Traditional Italian breakfast: 10 tips to start your day right

It’s said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s the one that fires up your body and gets you ready for a new day. A good breakfast will keep you going until lunchtime, reducing your need to snack.

If you’re debating about the right breakfast, then it’s time to consider a traditional Italian breakfast. You may be happy with what you already have, but remember that the Italians specialize in the Mediterranean diet, which is considered one of the best diets for heart health. They are also passionate about food!

What is the difference between American breakfast and Italian breakfast?

There’s a huge difference between a typical Italian breakfast and an American breakfast. Your traditional American breakfast will consist of eggs, pancakes, bacon and toast. It’s generally eaten between 6 am and 9 am. It’s generally considered a hearty breakfast, although not necessarily a healthy choice. In contrast, the typical Italian breakfast is simple and light. It focuses on pastries accompanied by coffee or cappuccino. Surprisingly, the traditional Italian breakfast is a fast affair. Italians take enough time to eat and drink and then go. That’s a stark contrast to the amount of time taken eating any other meal!

As in America, Italian breakfast is usually consumed between 6 am and 9 am. However, at weekends it can be at any time of the morning.

What is a typical Italian breakfast?

In Italy, traditional breakfast varies by area. While the pastry, such as a croissant, and a coffee is normal, some regions prefer toasted bread and homemade jam, others prefer a piece of cake, porridge or even muesli! The one thing that all Italian breakfast foods appear to have in common is that they are sweet. That’s worth remembering if you’re looking for stuff to make breakfast in Italian style.

What is a Tuscan breakfast?

If you’re trying to decide the best Italian breakfast foods, you should take a look at the traditional Tuscan breakfast. It consists of a milky coffee and a hard roll covered in Nutella accompanied by sweet biscuits. Alternatively, Tuscans looking for something a little more savory are likely to opt for “Fette Biscottate”, it’s a dry biscuit, baked twice and has a distinctive taste. You’ll find it takes some getting used to.

What do Sicilians eat for breakfast?

The Sicilians have their own take on Italy's traditional breakfast. It’s still divided into sweet and savory. However, Sicilians see breakfast as a more drawn-out affair. If you like it sweet, Sicilians tend to opt for granita with “brioche col tuppo”. There are multiple flavors of granita available, including chocolate, lemon and almond. If you prefer, “cannoli”, “cassatine” or even “sweet ravioli” are all Italian breakfast traditional foods.

If you want to keep it simpler, try the croissant filled with pistachio cream!

Opt for a savory breakfast and Sicily has you covered. Traditionally, rice balls are popular. You could also try calzoni or pizzette. In fact, virtually any savory Italian dish you can think of can be eaten as a Sicilian breakfast.

Ten tips to start your day the Italian way

If you want to embrace the Italian breakfast, remember the following ten tips:

1. Don’t worry about calories
2. Skip the hotel and head to the local cafes
3. Eating on the go is okay
4. It’s predominantly a sweet affair
5. Italians see milk as part of a meal, breakfast is the time to have your latte
6. In northern Italy, pancakes studded with raisins are a common breakfast item
7. The sweet Italian breakfast used to be a sign of status
8. You can get an Italian breakfast at your local Italian bar
9. Sample everything, there are so many possibilities!
10. Remember that the Italian breakfast is constantly evolving

Summing Up