Cold dishes for kids: the most practical and quick recipes

In summer with schools closed, children at home and long days, mealtime can also become a problem. Boredom, the heat, the desire to be outdoors, days at the beach or pool, it is especially the diet that is affected by these changes. Quick lunches, unbalanced schedules, lack of appetite: how to organize children’s meals in the summertime?

In times of high temperatures, no doubt, it is very beneficial to avoid the heat of ovens and kettles. The solution is quick but tasty children’s cold meals that can intrigue the child and especially help combat heat and inappetence.

Cold recipes are definitely an essential wild card in the kitchen, especially in summer. They are suitable to take as a snack to summer camp, to a picnic, or to enjoy at home, especially during warmer days.

What about at the beach or on vacation?

Spending the whole day outside means thinking about a menu suitable for even the youngest children. In order not to resort to the usual sandwiches from the bar or the not always cheap dishes from the facilities, it is necessary to set the imagination in motion and propose a lunch, in perfect picnic style, with cold, tasty, light and quick dishes.

So what to feed children in summer?

Let’s start by saying that heat in children reduces energy expenditure for thermoregulation, acts on the hormonal system and induces apathy and laziness, causing a reduction in appetite. Also affected by the rise in temperature are the intestines, so digestion becomes more strenuous.

According to paediatricians, therefore, the green light to:

• Plenty of fruits and vegetables
• Main dishes: fish, white meat and legumes
• Drinks: water and non-carbonated beverages
• Foods high in calcium
• Light snacks

Couscous is among the best cold dishes for kids

Have you always thought in the summer that you wanted to plan lunch in advance, but never managed to do it? With couscous, it’s possible because it’s a very quick dish that can be prepared the day before and reheated just before serving (but in summer it’s great cold too!). The tricks are few and simple: vegetables cut into very small chunks and then go for meat, fish, and legumes. Easy, right?

Couscous is a great food for children as it is healthy, nutritious, quick to cook and above all versatile. You can prepare a complete dish by combining many ingredients but most importantly it is perfect for making cold dishes for summer.

Speaking of cold dishes with couscous, here are some recipes perfect for kids:

• Pea Couscous Meatballs with Salmon and Zucchini
• Corn Couscous Muffins with peas and ham
• Semifreddo with Couscous Martino and ricotta cheese
• Ham rolls with couscous and vegetables
• Couscous with cod and cream of vegetables