Yeah I know...

I suck for not updating these last few days. I've been working so much that even my workouts have suffered (GASP!!!). And setting up house has taken forever. We're STILL not even done yet. Yikes!

So for today, the 13th day of FITmas, we're going to talk Italian. I've been working a lot at this new Italian restaurant and I'm noticing a trend in restaurants these days: EVERYTHING is made with all kinds of fattening ingredients. But that's what makes it tasty right?

Yes and no. Sure, a slice of pizza is much more sinfully delicious when it's slathered in cheese and topped with tons of meats and veggies. Granted Chicken Parmesan is tastier when it's deep fried and drenched in olive oil-laden marinara and cheese galore. But while this is certainly awesome to think about, the amount of calories fat and sodium even one of these dishes has can have seriously harmful effects on your body, both inside and out.

Still, I'm faced with these delectable devils on a daily basis now that I work in an Italian Pizzeria. I'll admit, I've had a few slices. It's hard to resist since it's the first authentic NY style pizza I've had since...New York lol. Well, the pizza in South Florida is pretty darn good too, but that's probably because almost everyone down there is a former New Yorker, just warmer.

But yesterday, on a long double shift, I took some time out to study the menu in depth, trying to find some of the ways I can make traditional, tasty Italian food speak to my healthy ways. It was hard, but with the help of Libretto's Pizzeria sous chef, I came up with a few ideas:

Chicken Parmesan:
Traditionally, this is a deep fried chicken breast slathered in juicy marinara and topped with baked cheeses. It's not hard to see where you can cut the fat, but it's hard to see how it could still be tasty, but it is. Ask your server or chef to use grilled chicken instead of fried to cut at least 300 calories from the dish. If you want to take it a step further, nix the baked cheese and add grated or shredded Parmesan for yourself at the table to save you another few hundred calories. Basically you could turn a 1000 calorie bomb into a 500 calorie dinner of champions.

Supreme Pizza:
If you're into toppings, the best pizza to go for is the supreme. And here is where you can really tailor a pie to meet your diet:
-Ask for half the cheese, or if you're really worried, they can do it with no cheese and you can add your own parm at the table or at home.
-Load up the veggie toppings and go a little easier on the fatty meats. Veggies are little to no calories and with the right sauce and spices can pack just as much flavor as sausage and pepperoni
-Sub the fatty meats for something a little healthier like grilled chicken or shrimp.
-Get thin crust (NY style!) pizza and leave the crust on your plate at the end of each slice. You'll be leaving at least a hundred calories on your plate by sticking to the "meat" of the pie and skipping the crust.

Heros:
For lunch, nothing beats a nice meatball, eggplant parm or classic Italian hero. But the calories these have can beat down your diet faster than you can order it. Try reducing the cheese and skipping any oils on the subs to start. Another thing you can do, and you won't miss it one bit, is to ask the chef to scoop out the inside of the bread roll when they make the sandwich. The place I work already does this, and that's what gave me the idea. I love bread, but when you're sinking your teeth into a grilled eggplant parm sub with no mozzarella but extra parmesan and sauce, you can hardly think about bread.

Never be afraid at any restaurant, whether it's a new local pizzeria or one of your favorite chains, to ask your server or cook to make your food how you like it. It's your money, so make sure you spend it on something you like. And, more importantly, it's YOUR BODY, so make sure you feed it foods that are nutritious, healthy and won't overload your calorie budget.

Have a favorite chain restaurant you want me to research for you? I can pick apart any menu, even if I have to go there or get on the phone with the head chef himself! Just ask and I'll do the legwork for you. :)