Tag: snack

Snack and back to school: the combo that every parent has to face! – Italian Cuisine

Never was back to school more desired! But are you sure you've really thought of everything? For example, the snack to put in the folder? Then read here!

The school has finally started again. After six long months in which we parents have improvised teachers and much more, the doors of the institutes are ready to welcome children and young people, for a new routine that is certainly different from the one we knew. How to face the back to school? Anxiety and joy are ingredients that have equal weight these days in the minds and hearts of all mothers and fathers. And if we say "back to school" we can only say "snack"! Yes, because certainly in recent months we have all made some more gluttony and the time has come to get back on track with a healthy and nutritious diet, which gives children the right energy to tackle the study. Here are our suggestions.

Sweet or salty?

Do your children prefer sweet or savory? Choose the snack that best suits their tastes, trying to balance all the elements. A milk sandwich with a slice of cooked ham and a fruit juice are good for those who love salty. A slice of margherita cake with a smoothie, on the other hand, is ideal for those who love sweets. Fruit is also a fundamental ally for a sweet and genuine snack, regardless of the format or type offered to children.

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The snack must also be… comfortable!

Is there no more time to have a quiet snack? It is normal, during the week we are divided between thousands of commitments and for parents it is essential to find the right solution to give children a simple and good snack, but just as practical. What if we chose fruit, for example, but in a format that makes the little ones happy? Mellin proposes the 100% fruit pouches to have a snack with Disney Princesses, Anna and Elsa from Frozen 2 or with the legendary Crichetto, Jackson storm and Lightning Mcqueen from Cars. Apple, pear or mixed fruit such as Apple Banana, Apple Pear, Apple Strawberry and Banana, here is the most suitable snack for children, based on 100% fruit puree, with vitamin C and no added sugars. Perfect to put in your school backpack or sports bag, it's a simple, fresh and practical snack when the bell rings and the kids go out with their typical wolf hunger!

What activity will you do?

An aspect not to be underestimated! There are wild children, who do not stand still for a second, or who play demanding sports that require a boost of energy. Others, on the other hand, are calmer and more sedentary, so they don't need to consume excessive calories. To choose the right snack for your children, take these aspects into consideration, so as to adjust the doses and ingredients according to their actual needs.

Children's beach snack: mistakes to avoid – Italian Cuisine

What are the foods to avoid? What to choose to stop hunger between one meal and another? Here are the expert's tips and 5 inspiring ideas to make children's snacks healthier and more nutritious

In Italy, more than 21% of children are overweight and 9.3% are obese. The data from the latest Eurispes Italy report say so. The cause? "They eat inadequately and move little," he comments Nicoletta Bocchino, nutritionist biologist. Behind the extra pounds in the vast majority of cases there are bad habits, especially between meals. «Often children skip the snack or consume as a snack mostly high-calorie foods with a low satiating power which instead of stopping hunger, stimulate it. As a result, they nibble constantly, overdo the quantities in subsequent meals and gain weight . But it's not just about the extra pounds. "A child who is overweight or obese is more likely to have problems with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many other ailments over time", adds the expert. On vacation, the risk of eating badly increases. "On the beach, for example, children are taken by games and baths and often forget to have a snack or as soon as they feel hungry they ask to eat ready-made snacks, easy to munch, which are often also rich in lipids and simple sugars, which favor the weight gain and the onset of health problems. To quench their thirst, they also take sweet and carbonated drinks, which in addition to not satisfying the thirst, increase the desire for sweet ", explains the expert, who here reveals what they are mistakes to stay away from on the beach and the tips to follow to make children's snacks healthier.

Things not to do

Consume brioches and ice cream

"Sweets and ice cream are rich in fats (hydrogenated and saturated) and refined sugars, which in addition to promoting the accumulation of fat have a reduced satiating and nutritional power". The ideal, therefore, "is to replace them with fresh and natural foods such as seasonal fruit. It is particularly rich in vitamins, mineral salts and water, which improve hydration and help the body better cope with the heat. Ok then to peaches, watermelon, apricots. The latter in particular are rich in beta-carotene, a precious antioxidant that protects the skin from damage caused by prolonged exposure to the sun and then natural water, the most effective thirst quencher ".

