Italian breakfast: variations and benefits

To start the day off on the right foot, nothing beats a healthy, tasty Italian breakfast. Just a few simple – and, above all, wholesome! – ingredients provide the body with all the energy and nutrients it needs to tackle the day ahead.

Remember though that the type of breakfast you should choose will vary according to age: children and young people need more energy and sugar than an elderly person or someone with a very sedentary lifestyle.

What is the traditional Italian breakfast?

Although there is no set rule, some foods and drinks are immediately associated with the typical way of having breakfast in Italy. As far as drinks are concerned, the absolute star of the breakfast table is coffee, in its infinite variety of types and preparations; then we have milk, cappuccino and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Instead, when it comes to food, most Italians choose croissants, brioches, yoghurt, rusks with jam or spreads, cereals and fresh fruit, or a combination of these!

These foods are all delicious and super yummy, but are they really good for our bodies? Do they give us the energy we need during the day?

Benefits of the Italian breakfast

As we said, a large part of the Italian population love good food, so for breakfast many prefer to indulge in a few treats rather than commit themselves to following a healthy, balanced diet. Of course, enjoying an occasional croissant is not the end of the world, just as long as you don’t overdo it.

These foods contain many saturated fats, coconut and palm vegetable oils as well as lard, all of which are considered harmful by many nutrition experts.

This is why it would be better to pick healthier foods such as yoghurt, honey, fresh fruit and toast.

Also, if you love drinking coffee, it’s best to do so after eating, so as to stimulate the gastric juices in the stomach.

If you follow these tips, your body will feel the benefits in many ways: first of all, you will digest them more easily and feel good for the rest of the day. Then, a well-balanced breakfast provides 20% of our daily energy needs, restarting the metabolism after the night-time fast and reactivating the neurons.

Italians’ favourite breakfasts

Now that we have an idea what the ideal breakfast for helping our bodies to recharge might be, let’s see what Italians like to eat the most for breakfast.

Cereal with milk

A childhood memory that we will never forget, cereal with milk is one of the favourite breakfasts for children and young people, but it’s not just cool for kids. Even in adulthood, drinking milk from time to time helps the body and provides a good supply of protein and fat, as well as an important probiotic boost that is very useful for restoring the intestinal flora.

Yoghurt and fruit

The ultimate healthy breakfast, especially if you’re on a diet and find yourself having breakfast at the bar. To make it even healthier, try to choose low-fat yoghurt and seasonal fruit. You could also add some dried fruit, such as almonds or walnuts, but be careful not to overdo it!

And as a finishing touch, try a drizzle of honey.

Toast and jam

Ok, so it’s not exactly ideal for dieters, but on the other hand, this breakfast is perfect for those who need to stock up on energy, especially mental energy. Think of students, for example, who need bags of energy as they pore over their books all day.

Here too, you can swap the jam for honey, for an even more nutritious meal.

If you’re not a fan of bread, you can try making a homemade cake, such as our coffee Bundt cake recipe. Easy to make and deliciously healthy.

Appetite well and truly whetted? Follow our tips on how to prepare a healthy and nutritious Italian breakfast at home.