Italian Tonight?
Here’s how to eat light.
Bread sticks or bruschetta? Alfredo or marinara?
Affogato or gelato? Dining out at a luscious Italian
eatery can pose some agonising conundrums.
Shubhra Krishan suggests smart ways to get all the
flavour without the fat:
Don’t stuff yourself on the bread or bread
sticks. Munch on bruschetta instead—the
fresh tomatoes on it are loaded with
vitamins and minerals, the extra virgin olive
oil and basil are wonderful antioxidants, the
calorie count is low (approx 80 cal a slice).
n
n Don’t skip the insalata. Italian salads can
be incredibly flavorful, provided you are
careful to avoid creamy (read fattening)
dressings.
Enjoy Minestrone soup—it is wonderfully
satisfying and abounds in health-giving
veggies and beans. A 200 gm bowl of
minestrone contains just about 200 calories,
so yes, soup’s on!
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n Balsamic roasted or grilled vegetables are
not only delicious but light and nutritious. A
full cup contains only 100 healthy calories! In
fact, most dishes cooked in olive oil instead
of butter are beneficial for you.
n Choose a light and nourishing tomatobased sauce over alfredo, which combines
butter, cheese and cream. Marinara is
fresh and delicious, too. Psst: Just 1/4 cup
of alfredo sauce contains 90 fat calories!
Compare this with 100 gm of marinara,
which has only 1.5 gm of fat cal!
n Keep the pasta light.