The aperitif: types, functions and when to drink it

Have we ever wanted to try a little bit of everything, and that little bit has gone a long way? Could it be that we have snacks that we know are not very healthy? There are a lot of questions to ask around the aperitif, right?

What does the aperitif usually contain?

Although there may be differences, there are some more common foods: olives, sausages, potato chips, other bag snacks, crackers, pickled anchovies, anchovies and similar, cheese, fried fish, cockles, mussels and the like, ...

And, apart from the food, there are the drinks,, beer, vermouth, bitter, tonic, sparkling water ... Many of these foods are not very recommended, and the drinks ... let alone. Sugary drinks and alcohol are always out of any nutritional recommendation.

What is the function of the aperitif?

The appetizer it can and is used to give more variety to food, to make that snack a little more special. And in addition to that, many times it has the function of "filling the wait", allowing time until the food is ready and / or all the guests have arrived, and thus we are filling the stomach.

Positions to fill, we choose options, it is not worth that since we only eat a little we can choose less suitable foods. Because sometimes it's not a little bit. A little, more a little, more another little, it ends up being a lot of quantity, and precisely many of the products of appetizer They are the result of research, specially designed to favor snacking, and make it difficult to stop consuming them.

Healthy snack ideas

Ok, focusing on the appetizer, If we have to offer them something before the meal, let's think about foods that could perfectly be part of the meal and that are simply increasing their intake: raw or toasted nuts, carrot sticks, cucumber ..., bread sticks, cherry tomatoes ,, falafel or healthy homemade croquettes, battered aubergine slices, fruit skewers, stuffed mushrooms, pumpkin cream cups, diced or strips of sweet potato or baked or fried potato, homemade, a piece of fresh, apple, carrot ...

In general, if you are going to eat a lot, it is better to vary between different proposals so as not to overindulge in any particular food, and especially the examples that follow. They are healthy products if they are taken in the right measure, not in excess, and they are also protein foods that if offered as a starter should no longer be presented in the meal, or at least in small amounts.

And for the elderly

The reality is that all the advice that we have just discussed for the smallest of the house also applies to the elderly in terms of type of food. We should only take into account, as in children, if the person requires personalized advice for any health reason or if you need to control your caloric intake or adapt to a specific type of diet.

• Let's try to specify a time for lunch, so that everyone can organize themselves and not arrive almost faint at lunchtime.
• If necessary and there are children, we will advance the time for lunch. If that's not possible, let's prepare a special "starter" for them, so that later they can eat the main course as a family.
• Let's choose healthy foods like appetizer. If we overdo it, it may not have been by taking unhealthy products. Then, we can moderate the amount of food, and it is always a good option to move a little in the afternoon.

Mercè Gonzalo

Bachelor of Food Science and Technology Diploma in Human Nutrition and Dietetics