Minelli, ‘canteens are a source of anxiety for parents, here’s how to compose menus’

2023-09-18 11:35:17

With the first bell of the year, the ‘canteen service’ in schools is also restarting, often a source of worry for mothers and fathers. “Will our children eat healthy, quality food? This is, among the anxiety-provoking questions, the one that parents most frequently ask themselves with the debut of the school catering service. So, in this very delicate start-up phase of new experiences especially for children and families, it may be useful to clarify what the canteen represents and the type of nutrition it must guarantee”. Immunologist Mauro Minelli, responsible for the South of the Italian Foundation for Personalized Medicine, explains this to time.news Salute.

“The canteen in schools cannot, nor should it be understood as simply satisfying nutritional needs – this is the first point to clarify, according to Minelli – but should be considered, by parents and teachers as well as by pupils, as a fundamental educational event. It is that, in fact, is the moment in which children have the opportunity to learn to sit at the table and eat what is on their plate, appreciating dishes and flavors that are perhaps completely new to them, he emphasizes – as they are absent on home tables for habits within the family or, sometimes, just due to lack of time”.

Faced with unfamiliar dishes, the child may initially refuse to eat, but this should not be considered an obstacle: “With the persuasive intervention of the teachers and in consideration of the fact that the child is often led to imitate his classmates, the initial no’s generally do not are slow to be overcome. After all, for very young students, this is the most flexible and versatile phase of life, the one in which it is still possible to modify lifestyle and eating habits, virtuous qualities inevitably destined to be lost with the progression of age. , as habits and tastes become increasingly consolidated to the point of becoming immovable and irreplaceable”.

So, what to put on the students’ plates? “The organization of the nutritional offer must first of all respect the principles of variety and seasonality – continues Minelli – key elements that will allow us to achieve an adequate intake of nutrients, essential for the physical and mental development of children”. As a snack “it is important that industrialized foods with high caloric density, such as salty snacks and snacks, or sugary drinks such as fruit juices or yoghurt are not offered. Fresh, seasonal fruit or a slice of bread topped with vegetables is definitely better. Seasonal”.

“A complete meal must always be guaranteed at lunch and therefore the presence of carbohydrates, fats and proteins – recommends Minelli – As regards cereals, it is essential that they are not represented exclusively by ordinary pasta or other leavened products such as pizzas or focaccias, but that there is an alternation with different types of cereals that vary in fiber and micronutrient intake. Similarly, proteins, to be taken in rotation, must not be represented only by meat, eggs or dairy products, but it is important that in the menu fish and legumes are included, the consumption of which, in the ordinary home diet, is not always guaranteed with the frequency it deserves”.

To season the various dishes, “the use of extra virgin olive oil must always be fundamental which, for children and not only for them, remains a very precious source of vitamins A, D, E and K, essential for the development of nervous tissue and for overall growth. And we could take into consideration the good habit, recently adopted by some school catering services, of introducing aromatic herbs such as basil, thyme, sage into children’s diets, useful for flavoring dishes, enriching them, as well as and of taste, even of minerals, of which they are precious sources. This allows us to reduce or, even better, exclude the addition of salt when preparing dishes”. “All choices, obviously – Minelli comments – cannot ignore the possible presence, in the school group, of children and young people with celiac disease, allergies or in any case with particular food sensitivities, for whom strictly personalized menus will always be provided”.