Lidia Bastianich Recommends Grana Padano For A Well Balanced And Tasty Diet

July 28, 2011 - PRLog -- July 28, 2011, New York City - First Lady Michelle Obama and our own First Lady of Italian cuisine Lidia Bastianich have something in common when it comes to healthy eating: they are showing their commitment to keeping their families and the nation healthy with the new USDA healthy eating guidelines “MyPlate” – (www.choosemyplate.gov). The old Food Pyramid has now been replaced by a brand new food plate which divides the food groups into five user friendly sections. According to the new food plate, 50 percent of one’s meal on their plate should be devoted to fruits and vegetables and the remaining space split between whole grains and protein, while a small glass nearby reminds eaters to incorporate dairy into their everyday diet.

The clever new design, which was unveiled in June, incorporates seven key dietary messages and illustrates how a healthy diet is also achieved by drinking water instead of sugary drinks, switching to fat-free or low-fat (1 percent) milk, choosing foods with lower sodium, avoiding oversized portions and reminds Americans to always enjoy food, just less of it.

Lidia Bastianich has created her recommended well balanced meal as part of a healthy lifestyle with the addition of Grana Padano. Grana Padano P.D.O. has been awarded Protected Designation of Origin status, a sign of quality implemented by the European Union to regulate and protect the production of selected food products across Europe. Low in fat compared to other cheeses and lactose-free, Grana Padano is a versatile cheese with a sweet, nutty flavored taste that can be grated over pasta, served as an ‘antipasto’ or eaten as part of an easy, healthy delicious meal. A 50g serving of Grana Padano contains 600mg of calcium, over 60% of an adult’s daily requirements. Aged from nine months to 24 and up, Grana Padano pairs well with a variety of cuisines.

“If you were to eat out in the Mediterranean, you would not find two-thirds of your plate filled with meat,” says Bastianich. “It is only here, where there is such an abundance, that this exists. So the new guide is wonderful. “People like pasta because it’s flavorful and it’s economical,” adds the beloved chef, TV host and cookbook author. “My dish, whole-wheat shells with spinach and chickpeas, topped with a little bacon and sprinkled with Grana Padano cheese is a very diversified, aromatic meal with a little fat and a lot of color which gratifies you mentally, so you don’t need as much quantity.”


About Grana Padano — www.granapadano.com:
Grana Padano has been part of Italy's gastronomic tradition and culture since 1135 when it was created by the monks in the Padana Valley in northern Italy. Based in Desenzano del Garda in the province of Brescia, Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Grana Padano was founded in 1954 by a group of businessmen who shared one common goal—to produce a top-quality cheese based on the traditional recipe. Today this company encompasses more than 200 Grana Padano producers, maturers and retailers. “Grana” refers the grainy and crumby texture of the cheese and “Padano” refers to its origin on the Po River Valley in northern Italy. Grana Padano is a registered trademark around the world, and since 1996 is a D.O.P Denominazione di Origine Protetta cheese awarded by the European Community in Brussels.