September has always been a new beginning for everyone, big and small. After months of vacation, we return to the stalls and start new routines. Schedules, changes, commitments, days are marked by school and extra activities for children. It is not easy to get used to and resume the rhythm, it is not easy for us, let alone for our children.
In this delicate moment where everything must find the right balance, nutrition plays a very important role, above all in the daily life of our children to whom we must guarantee the right amount of mental and physical energy every day. But how? It is a question I have often asked myself, especially now that it is growing. Yes because I discovered, and ignored it, that from 9 years they totally change their energy needs and consequently the daily menu must be adapted and modified.

The best menu for those returning to school? I asked the nutritionist for advice

I have therefore discovered that the caloric needs for a child of the 3-8 age range go from 1350 to 1800 calories a day, while rises to 1900 from 9 years onwards. However, balancing carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins is not always easy, especially when you don't plan ahead. That is why, to facilitate the work of us mothers and fathers who every day we find ourselves having to think about what to offer our children for a healthy and complete meal, I asked for advice on Dr. Valentina Schirò, Nutritionist biologist, specialized in Food Science, who has developed for us – and for you – a dietary scheme dedicated to children aged 9 and above that is based on the principles of the Mediterranean diet and therefore proposes extra virgin olive oil as the sole condiment olive.

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Let's start with one simple breakfast based on natural yoghurt and cereals, a valid alternative to the classic cup of milk with biscuits, which older children will appreciate. Cereals can then vary in shapes and composition, so as to always maintain a pinch of variety that is always welcome at the table.
Then continue with a lunch of pasta with tomato and peas, to introduce all the essential nutrients to recharge our children's batteries, without weighing them down though. At the end, a nice seasonal fruit, like an apple or a pear, for example.
And for dinner? The nutritionist suggests an egg meal, perhaps an omelette prepared in the oven, accompanied by cooked vegetables, bread and a fruit (for example a kiwi). And for a snack?

The importance of a snack

The snack for children, you know, is a really important moment of the day, it must be complete and integrate the daily diet, giving a sweet, yes, but equally healthy break. Therefore proteins are needed, the main nutrients for the growth of the organism, carbohydrates, the major source of energy, and vitamins, such as those of fruit. Citterio proposes a snack that has been created precisely in order to meet the energy needs of children. Is called UnDueTris Snack and includes sticks with cooked ham, or salami or even slices of salami, combined with crunchy breadsticks and fruit in the form of a smoothie or puree. You will also find the gluten-free version. Easy to carry, to put in the school backpack or in the sports one, the UnDueTris Merenda completes the menu of the day.
For older children, like my son, the nutritionist recommends for example the UnDueTris Salame with salami, which with an energy intake of 196 Kcal is perfect for a tasty break after school, play or sport.