brave, you can even make vegetable noodles out of squash or zucchini.
So, if you’re trying to clean up your diet by eating healthier but don’t want to give up Italian food, remember these tips. Make sure to cook with less meat, use whole-grain pasta, and add more vegetables. These approaches will help you to make delicious and healthy dishes that your whole family will love.
Did you enjoy this article? Here’s more to read: How to Make Healthier Meals at Home
