The Fall Of Healthy Italian Eating Habits
Italy is no exception to the changing trends that have occurred to families all across the globe due to modernization. More and more families have both parents working outside of the home, thus meal preparation has become more and more difficult to schedule into a hectic routine. This has lead to the change of healthy Italian eating habits.
Multiple course meals made up of meats, seafood, vegetables, and fruits which characterize this Mediterranean diet have been altered with the convenience of fast food. Busier moms working outside of the home means there is less time available to prepare these sophisticated meals. A generation ago most women worked inside of the home and were able to prepare these meals, which is no longer the case today.
The customary ways in which Italians cook is increasingly changing due to this fact. Family meals need to be prepared quickly, in comparison to the traditional slow-cooking methods of many Italian meals. Fast-food franchises and pre-packaged foods have found a new market.
In the smaller towns, you may find that many families adhere to traditional cooking. The cities, on the other hand, all have fast-food readily available. This is changing the way one of the world’s healthiest nations is eating. Many families, in need of adapting to modern living have found convenience in fast-food.
Fast-food is increasingly popular with working moms. More women than before are working outside of the home and in order to keep up with their families and careers, convenience is tempting. Slow-cooked, healthy meals are declining.
Most of these meals, although rich in meats, do not use meat as the center of the meal. It may be an addition to the mean but not the focus. This lowers the bad cholesterol in every meal. The main meals are often served in courses as well. This slows down the time it takes to consume a meal, which in itself is a stress reliever.
Currently the increasing trend that leans more toward fast foods changes both of these aspects. Fast-food typically uses meats as the focus of the meal. This increases the bad cholesterol in the meal. There are typically no courses involved in these types of meals as well. This leads to quicker consumption of the food, as opposed to the laid back atmosphere traditional Italian eating habits give meal-time settings.