‘Italian cuisine Week — The extraordinary Italian taste’, an initiative of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to promote cultural, social, and environmental dimensions of gastronomy, concluded on Sunday.
The event had an exclusive lecture on ‘Women’s nutrition before and after childbirth.’
Prof Stefania Ruggeri, a Researcher from CREA, the Italian Agriculture and Food Research Council, delivered a lecture shedding light on healthy lifestyles. She called for attention to the environmental dimension of food consumption, as the week aimed at promoting the Italian gastronomic culture by presenting the various regional specialities.
She cited studies suggesting that a pregnant woman would need approximately 300 extra calories daily to maintain a healthy pregnancy, and it should come from a balanced diet of protein, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
A woman, during her pregnancy, should choose foods and drinks with less added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium. While keeping sweets and fats to a minimum, she should also limit refined grains and starches, which are widely found in foods like cookies, white bread, and some snack foods. She should also avoid raw, undercooked or contaminated seafood.
The event was organised by the Italian Embassy in Muscat.
“The Italian cuisine week was an opportunity to raise the awareness of the public on authentic Italian food, culinary traditions, and diversity of Italian regional cuisine as well as the importance of using quality ingredients, following a healthy lifestyle and of being responsible consumers, thus avoiding food waste,” said Federica Favi, Ambassador of Italy to the Sultanate of Oman.
The Italian Cuisine Week, which began on November 26 , is part of the celebration of the 7th edition of the ‘Italian Cuisine Week’ in the World under the theme’ Conviviality, Sustainability & Innovation: The Ingredients of Italian Cuisine for the Health of Individuals and Protection of the Planet’ by the Embassy of Italy in Muscat. It helped the visitors to experience the culture of land through cuisine.
