Your Guide To Healthy Italian Cuisine
Your Favourite italian inspired dishes coming at you… “healthified”!
Here are some of my top choices when Italian cuisine is on the menu for dinner, or I just get a craving for some comforting Italian dishes that still allow me to hit my goals and stay on track.
1. Light Pasta Alfredo
Lighten up a creamy Italian classic by using ground or whole chicken breast and placing it on top of low calorie/low carb noodles such as NuPasta, Zero Noodles or Shirataki Noodles. Combine with light alfredo sauce and top with light parmesan cheese.
2. Spaghetti
Cooked extra lean ground beef or bison in a deep frying pan with diced mushrooms, peppers, and onions. Pour tomato sauce (I like Classico or Bertolli Tomato & Basil sauce) in with the meat and veggie mixture heating through. For a low carb option, place the sauce mixture on zucchini noodles and top with light parmesan cheese.
3. Cheesy Spinach Lasagna Rolls
Greek yogurt, dry curd cottage cheese and egg whites replace some of the more calorie dense options in this lighter lasagna “esque” recipe. Full ingredient list and instructions can be found here.
4. Lazy Man Slow Cooker Lasagna
Using oven ready noodles, this recipe comes together fast by throwing the noodles, extra lean ground beef, a variety of cheeses, and spices in the slow cooker and letting it work its magic! Full recipe can be found here!
5. Caesar Salad
Make a creamy caesar salad on the light side with lettuce, light parmesan cheese, croutons, bacon bits and Bolthouse Caesar salad dressing.
6. Garlic Knots
One of my favourite, and easiest recipes to make comes together with minimal ingredients. Greek yogurt, whole wheat flour, garlic, baking powder and parmesan cheese are all you need to make these guilt free garlic bread knots!
7. Healthy Mac & Cheese
Creamy, cheesy, pasta goodness is a must when it comes to Italian cuisine. This recipe uses bean based pasta to pump up the fibre and protein. With lighter cheeses, some veggies snuck in, and of course some crispy bacon, this dish will fit your goals and is still as delectable as ever. Get the full recipe here!
8. Pizza
It’s not Italian food if there isn’t pizza involved! I broke down some of my favourite ways I include pizza as part of a healthy lifestyle. Pizza’s are an extremely easy way to sneak in extra veggies and protein and still hit your nutrition goals. The options are endless! Check out some of my top combinations of sauces, protein, veggies, cheeses, and pizza bases here.
9. Cheesy Pasta Bakes
Pasta casseroles baked with melted cheese on top are a classic at any Italian restaurant. My take on this dish includes chicken for protein, bean based penne pasta noodles (high fibre noodles work well too), and lighter ingredients like low fat cheeses and fat-free Greek yogurt for a creamy pasta bake everyone is sure to enjoy. Find the recipe for my Three Cheese Chicken Pasta Bake here!
10. Parmesan Chicken
If there is one Italian dish other than pizza or pasta that is a true classic, it’s parmesan chicken. Although delicious, It can pack on the calories quickly if you aren’t careful. Made with light parmesan cheese, stewed tomatoes, and baked chicken instead of fried, the classic flavours you know and love are all still here! Try my healthy parmesan chicken recipe here.
11. Chicken Primavera
Italian dishes pack on the carbs (hehe), but not this one! Loaded with veggies, tomato sauce and cheese, this Chicken Primavera dish is the perfect balance to enjoy with creamy caesar salad.