Eating in Italy is a kind of sacred ritual observed three times a day. Italians, in general, stay fit and lean, even while eating pasta twice a day, rich olive oil, meats, cheeses and gelato, for a number of simple reasons. First, they rarely snack between meals and always eat at the same times of the day, every day. Second, they prepare their food in the home using the purest ingredients and always with a good variety from the four basic food groups. Third, though the food is delicious, the usually eat all courses in moderation. Finally, everyday life in Italy is a bit more active than in America. Some apartment buildings do not have elevators and going to shop for groceries may be a walk from home instead of an easy drive to the supermarket.

Colazione (breakfast) in Italy is a simple, less important meal. Breakfast consists of a breakfast pastry, cookies or toast with coffee and milk at home or a brioche (pastry) and cappuccino at a bar.

Traditionally, Italians aim to have pranzo (lunch) at home and it is often a substantial meal: pasta, a meat or cheese, bread, vegetables, and fruit. Cena (dinner), served later in Italy (about 8:00 P.M., depends greatly on what was prepared and who was present at lunch. If a large meal was served at lunch, a lighter version is served for dinner, and vice versa.

These are general rules and goals for most Italians. Today, Italian life moves much faster and both men and women are finding it more difficult to return home for lunch and instead eat panini (sandwiches) or a plate of pasta in a bar. This is normal, but is also considered mangiare male (to be eating poorly).

Italian Cuisine

Anyone not familiar with true Italian cuisine, or who is Italy for the first time (more specifically in the region Florence belongs to, Tuscany), may be surprised to find that true Italian cuisine is much different than that which is called "Italian food" in the United States. For example, you will not find in Tuscany the large spoon for twirling spaghetti or the olive oil and spices in which to dunk bread that you would commonly find in any Italo-American restaurants in the U.S.