Tag: diet

Milk flakes … not just for the diet! – Italian Cuisine

They are called in English cottage cheese and are the milk flakes, a very creamy fresh cheese made up of many white balls mixed with whey or cream.

Why are cottage cheese perfect for the diet?

Typically, cottage cheese is considered a source of protein, has few calories and is therefore ideal for those on a low calorie diet. Be careful, however, to choose the product without cream.
Very often, in fact, the packaged milk flakes are enriched with the cream thus becoming more creamy and tasty, but also very fat and caloric.
A 100 g portion of cottage cheese with only whey accompanied with seasonal vegetables is a great idea for a quick light lunch break.

How to make cottage cheese at home

Only three ingredients: skim milk, white vinegar and salt.
To prepare the cottage cheese you have to pour a liter of milk in a saucepan, add a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat stirring constantly.
When the milk boils turn off the heat and add 15 grams of white wine vinegar, stir and let it all rest with a lid for 30 minutes.
After this time, cook everything again for 10 minutes and then let it rest for another 30 minutes.
With a sieve, collect the flakes and place them in a small container lined with sterile gauze. Allow excess liquid to drain and consume immediately.
You can enrich the cottage cheese with aromatic herbs and even with a spoon of cream if you want to make them more tasty.
They are kept in the refrigerator for three days at the most, always covered with plastic wrap.

Ideas with cottage cheese

Generally they are eaten naturally, but do you know that cottage cheese is the secret ingredient of many perfect recipes for the whole family?
Here are some of our quick and easy proposals.

Quick croutons

Aperitif with friends? Instead of the usual bruschetta with tomato and mozzarella, prepare whole-wheat croutons with cottage cheese. You can then add sliced or grilled vegetables and, why not, even fruit. In this season we recommend black figs.

Zucchini sushi

Many times we have proposed this recipe because it is easy and quick to prepare. You simply need to cut the courgettes with a mandolin lengthwise and then roll them up after stuffing them with spreadable cheese. We advise you to try them with cottage cheese. Read the article Zucchini: 5 recipes without cooking if you want to know more.

Creamy pasta

A secret to making the pasta creamy and enveloping is to add a tablespoon of fresh spreadable cheese, especially when it is a vegetable-based first course. Try for example to enrich your simple tomato sauce with a spoonful of cottage cheese. You will get a tasty pasta that will appeal to children too.

Lasagna with cottage cheese

Do you want to prepare a tasty and tasty first course, but not too caloric? With lasagna you always make everyone happy, but try using flakes of milk instead of bechamel. They are very good with a vegetable-based dressing, flavored with a little pesto.

Potato salad

Usually it is prepared with boiled potatoes and mayonnaise, but we suggest this lighter version with cottage cheese. To mix everything well dilute the flakes with a little skimmed milk. Enriched with chives or dill and smoked salmon.

Sweet cups

Do you know that cottage cheese can also be consumed at breakfast instead of yogurt and milk? Just add a little honey or sugar to sweeten it and then flavor it with cocoa or cinnamon and enrich it with fresh or dried fruit.

Grilled pineapple

When you feel like a light, easy and quick to prepare dessert, cut a ripe pineapple into slices and cook it on a very hot plate. Then serve with honey, cinnamon and a spoonful of cottage cheese.

Mediterranean diet = prevention? Here is what you should know – Italian Cuisine

It has always been considered the healthiest diet in the world. Here are so many good reasons to follow it at the table

There Mediterranean diet it allows you to live better, longer and healthier. This is confirmed by numerous studies that have examined the food style of countries bordering the Mediterranean, including Italy, over the last few decades. "Unlike other dietary regimes, the Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity has proved to be a powerful weapon in the prevention of numerous ailments, including oncological ones. The merit is of the foods that characterize it such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, fish, extra virgin olive oil and many others ", he explains Luigi Ricciardiello, researcher at the AIRC Foundation and associate professor of gastroenterology at the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences of the University of Bologna. «These are foods rich in molecules that taken regularly in synergy with each other have a protective effect on the health of the body. In a study funded by AIRC we observed in experimental models that the mix of ingredients contained in the Mediterranean diet including fruit, fish, nuts, tomatoes, whole grains and extra virgin olive oil have a synergistic effect, constant over time on some important linked mechanisms to the development of cancer like inflammation .

Protects against tumors

One of the foods that characterizes the Mediterranean diet is fish. «The omega 3, in particular the eicosapentaenoic acid, contained in the blue one (sardines, mackerel, anchovies, herring, etc.) has a powerful effect on the prevention of colon cancer because of its excellent anti-inflammatory action. In a study we conducted we showed that supplementation with this type of essential fatty acid reduces inflammation and a whole series of mechanisms related to the development of cancer that can affect the colon explains Luigi Ricciardiello.

