I’ve been meaning to post about this topic for some time now but, with the holidays, I wanted to “research” more before I posted.  I while back, Carlo and I watched a movie that I think EVERYONE needs to watch.  It’s a documentary called Food, Inc.  It’s basically letting the American consumer know where there food is coming from.  It is the most shocking thing I think I’ve seen.  Letting you know how these animals are being fed, raised and slaughtered for your consumption.

It also interviewed a family who was overweight but also battled issues such as diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure.  It was so sad to see this family at the store and trying to buy food with a small budget.  One part was the youngest daughter wanted some fruit.  They weight the fruit to figure out who much they could get per pound.  It was sad when they had to put it back because it costs too much and they could get more food at McDonald’s for the same price.  It was also sad that they spend so little on food and so much on medication for their health issues.

I had no idea that the animals raised on these farms were being fed food that is not good for them… The main ingredient…. CORN.  Now, you’re thinking corn, is a vegatable and it’s good for you.  Well, here’s the problem… Cows eat grass, & Chickens eat grains… but that’s not what they’re eating.. they’re eating CORN.  It’s making them gain weight and essentially growing bigger and faster in a shorter amount of time.  It was really disturbing to see Chicken raised in a dark hen house and being fed a diet that makes them grow much faster than their bodies can handle.  After watching this, I decided that the next time I’m in the States, I would buy Organic and try to avoid meats…. it’s enough to make someone a Vegetarian.

As I watched all of this I realized why the Italians are so proud of their food.  It’s because it’s fresh and all natural.  Sure Torino has 5 McDonald’s and we’re starting to see obesity problems here but for the most part, everyone eats pretty healthy.  When I say healthy, I don’t just mean salads, I’m talking about fresh produce grown by local farmers, meats that tell you that it’s been grown in a free-range farm in Piemonte and dishes that have ingredients that you can pronounce.

It’s this diet that makes eating in Italy so wonderful.  It’s also the main reason that I’ve been able to eat and eat and still manage to lose or gain very little.  (along with the endless walking)  It’s funny how my shopping habits have changed in the time I’ve been here.  They change even more when Carlo is with me.

Here’s an example of what I got on a simple trip to the store.  I had a list of 10 items that I needed and here’s what I came back with……..

While we were in the produce section, getting pears, Carlo kept getting more than we needed…. like 2 kinds of pears, which led to the basket of kiwi, then he wanted me to make roasted peppers, which led to zucchini, cucumber and avocados.  The tomatoes are (obviously) a regular staple in our fridge along with bags of salad

as well as the hamburger meat, eggs, corn and 3 types of gelato!  Along with 15 boxes of milk, Carlo wanted to get some Walnuts to snack on.  I do like the fact that when I open my fridge it’s full of colorful, good-for-me food and I’ve always got healthy nuts and fruits to snack on……..

when I’m not eating gelato of course!!!