A correct diet during the summer avoids finding yourself in September with extra kilos to dispose of. This is what the Italian Society of Preventive and Social Pediatrics (Sipps) remembers, which provides parents with some useful tips for feeding children on vacation.
Drinking a lot of water is the first rule, especially when you plan to spend many hours away from home and if the day is hot and humid. To make it more thirst-quenching, lemon juice can be added to the water, as the mineral salts replenish those lost with sweat.
From avoiding sugary drinkssuch as orange juice or other cola-based drinks, as they are not very thirst-quenching due to their high sugar concentration. The caffeine contained in some drinks, moreover, besides not being indicated for children, can cause dehydration, dangerous for those who want to spend days in the sun.
Experts also suggest avoiding packaged tea: too rich in sugar and therefore in calories. The tea is an excellent beverage that with its flavonoids protects us from free radical damage, but it is better to prepare it at home with very little sugar and lemon juice. Green tea is also recommended as it is rich in antioxidants and with a taste so delicate that it usually does not need to be sweetened.
Yes to fruit juices as an emergency snack, but they are not substitutes forfruit , unique with its fiber content and its high satiating power, or water because, although containing vitamins, they are rich in sugars that make these drinks not very thirst quenching but hyperglycemic. If you really can not do without it, you must always choose those without added sugar.
For children’s lunch it is necessary to avoid elaborate dishes such as baked pasta or timbales, often rich in fats that slow digestion and create a feeling of heaviness. A good meal can be represented by a sandwich with the addition of tomatoes or grilled vegetables. The classic rice salad is also excellent (if they contain tuna, ham, or cheese, there is no need for a second.
The vegetablesthey can be a painful note, both because they are not always appreciated by children, and because it is not comfortable or hygienic to bring cooked vegetables or salads from home. A valid alternative can be vegetables such as cucumbers, to be peeled on the spot, or fennel. Rich in water and potassium with very few calories, these vegetables are excellent as a snack or to eat during lunch.
Better to avoid fried breaded meat, both packaged and homemade because it is too rich in fat. Omelettes are also not recommended on the beach: although they are comfortable to take away from home, eggs require long digestion.
In general “the first rule is to eat healthy, with particular attention to the variety in the types of vegetables and fish, on which Italian families are a bit lacking, and to take some precautions, such as that of having family meals”, he recommends Andrea Vania, head of the Center for Pediatric Dietology and Nutrition of the Sapienza pediatric department of Rome. It is important to involve children in shopping and in the kitchen, to entice them to try harmless flavors.
Giuseppe Di Mauro, Sipps president, recalls that “together with cereals and adequate water intake, fruit and vegetables form the basis of the food pyramid. You have to take them every day and 2-3 times a day, choosing fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables that are eaten with the peel, which provides fiber, and in pieces, in bites because this contributes to increase the sense of satiety “. “Every day – he concludes – it is necessary to introduce a quota of calcium equal to what is recommended for the age of the child, which is obtained by taking milk and dairy products: from partially skimmed milk to natural yogurt with the addition of fresh fruit, up to fresh cheeses”.
