BREAD
Bread is one of the most common and widely-eaten foodstuffs in Italy, as in the rest of the world. It is also one of the foods which exists in the greatest number of varieties. The bread generally found on sale can be divided into two types, based on the ingredients used in its preparation. Common bread is made from a dough which has been allowed to rise, and consists of a combination of wheat flour, yeast, water and salt. Special bread is made with a great variety of dough types, obtained by adding to or substituting some of the ingredients in the basic mixture, for example, oil, butter, malt, sugar, milk or fruit. In addition, the wheat flour can be combined with other types of flour, such as flour made from barley, rye, soya or rice, amongst others. Bread is an important source of carbohydrates. A good type of bread should satiate the appetite to an adequate extent, and have an average calorie content (200 - 300 K.cals per 100 grams).
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PASTA
Pasta is the typical Italian first course. Whether fresh or dried, stuffed or with egg added, pasta is definitely the queen of Italian gastronomy. About 80% of the pasta eaten by Italians is dried pasta, which is made from hard-grained wheat flour and water.
EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Extra-virgin olive oil is the only type of vegetable oil which is produced by a single pressing, with no processing involved or the need for chemical additives. In this way it differs from seed oils such as soya, peanut, sunflower oil etc. It contains Vitamins E, A, K and D which have anti-oxidant properties and help to protect the body’s cell-structure. It is an essential condiment on Italian tables for dressing cooked or raw food
PULSES
Pulses belong to the Papilionacea family, various members of which are cultivated as food. The most common of these are: green beans, broad beans, peas, chick-peas, lentils, soya and peanuts. The composition of these pulses varies according to the species. They are all good sources of protein, second only to cereals as a protein-source.
FRUIT
Apples, pears, oranges, mandarins, apricots, peaches, grapes, figs, water-melons, melons, raspberries, strawberries, chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pine-nuts, pistachios. All these types of fresh fruit or nut are important in the Italian diet and are rich in vitamins, mineral salts and fibre, in the form of cellulose. Nearly all these fruit have a low protein content, a good carbohydrate content (fructose) and a low fat content., apart from the so-called “oily” fruits (walnuts, hazelnuts etc) and certain fruit like coconuts and avocados.
VEGETABLES AND GREENS
Green vegetables are important because of their high vitamin and mineral content, their low calorific value but high capacity to satisfy the appetite. In addition, they contain a large quantity of antioxidants, which play a role in combating free radicals; and fibre, which aids the operation of the intestine, so contributing to the prevention gastro-intestinal disorders. In the category of vegetables and greens we can include: turnips, radishes, carrots, salad plants, spinach, chicory, watercress, leeks, asparagus, fennel, beet, artichokes, broccoli, cabbage, wild radish, beans, tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, marrows, courgettes, onions, potatoes and mushrooms.
AROMATIC HERBS
The addition of seasonings to food is a very widespread and important custom. It improves the flavour and consequent enjoyment of the food and also makes it more digestible. All the aromatic herbs also have medicinal properties and so it is important to take account of those characteristics. Amongst the herbs most commonly used in the kitchen to season and enhance the flavour of food are: basil, thyme, marjoram, oregano, garlic, pepper and chillies, rosemary, bay, nutmeg, sage and saffron.
MILK
Milk is one of the few complete, balanced foods, and the principal source of calcium in our diet. The milk on sale in the shops is categorized as full-fat, semi-skimmed and skimmed, on the basis of its fat content. Your choice of milk should depend on how much of it you drink a day. Full-fat milk contains 65 K.cals per 100 grams, semi-skimmed contains 45 and skimmed milk contains 35.
WINE
Apart from being an excellent drink to accompany the first and second courses of a meal, wine has important therapeutic functions. Amongst the components of wine, resveratrol is the most important phenol from the therapeutic point of view. The intake of a modest amount of wine, particularly red wine, reduces the incidence of macular degeneration, a cause of blindness. Wine is also good for the skin: it has a beneficial effect on eczema, and has been shown to prevent skin cancer.
MEAT
Since the 1950’s the consumption of meat has become a regular habit. Rich in protein, tender, lean and delicious, it has become the food of choice for more and more people. 100 grams of lean beef contain about 113 calories, less than half the quantity to be found in the same amount of bread. For a balanced diet it is best to eat chiefly white meats, such as chicken, rabbit and turkey.
FISH
The most knowledgeable authorities have long prized fish above other foods for its particular properties: above all for its digestibility and for its content of iodine and liposoluble vitamins, which are vital to the organism. We are advised to eat fish at least three times a week. When it comes to a choice between oily fish and non-oily fish, it is as well to know that the latter type has a slightly lower nutritional value than beef, while the nutritional value of the former is considerably higher. 
If you compare freshwater fish and sea fish, the latter have higher nutritional value, although they are also less digestible. Shellfish and crustaceans, on the other hand, are rich in calcium, magnesium, sodium chlorate, ferrous iodide. Seafood, however, is very rich in mineral salts.
EGGS
Eggs are an excellent source of proteins. The fats found in eggs are mostly mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated, and so are good for the health. In addition, eggs contain a modest amount of linoleic acid. Nevertheless, one should be careful not to consume too many eggs, as they contain a large amount of cholesterol (about 200 mgs in a medium-sized egg).
Sections on well-being 
The Mediterranean diet is a healthy way of eating which provides an excellent model for everyone in the world to follow. There are certain elements eaten by the people of this region, such as bread, pasta, pulses, fish, dairy produce, white meat, fruit, vegetables and extra-virgin olive oil, which are regarded as very important for a good, healthy lifestyle. It also appears that this type of diet has an anti-depressive effect. The reason why this diet is so highly praised is that it constitutes a perfect balance between carbohydrates, fats and proteins. In fact, the Mediterranean diet is composed of 55% carbohydrates, 30% fats and 15% proteins.
