Fresh ingredients. Meals made from scratch. Enough food for the whole family. All seasoned with the most important ingredient: A healthy dose of love. Lately, it seems like everyone’s been talking about the Mediterranean diet: The science-backed meal plan that draws upon the cuisines of Crete, Southern Spain and Southern Italy. But Italian grandmothers – or “nonnas” – have been practicing healthy eating habits for much longer. What valuable lessons can we learn from their wisdom? Keep reading to find out.

In a perfect world, you’d be able to wander out your back door in the sunny Italian countryside to pick tomatoes and herbs from your garden. But until that dream becomes a reality, visiting your local farmers’ market is probably the next best thing.