How to order a healthy meal at an Italian restaurant

Diet expert Mitalee Doshi guides us.

Have you ever gone to an Italian restaurant with the intention of ordering a healthy meal and then have no idea of what to order? Fret not! Our diet expert Mitalee Doshi gives you some very practical tips.

Appetizers

There are a host of Italian dishes to choose from but to be on the healthier side, start with something light that develops the taste and appetite. Stay away from garlic bread and breadsticks as they tend to be saturated with butter or oil and are high in calories and fat. In lesser quality restaurants, the fat used may also contain trans-fats. Also, beware of bread knots, they look little but they harbour a lot of oil or butter. A healthy choice is plain Italian bread accompanied with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping (go easy on the oil dipping though).

Another option is to have a bowl of soup as an appetizer. Filling up on a bowl of vegetable-laden minestrone is extremely healthy. But if you prefer solids to soups, then opt for bruschettas tomato, fresh basil, garlic and olive oil atop pieces of lightly toasted bread. But try and avoid pesto versions which can have high calorie content due to both the fat used and nut content.

Avoid these

Be wary of anything fried (frito in Italian). Common appetizers like fried mozzarella sticks or fried cheese cubes aren't very healthy in terms of calories and fat content.

Another typical choice is fried calamari rings but these can add 800 calories to your meal, so think carefully about including them. Always prefer dishes that have been grilled, steamed or baked.

Salads

Salads can be a great choice in an Italian restaurant. Just be sure to ask what dressings are added and to avoid any that seem too rich. In some restaurants, you might be able to get a salad without dressing or choose an alternative dressing (light olive oil and vinegar dressing). Look for green/vegetable salad, bean salad and pasta salad choices.

The cheese factor

Cheese tends to be found in a range of Italian dishes and it can seem hard to avoid it. The trick is to ask for dishes that only have cheese added to them after they're made, in which case, you can ask the waiter to leave the cheese off altogether or to halve the usual amount.

Also avoid stuffed pasta, as it is usually accompanied by cheese of some sort. Be careful with risotto meals. While it might seem like a healthier choice, it won't be if it's really cheesy. Ask the waiter what's in it before ordering. In terms of pasta, if you can, ask for wholegrain pasta choices. If you're worrying about your carbohydrate intake, perhaps avoid pasta altogether and choose a meat and vegetable entree instead.

Pizza orders

When it comes to pizza toppings, vegetable toppings are the healthiest choice of all. Add extra vegetables of all types to your pizza including mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, red peppers, and anything else you can find that's green.

Be wary of creamy, cheesy, fried versions. Specify that chicken, fish be grilled or broiled instead of fried or saut ed in tomato based non-cream sauce. Ask to skip any breading or stuffing as well, and order vegetables on the side instead of pasta, fries or any form of fried/cheesy potatoes. A plate of beans and vegetables is one delicious option.

Desserts

If you're going to have dessert (dolce), then choose a light one. Fruit sorbet and biscotti are healthy options, while sharing dessert with someone else makes richer choices more acceptable. For lovers of tiramisu (filled with rich cream and Mascarpone cheese), expect a normal size portion to be about 300-400 calories. If there is a fresh fruit option, this might be the best way to end the meal.

Remember

Be careful about how much olive oil you enjoy while it's a healthier oil overall, bread soaks it up like a sponge, which means you can easily add hundreds of calories to your meal without realizing. Good Italian meals won't be drowning in cheese but many interpretations of Italian food tend to overdo the addition of cheese, probably because customers demand this.

If you keep these guidelines in mind, you'll be able to enjoy Italian food and still eat healthy. Remember, YOU have control over what goes into your mouth. Healthy Italian food is well within your reach if you make the right choices!