KidsHealth / for Kids / Be a Fit Kid Be a Fit Kid There's a lot of talk these days about fit kids. People who care (parents, doctors, teachers, and others) want to know how to help kids be more fit. Being fit is a way of saying a person eats well, gets a lot of physical activity (exercise), and has a healthy weight. If you're fit, your body works well, feels good, and can do all the things you want to do, like run around with your friends. Some parts of this are up to parents — such as serving healthy meals or deciding to take the family on a nature hike. But kids can take charge too when it comes to their health. Here are five rules to live by, if you're a kid who wants to be fit. The trick is to follow these rules most of the time, knowing that some days (like your birthday) might call for cake and ice cream. 1. Eat a Variety of Foods You may have a favorite food, but the best choice is to eat a variety. If you eat different foods, you're more likely to get the nutrients your body needs. Taste new foods and old ones you haven't tried for a while. Some foods, such as green veggies, may taste better the older you get. Shoot for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day — two fruits and three vegetables. Here's one combination that might work for you: at breakfast: ½ cup (about 4 large) strawberries on your cereal with lunch: 6 baby carrots for a snack: an apple with dinner: ½ cup broccoli (about 2 big spears) and 1 cup of salad 2. Drink Water & Milk When you're really thirsty, cold water is the best thirst-quencher. And there's a reason your school cafeteria offers cartons of milk. Kids need calcium to build strong bones, and milk is a great source of this mineral. How much do kids need? If you are 4 to 8 years old, drink 2½ cups of milk a day, or its equivalent. If you're 9 or older, aim for 3 cups of milk per day, or its equivalent. You can mix it up by having milk and some other calcium-rich dairy foods. Here's one combination: 2 cups (about half a liter) of low-fat or nonfat milk 1 slice cheddar cheese ½ cup (small container) of yogurt If you want something other than milk or water once in a while, it's OK to have 100% juice. But try to limit juice to no more than 1 serving (6 to 8 ounces) a day. Avoid sugary drinks, like sodas, juice cocktails, and fruit punches. They contain a lot of added sugar. Sugar just adds calories, not important nutrients. 3. Listen to Your Body What does it feel like to be full? When you're eating, notice how your body feels and when your stomach feels comfortably full. Sometimes, people eat too much because they don't notice when they need to stop eating. Eating too much can make you feel uncomfortable and can lead to unhealthy weight gain. 4. Limit Screen Time What's screen time? It's the amount of time you spend watching TV or DVDs, playing video games (console systems or handheld games), and using a smart phone, tablet, or computer. The more time you spend on these sitting-down activities, the less time you have for active stuff, like basketball, bike riding, and swimming. Try to spend no more than 2 hours a day on screen time, not counting computer use related to school and educational activities. 5. Be Active One job you have as a kid — and it's a fun one — is that you get to figure out which activities you like best. Not everyone loves baseball or soccer. Maybe your passion is karate, or kickball, or dancing.
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