PARENTS AND NUTRITION: THE SURVEY - PARENTHOOD

Family, school and nutrition: a chat with Italian mothers

Being a mother: a task as beautiful as it is difficult. Together with Skipper Zuegg, we launched a survey to ask a group of Italian mothers a few questions about the return to post-Covid school, their children's snacks and their way of managing family nutrition and living their parenthood.

In fact, according to the data, the question "what kind of parent are you?" half of the interviewees are committed and questioned how they could improve themselves in the role of parent every day and in every sphere of the child's life, whether it be school, friendships, health or nutrition.

Keep calm & back to school! The return to school after the lockdown

Inevitably, parental concerns include the fateful post-lockdown return to school. In fact, 86% of Italian mothers worry about "back to school".

"Never before has this post-lockdown period, the return to school or the start of schooling been at the center of parents' concerns. In fact, 86% of Italian mothers worry about" the back to school "Alongside the traditional fears, such as that their children may not get along well with the class group (if new school or change of location) or that, if very young, they may not be able to adapt to new rhythms , habits and adult figures, are added those inevitably connected to the period of health uncertainty we are experiencing ", comments Dr. Paola Medde, psychologist and psychotherapist.

Proper nutrition: the doubts of mothers

Apart from the fears related to the Covid emergency, mothers are also worried about returning to school about the proper nutrition of their children.

"It is not unusual for our children to return home telling us that they have eaten, at lunch with school friends, dishes whose only name could not be pronounced. Learning between boys and girls of the same age is more effective because it feels more similar to the peer than to the parent. Again, without the anxieties of the parent, worried that the plate will remain full, children have more freedom to experiment and taste without mealtime becoming a battle at the table! " - adds Dr. Medde.

Italian mothers and food choices for their children

For the mothers interviewed, providing a proper diet for their children is important, but one of the most frequent fears (41%) is that of failing to get enough fruit and vegetables. So what trick to use to solve the problem?

"It would be enough to get our little ones used to the" flavor "of fruit by making them drink fruit juices without added sugar as a snack. The false belief that fruit juice is a drink rich in preservatives, dyes and sugars must be debunked to make way for that. , more realistic that sees, in these drinks, a practical tool to ensure a healthy diet, useful at breakfast and snack and able to avoid those unpleasant and counterproductive family battles that are a source of stress for everyone. " Concludes Dr. Medde.

An excellent solution is suggested by Skipper: fruit juices with zero added sugars, no dyes or preservatives, a high percentage of fruit in a cheerful and “child-sized” brik with the right caloric intake. A defeat to the prejudice, which many mothers still have, on the fact that fruit juices are rich in sugars and preservatives. Those of Skipper are a "winning alternative to fresh fruit, thanks to the natural ingredients and the practicality of the packaging.

And from a nutritional point of view, what does snack time represent for mothers and children? Let's discover the advice of Dr. Valeria del Balzo, biologist and nutritionist.

That fruit juices represent a healthy and nutritious snack for mothers is evident, as when it comes to fruit juices as many as 87% of the sample say they give their children fruit juices, with a frequency ranging from 1 - 2 times a week (for 36%) to 3-4 times a week (23%).

"The snack, in the daily nutrition of the child, becomes the moment to consume those foods that are not consumed in the main meals and represent a break suitable to supply energy for the body. Each child has a more or less active lifestyle. therefore, even the snack must adapt.Let's not forget the very important introduction of liquids in children.
The consumption of fruit juices without added sugar contains only the amount of sugar naturally present in fruit and depends on the variety of fruit chosen. Fruit juices are often used by parents to improve children's fruit consumption; for sure it's a good habit but let's learn to read the labels and use juices without added sugar ".

Snack or snack the most practical solution are fruit juices, as long as they are free of added sugars and preservatives and with the right caloric intake. Just read the labels carefully!