Italian food may conjure up images of hot buttered breads, cheesy pasta dishes and tasty sausages. However, unless you choose wisely, a dish of Italian foods can have more than 2,800 calories, warns the Center for Science in the Public Interest. You can find some lower-calorie Italian foods, but avoid the high-calorie red wine and bread before the meal starts.
Minestrone
Add one serving of bread to minestrone, a vegetable and lentil-based soup, for a well-balanced meal. At 307 calories per serving, minestrone can easily fit into a 2,000-calorie daily diet. Minestrone typically contains herbs, leeks, orzo, protein-rich white beans, zucchini, spinach and a healthy chicken broth base. You can substitute vegetable broth to make this a vegetarian-friendly minestrone. While you might enjoy a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on your soup, keep in mind that 1 tbsp. has 20 calories.
Chicken Cacciatore
Skip the breaded chicken and veal Italian dishes, such as the parmigiana versions, and go for the pan-seared, lower calorie chicken cacciatore. The American Cancer Society promotes this dish as a healthy, low-calorie choice due to the tomato sauce base. Full of fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, rosemary and parsley, one serving of cacciatore provides 341 calories. You can save 205 calories by cutting out the flour on the chicken breast.
Pastas
For pasta marinara, or noodles with a red sauce, to be considered low-calorie, you should prepare them at home. The Center for Science in the Public Interest warns that a restaurant plate of spaghetti with meatballs will provide about 1,260 calories, or over half of the daily allowance. Avoid high-calorie meat and white sauces, and simply top one serving of pasta, preferably wheat, off with a plain red or red clam sauce for a low-calorie Italian food. "Eating Well" provides a spaghetti and corn recipe with clam sauce that has 428 calories in a generous 1 1/2-cup serving.
References
- American Cancer Society: Enjoy the Foods You Love Without a Calorie Overload
- "Eating Well": Hearty Minestrone
- "Eating Well": Chicken Cacciatore
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: A 3,000-Calorie Dinner? Belly-ssimo!
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: Italian Restaurant Food
- "Eating Well": Spaghetti with Clams and Corn
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