How To Eat Like An Italian In Italy

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Going to Italy? Buon appetito! You’re going to enjoy some of the best cuisine in the world. But before you go pizza-crazy and guzzle all the Italian espressos, here are a few things you should know about the way Italians eat and how you can emulate their enviable lifestyle.

Order your coffee to stay.

The best part of beginning a day in the Italian way is savoring a coffee. At a coffee bar, don’t even think of getting to-go cup — that’s a rookie outsider move. Instead, order a drink and sip it while chatting with your travel buddies or read the morning news.

Keep breakfast light.

Grabbing a croissant might be a lazy breakfast in the United States, but in Italy, a pastry for breakfast is the status quo. We recommend you go with the flow and grab a different flavor every morning.

Embrace family-style dining.

One of the secrets to how Italians eat all that bread, pasta, cheese and meat without falling into a food coma daily is that many meals are served family-style, meaning you can have a taste of a lot of different dishes without overeating. So when stopping into a restaurant, make it a group affair and order together.

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Skip the cream sauce.

Ordering pasta? Go for it. But the fettuccine alfredo and penne alla vodka dishes we know and love from pasta places at home aren’t as popular in Italy. These cream sauces aren’t on Italian menus. Plus, if you’re aiming for health, you’ll want to order a fresh tomato-based sauce.

Eat a big lunch and a late dinner.

Large lunches are a typical Italian modus operandi in order to tide you over until a late dinner. And unlike many Italian restaurants in the United States, dinner isn’t a stuff-yourself-full affair. Instead, it’s all about lingering over a glass of wine to enjoy the food, drinks and company.

The one rule of Italian eating we think you should break? Eating gelato every day. That “everything in moderation” rule keeps Italians from indulging in the stuff every day, but while you’re holidaying, you should absolutely have at least one helping daily.

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