Introduction

With summer comes not only the heat but also a disruption in routines, a lack of meal planning and, in general, chaos. And when there are children involved, it’s important to maintain a minimum level of organisation so that it doesn’t affect their health and development.

As far as possible, it’s best to stick to a regular schedule, because otherwise you’ll notice a lack of appetite at certain times of the day, or the opposite — they may become overly hungry by leaving too much time between meals and end up snacking on less healthy foods.

Breakfast

If breakfast is important during the school year, it remains so in summer. It’s one of the meals children most often skip, because they wake up later and don’t feel hungry. Or, more commonly, they eat breakfast so late that by lunchtime they have no appetite at all.

Digestion

What our parents always told us still holds true today — digestion time must be respected, as any sudden change in temperature can lead to indigestion.

Afternoon snack

It’s also important to maintain afternoon snacks. To make them more appealing, you can include fruit with chocolate, smoothies, fruit lollies, or homemade ice creams.

Our advice

It’s essential not to use food as a reward, especially pastries and ice cream.

It’s very important to make the most of seasonal fruit and vegetables, and try to include them in their meals in a fun way — with skewers or chilled gazpachos, for example.

Use lighter cooking methods, such as steaming or grilling, and try to cut back on daily fried foods.

Why not have pizza or burgers every now and then? Just make sure they’re homemade, and take advantage of seasonal veg to make them more nutritious. Try fish or legume-based burgers, and always serve them with vegetables.

A good food presentation will encourage them to eat, and it’s always beneficial to combine foods they love with those they’re less keen on.

These recommendations are intended for children, but no doubt more than a few adults will benefit from them too.