It is good for the intestine

«The Mediterranean diet is a food style characterized above all by fruits and vegetables rich in prebiotic substances such as apples, garlic, onion, artichokes, chicory, etc. Prebiotics nourish the intestinal microbiota, which is the set of "good" bacteria that populate the intestine. Numerous studies have found that a healthy bacterial flora reduces the risk of various bowel disorders and also has a protective effect against tumors ".

Keeps your heart healthy

"One of the main characteristics of the Mediterranean diet is its poverty of saturated fats (red meat, butter, lard, etc.) and the richness of unsaturated fats (extra virgin olive oil, blue fish, dried fruit, etc.). The latter has been shown to be often associated with a reduction in the risk of encountering the metabolic syndrome characterized by obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and arterial hypertension, which favor the onset of cardiovascular disorders even fatal such as heart attack, ischemia and stroke , Concludes the expert.

Support research with LOVE DESIGN® 2019

As the researcher Luigi Ricciardello, many are the active protagonists behind the great little research results of the AIRC Foundation. In addition to donations and voluntary contributions, mark these dates to give concrete support: from 11 to 13 October 2019 will be held in Milan the IX edition of LOVE DESIGN® 2019. The biennial event gives the opportunity to purchase incredible products donated by major companies in the sector in order to obtain resources for cancer research. In fact, the funds raised will be used for the creation of three three-year scholarships aimed at as many young researchers, each of 75 thousand euros evaluated according to the strict criteria peer review AIRC – just like it happened in 2017 to doctors Irene Schiano Lomoriello, Koustav Pal is Rossella Scotto di Perrotolo, all actively engaged in different scientific aspects in the fight against cancer.

The Italian Mediterranean diet – La Cucina Italiana – Italian Cuisine

Complete and balanced, it does not exclude any food. You can eat almost everything, including cheeses, by eating healthily

The Mediterranean diet has always been considered one of the healthiest diets in the world. Several international studies have shown over the years that the diet followed by the populations that live in the Mediterranean areas allows one to live well and longer because it allows eating in a balanced and complete way. But there is more. The Mediterranean diet is also an excellent ally of the line. Hollywood stars are well aware of this, a new version of the Mediterranean diet, called the flexitarian diet, has been popular for some years. It is a flexible, mostly vegetarian food program that allows moderate and occasional consumption of foods of animal origin. "One of the strengths of the Italian Mediterranean diet is that it does not bore the palate. It satisfies the taste without giving up the pleasure of good food because it allows you to eat healthy and varied , explains the nutritionist Valentina Schirò. "Based mainly on vegetables and fruit, as well as cereals and derivatives including pasta, legumes, meat, fish, milk and eggs, it does not completely exclude that of foods often banned from other diets such as pizza, desserts and cheeses that can be consumed occasionally, maximum once a week .

Green light for vegetables

In the Italian Mediterranean diet vegetables are the protagonists of every meal. «They bring so many fibers that have a high satiating power. Moreover, they promote intestinal regularity, essential for keeping fit and healthy, "explains nutritionist Schirò. At breakfast, lunch and dinner at the table, therefore, you must give priority to fruit and vegetables with a prevalence of the latter. «They are an excellent source of vitamins, mineral salts, antioxidants that are precious to the body. However, the best way to stock it is to change variety and color often, "the expert suggests. Space in the daily menus also with dried shell fruits such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts and oilseeds (flax, pumpkin, etc.). «They are excellent snacks that break hunger. They bring "good" fibers and fats that dampen the appetite between meals. To benefit from their properties, pay attention to the quantities. The advice is to consume a maximum of 30-40 grams per day. They have a high calorie content. They can also supply more than 600 calories in 100 grams , the nutritionist warns.

Yes to pasta

Pasta is one of the symbolic dishes of the Mediterranean diet. It has a high satiating capacity. "It provides complex carbohydrates that release energy to the body slowly. Moreover, it is very digestible and if combined correctly and consumed in the right quantities it can also be eaten every day. Yes to a good dish of spaghetti with tomato sauce or seasonal vegetables, seasoned with extra virgin olive oil. The pasta is also excellent together with legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.). Consumed at the same meal, they provide the body with all the essential amino acids for the synthesis of the proteins necessary for the muscles, "explains the expert.

Few foods of animal origin

"Yes to milk and yogurt, which can also be consumed every day." Ok instead of 2-3 times a week with fish and eggs; 1-2 times with meat, preferably lean, and with cheese. "Foods of animal origin provide valuable proteins for muscle health," the expert explains.

How to season dishes

"The absolute condiment to be preferred is extra virgin olive oil. The main food of the Mediterranean diet, however, should be consumed in small doses. The advice is to limit yourself to two tablespoons a day so as not to risk making the dishes too hot . Ok also with herbs and aromatic plants. «Basil, parsley, rosemary, oregano, laurel are excellent salt substitutes. They flavor dishes without adding fat and calories, "concludes nutritionist Valentina Schirò.