Eat salty snacks

«Chips and snacks in bags are convenient to carry and easy to munch on the go. However, they are not the ideal solution for a healthy and balanced snack ", warns the expert. "They often bring a lot of saturated fats and a high sodium content, which promotes dehydration, stimulates thirst and increases the risk of undergoing weight gain. In addition, they are poor in vitamins and minerals . For a snack on the beach, it is better to focus on foods that are easy to munch on, nutritious and healthy, such as nuts. "Walnuts, for example, provide satiating fibers and mineral salts such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, which improve the body's response to high temperatures. But pay attention to the quantities. «Dried fruit is very energetic. The ideal is to consume no more than 30 grams per day ".

Go overboard with stuffed sandwiches

"To break hunger between meals, the classic sandwich stuffed with mozzarella, cured meats and sausages should be avoided. In addition to providing an exaggerated amount of saturated fat and calories, it is difficult to digest. Better to prefer two small slices of wholemeal bread with cooked ham. It provides fibers and slow-absorbing complex carbohydrates that recharge with energy and give satiety. The ideal is to accompany it with a slice of tomato, rich in minerals and water that help replenish the liquids lost with sweating ".

Drink packaged juices

«Even if they are refreshing and thirst-quenching, these drinks are a" bomb "of rapidly absorbed sugars. They stimulate an exaggerated production of insulin, a hormone that promotes weight gain. Better to give priority to DIY drinking fruit and vegetables such as smoothies and extracts, without adding sugar. The fruit, especially the juice version, due to the lack of fiber is already particularly sweet .

In the gallery you will find 5 ideas to inspire you for a children's beach snack

10 recipes to enrich the most famous snack in Italy – Italian Cuisine

Once it was simply bread and oil, the snack most loved by children. Today bread and oil can become many things!

Bread and oil. Is there anything more natural, good and genuine?
From generation to generation grandmothers and mothers pass on the healthiest snack for children: a simple slice of bread (which for the lucky ones is homemade bread) and good extra virgin olive oil.
The recipe is the simplest of all. Just pour oil into a saucer and then get a slice of bread on it. If the oil is very good and fragrant, it is not even necessary to add salt.
Do you know that the classic slice of bread and oil can, with the addition of a few ingredients, become a real appetizer to serve as an appetizer or aperitif when you have many friends at dinner? Yes, bruschetta if we want to call it that.

Here are some original ideas to transform a simple snack into a tasty dish.

Bread, oil and avocado

Let's call it avocado toast. For the simplest version, put avocado slices on the toasted bread and seasoned with a drizzle of oil.

Bread and oil with salmon

For many, instead of oil, butter would be better as per Northern European tradition, but we suggest you try it with a new and good oil as well. Also add a little lemon juice and ground white pepper or fennel.

Bread, oil and garlic

A recipe for determined palates. In practice you simply have to toast a slice of bread, season it with a little oil and then rub it with a clove of garlic. To complete, you can then sprinkle it with grated Parmesan before putting it back in the oven for a few minutes. In the American version, chives are not missing either.

Bread, oil and tomato

The classic bruschetta that everyone always likes. You can enrich it with a grated feta cheese or diced cucumbers and chopped mint or basil leaves. Remember that kids like it when the tomato is rubbed on bread, not sliced.

Bread and oil with pecorino cheese

A real goodness that is prepared in a few minutes in the microwave or under the oven grill. Just cover the bread with the oil with seasoned pecorino cheese and then put everything in the oven. The cheese will melt and wrap the bread which will remain crunchy at the base.

Bread, oil and zucchini noodles

Cut courgettes lengthwise with a mandolin. You will get like noodles. Season them with oil, salt, pepper and some lemon juice and place them on slices of bread and oil spread with goat cheese.

Bread, oil … fake pizza arrives!

If you have some slightly dry leftover bread, cut it into slices and wet it with water. Then arrange it on the basis of a cake pan, crushing it well to soften it and sprinkle it with oil, tomato puree, salt and capers. Bake for 30 minutes at 180 ° and you will get an excellent fake pizza!

Bread, oil and beans

A poor but very tasty dish that can easily become a fast and complete second course. The ideal combination is between whole wheat bread and pre-cooked cannellini beans, well washed and simply seasoned with oil, salt and pepper.

Bread, oil and peppers

Fried green peppers and toasted bread are a perfect marriage. If you don't want to fry, simply cut the peppers into strips and cook them in the oven with the oil and a clove of garlic. When they are soft, serve them still warm on slices of toasted Tuscan bread and seasoned with a drizzle of raw oil.

Bread, oil and chocolate

It will seem strange to you, yet this is a gourmet pairing. Put a slice of good dark chocolate on a slice of bread and oil and add a pinch of salt if you want. The result will amaze you.