The last year has worsened Italian eating styles, the study

It is a fact: the Covid-19 pandemic, with its various lockdowns, has seen Italians with ‘their hands in the pie’. To reign supreme in our homes were carbohydrates above all, also thanks to the greater time available which suddenly transformed us into pizza chefs and pastry chefs. But too many deviations from the rule, combined with little or no physical activity, have left us a legacy of extra pounds and digestive disorders. The new studies by the Nestlé Observatory – which has been photographing Italian eating habits since 2009, suggesting indications for a balanced diet – reveal the double face of the last year, which has seen Italians change their way of life. Often, and inevitably, our eating habits have also paid the price. Read also The new data from the Nestlé Observatory reveal a ‘schizophrenic’ picture characterized, on the one hand, by the stable consumption of healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables (+ 2%), and on the other by an increase in the consumption of salty snacks (+ 15%) and meat which, despite the strong focus on the effects of its excessive consumption, has grown by 6%. Likewise, some fresh products such as yogurt, fresh juices and eggs recorded growth of around 25% compared to 2019, at the expense of ready meals and precooked foods. A trend that could still grow given that, in the coming months, the will of Italians seems to be to continue increasing the consumption of fresh food, especially juices and yogurt (25%), and to further decrease the consumption of ready-made or precooked dishes. (24%). In addition to fruit and vegetables, according to a recent study by the Observatory, water was indicated as fundamental for humanity, but the right value has not been given – and not even now – to this fundamental resource. Men drink only when they are thirsty (63%) and do so mainly during meals (49%), while women seem more aware of this incorrect habit and therefore try to force themselves to drink (47%). Perhaps also to compensate for this defect, at the same time the consumption of coffee, tea and herbal teas has increased by 30%. To reaffirm its role as a promoter of a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness on the issues of proper nutrition, the Nestlé Observatory has decided to accelerate the creation of the new logo. A powerful graphic image that summarizes at first glance the principles of healthy eating that the Observatory has always promoted, summarizing the dictates of the Mediterranean diet in an immediate and direct way. Lastly, Nestlé entrusted all the attention of the group to promoting healthy eating habits at the pay-off ‘The good of nutrition’. The materials and studies produced by the Nestlé Observatory in recent years can be browsed in the dedicated section on the Nestlé Italy website.