The Mediterranean Diet is a lifestyle we can follow by starting the day with the right sicilian breakfast. Who doesn’t know the Mediterranean diet? Sicilians know it well, they have always followed it starting with a good breakfast and ending with a healthy dinner. A diet with a beneficial effect on the body due to the presence of grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds, olive oil, very little meat and with moderate consumption of fish, legumes, eggs, dairy products and sweets.
Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, so starting the day correctly is crucial. The perfect breakfast is varied, with fresh, seasonal produce, and should be eaten sitting at the table if possible.
Different products can be consumed, such as goat’s or cow’s milk with whole wheat toast and homemade jam. Or sheep’s milk, a fruit with some rye bread, and also Greek yogurt with currants or blueberries and a bit of honey. Seasonal fresh fruit is often substituted for juicing or smoothie. Whole grain cereals in flake, bread and rusk or muesli formats are preferable. The latter can be enjoyed with a mix of fresh fruit and milk or yogurt or juice.
Sweets are absent in a healthy breakfast but you can eat them once a month since Sicily has many sweets that are all delicious. Having breakfast at the bar, having a good coffee or enjoying a granita with brioche is very common for a Sicilian but it doesn’t have to be a habit.
What to eat in the sicilian breakfast to stay fit?
In a healthy sicilian breakfast, yogurt is a good alternative to milk because it ensures good amounts of calcium and vitamin D, which are essential for bones, as well as phosphorus, magnesium and essential amino acids useful for the nervous system and mood. In addition, it contains protein and Omega 3, which ensure satiety and promote healthy muscles.
A fresh fruit contains vitamins, antioxidants, and useful minerals to face the day with charge. Then, it is also a source of simple sugars that give immediate energy. Best to prefer fresh fruits according to the season so as to enjoy all their benefits.
Homemade jams also feature prominently in the Sicilian breakfast, preferably without sugar, paired with a slice of whole wheat bread. Sicilian citrus or organic fruit jams, the choice is varied and more and more Sicilian women are making them at home. In Sicily there are many kinds of marmalade : lemons, oranges, tangerines, blood oranges, as well as fruit jams. Among the most typical are those of figs, black mulberries, blackberries, peaches.
At breakfast combine dried fruits, nuts, almonds or seeds with yogurt. This mix is perfect against bad moods and nervous hunger. They also provide good amounts of magnesium, a mineral that provides an excellent relaxation effect.
