10 Tips to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity For You - for kids
from 9-15 years
(Re-printed with
permission from IFIC)
1. Start your day with breakfast
Breakfast fills your "empty tank" to
get you going after a long night without food. And it can help you do better in school.
Easy to prepare breakfasts include cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat
toast with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit, whole-grain waffles or even last night's
pizza!
2.Get Moving
It's easy to fit physical activities into your
daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every
hour while you read, do homework or watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator
or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30 minutes every day.
3.Snack Smart
Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose
snacks from different food groups -- a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an
apple or celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat
smart at other meals, cookies, chips and candy are OK for occasional snacking.
4. Work up a sweat
Vigorous work-outs -- when you're breathing
hard and sweating -- help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look
and feel your best. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes
of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging or dancing. Follow-up with activities that
help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more
stretching and deep breathing.
5.Balance your food choices - don't
eat too much of one things.
You don't have to give up foods like
hamburgers, french fries and ice cream to eat healthfully. You just have to be smart about
how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs nutrients like protein,
carbohydrates, fat and many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron
and calcium from a variety of foods. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid
and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels will help you to get all these
nutrients
6. Get fit with friends or family.
Being active is much more fun with friends or
family. Encourage others to join you and plan one special physical activity event, like a
bike ride or hiking, with a group each week.
7. Eat more grains, fruits and vegetables.
These foods give you carbohydrates for energy,
plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Besides, they taste good! Try breads such as
whole-wheat, bagels and pita. Spaghetti and oatmeal are also in the grain group.
Bananas, strawberries and melons are some
great tasting fruits. Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich or in a salad.
8. Join in physical activities at
school.
Whether you take a physical education class or
do other physical activities at school, such as intramural sports, structured activities
are a sure way to feel good, look good and stay physically fit.
9. Foods aren't good or bad.
A healthy eating style is like a puzzle with
many parts. Each part -- or food -- is different. Some foods may have more fat, sugar or
salt while others may have more vitamins or fiber. There is a place for all these foods.
What makes a diet good or bad is how foods fit together. Balancing your choices is
important. Fit in a higher-fat food, like pepperoni pizza, at dinner by choosing lower-fat
foods at other meals. And don't forget about moderation. If two pieces of pizza fill you
up, don't eat a third.
10.Make healthy eating and physical
activities fun!
Take advantage of physical activities you and
your friends enjoy doing together and eat the foods you like. Be adventurous -- try new
sports, games and other activities as well as new foods. You'll grow stronger, play
longer, and look and feel better! Set realistic goals -- don't try changing too much at
once.
