THE CRISIS CHANGES ITALIAN MENUS: MORE RICE AND PASTA, LESS MEAT, FISH, AND WINE. RESTAURANTS ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY INACCESSIBLE FOR ONE OUT OF TWO ITALIANS

The economic crisis has even changed the Italians’ menu. Cutting corners at the dinner table means Italians are now eating more first course foods, like rice and pasta dishes, and less second courses foods like meat, fish and cheese, and even wine consumption has been cut. These are the results of a Format-Salute/la Repubblica study that was presented at “Alimentazione e Salute” meeting on November 26 in Rome.

In 2008 there was a notable fall in consumption of wine (-25.8%), fish (-20%), meat (-11.6%), dairy products (-26.3%), sweeteners (-26.4%), and vitamin and mineral enriched foods (-44.8%), while an increase in consumption was registered for more basic foods, especially those associated with first courses like rice (+12.3%), pasta (+8%), and olive oil (+6.8%).

Restaurants have become economically inaccessible for the majority of Italians with only 20% eating out once a week; 40% eat out once a month, and the remaining 40% never go out to eat at all.

And there is also a problem with eating healthy, which “today, is not always possible” – explained Giorgio Calabrese, professor of human nutrition at the Università Cattolica of Piacenza – “because while before excellent food cost a lot, now even mediocre food costs a lot. It is necessary to return to the zero kilometre philosophy, the short production line, food bought from the farmer close to home”. Calabrese also believes that it is necessary to, “re-activate small neighborhood markets, possibly the same ‘hard discount’ chains (so as not to create economic conflicts) that would allow people to go shopping every two days instead of every 15 days with the consequent waste of food that ends up in the trash”.