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HEALTH

Michelle Obama pushes health food diet in Milan

US First Lady Michelle Obama arrived on Wednesday with her mother and daughters in Milan, where she is set to push her healthy food agenda at the World Expo.

Published: 18 June 2015 10:01 CEST
Michelle Obama pushes health food diet in Milan
US First Lady Michelle Obama greets Italian premier Matteo Renzi in Milan. Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP

The first lady kicked off the Italian leg of her trip to Europe, which began in London on Monday, with a cooking demonstration at the James Beard American Restaurant alongside a group of schoolchildren.

On Thursday she will visit the world exhibition underway in the northern Italian city, which has a theme close to her heart: food.

Obama has long worked on “Let's Move!”, her programme to get American children to eat more healthily and be more active.

“We'll be sharing some of our successes,” Obama told Italian newspaper La Stampa.

“But more importantly, we'll be taking the time to learn from leaders here in Italy and all around the world to find out what's working for them.”

Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP

Obama told the paper that while the US is still grappling with a serious obesity problem – one in three American children is overweight or obese – and while the global prevalence of obesity has nearly doubled since 1980, there is “a lot of reason for hope”.

US daycare centres are increasingly giving children fruit and vegetables instead of cookies and snacks, while thousands of restaurants are creating healthier kids' menus, she said.

“Childhood obesity rates have finally stopped rising, and obesity rates are actually falling among our youngest children,” she told La Stampa.

But while the progress we've made is impressive, it's also incredibly fragile, and we still have a long way to go before we finally solve this problem.”

Typical meals in the Obama household, she revealed, include baked chicken with brown rice and broccoli, or grilled fish with couscous and a green salad.

Accompanied by her teenage daughters Malia and Sasha, and her mother Marian Robinson, Obama went to admire Milan's most famous mural – Leonardo da Vinci's “The Last Supper” – at the Maria delle Grazie church, where Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, his wife Agnese and their daughter Ester were waiting.

The US first lady had on Tuesday announced plans for €178 million in programmes to promote girls' education worldwide as she visited a London school.

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FOOD AND DRINK

Six of the most Italian non-alcoholic aperitivo drinks

As well as its most famous cocktails, Italy has a long tradition of making refreshing aperitivo drinks without the alcohol.

Published: 11 April 2024 12:01 CEST
Six of the most Italian non-alcoholic aperitivo drinks

Italy’s favourite aperitivo-hour cocktails are known far beyond the country’s borders, so their names will probably be familiar to you whether you drink them or not.

But if you’re in Italy and not drinking alcohol, you might find yourself stumped when it comes time to order your aperitivo at the bar.

The first time I found myself in this situation, there was no menu. The waiter instead rattled off a long list of all the soft drinks available, most of which I’d never heard of, and I just picked something I thought sounded nice.

Luckily it turns out that Italy has some great options for an aperitivo analcolico. As well as ‘virgin’ versions of well-known cocktails, there are bitters, sodas and other Italian-made soft drinks that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.

They might not be quite as iconic as the Aperol Spritz, but they’re as thoroughly Italian – plus, effortlessly ordering one of these will make you look like a true local.

SanBittèr

San Pellegrino’s SanBittèr is one of the most famous non-alcoholic Italian drinks of all, with its highly-recognisable red packaging, often enjoyed in place of Campari cocktails because of its similar dark, ruby-red color.

This drink is carbonated with a slightly sweet, citrus flavor. The recipe is more complex than that of an orange or lemon soda, with notes of spice and herbs, making it ideal to pair with your aperitivo-hour snacks.

Crodino

Crodino looks a lot like an Aperol Spritz with its bright orange hue, and that’s not an accident: it’s said to have been created as a non-alcoholic alternative, and the zesty, slightly herbal taste is similar. It’s typically served the same way. in a round goblet glass over ice with a slice of orange: a Crodino Spritz.

The name comes from the town of Crodo in Piedmont, where it is still bottled today by the Campari group.

Chinotto

Citrusy Chinotto is an acquired taste for many, but it’s worth trying: it’s one of the classic Italian bitters and is said to have a long history, dating back to a recipe shared by Chinese sailors arriving on the Ligurian coast in the 1500s.

It may look a little like Coca Cola, but don’t let the appearance fool you.

(Photo by Eugene Gologursky /Getty Images via AFP)

Aranciata/Limonata

Aranciata is Italy’s version of an orange soda, but not as sugary, and it tastes like oranges. Its base is sparkling water with the addition of orange juice and sugar. There are various brands, but San Pellegrino’s is the most popular. It also sells a ‘bitter’ aranciata amaro, with even less sugar, more citrus tang and herbal notes, which might be more aperitivo-hour appropriate.

Limonata is, as you might guess, the Italian answer to lemonade. Again there are many versions out there but the fizzy San Pellegrino limonata is beloved for its strong, sweet-sour flavour and there’s nothing more refreshing on a hot summer’s day.

Cedrata

Cedrata is one of Italy’s oldest and best-known non-alcoholic drinks. It’s a refreshing, carbonated drink made from a large citrus fruit called a cedro, grown in southern Italy. It’s far less bitter than a Chinotto, but not as sweet as limonata.

The main producer of Cedrata today is Tassoni, and this is what you’re likely to get if you order it at a bar.

Gingerino

This is harder to find than the other aperitivi on the list and is seen as decidedly retro, but it’s worth trying if you can track it down.

It’s another orange-coloured, sparkling drink which became popular in Italy in the 1970s and is still sold today, though you’re more likely to find it in the north-east, close to Venice, where it’s produced.

You may be expecting it to taste a lot like ginger beer, and there are similarities, but it has stronger citrus notes and more bitterness.

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