The Italian Almanac

Lunch at Home

Despite the invasion of fast food restaurants and those offering quick meals, the majority of Italians still have lunch at home, according to a study by national statistics bureau Istat. Lunch was still considered the main meal of the day for 69.1% of those Istat interviewed for its annual report and 73.9%, including over half the adult population, said they ate it at home. In the south the percentage of Italians lunching at home rose to 83.8%, while in the north it fell to 67.8%.

In its study, Istat also found that 78.6% of Italian felt they had an ''adequate'' breakfast, meaning more than just coffee or tea and including nutritious foods. The habit of having a good breakfast was more prominent among women than men, 81.7% compared to 75.4%, while some 90% of children ate well in the morning. Hearty breakfasts were the rule for 83% of the people living in central Italy, compared to 80.5% in the north and 73.4% in the south.

Looking at what Italians eat, Istat found that 86.8% of the population had pasta or rice and bread at least once a day, while 85.3% had fruit and vegetables daily. This was especially true for women, while children shied away from fruits and vegetables.