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Fueling Up Healthy When Playing!
Kids need fuel for activities so that they can build bones and muscles and this should always start with a good breakfast. A good breakfast is helpful for learning and mental performance in school. Kid’s who go without breakfast or eat a sugary snack for breakfast will have difficulty concentrating and learning. Studies have shown that a good breakfast may lead to better grades, improved memory and better attendance and test taking skills.
Parents and caregivers should set a good example for kids by what they eat. Keep fresh fruit and veggie snacks in the car on trips; keep fresh fruit within reach as snacks throughout the day.
- There is a strong connection between healthy eating and activity.
- When the body is fueled with the right foods and plenty of water, it can do amazing things.
- The wrong foods will slow you down and make you tired, leading to inactivity, which in turn can lead to obesity and Diabetes. From there many other health problems can develop.
- Overweight and Diabetes is becoming an epidemic in children.
- That is why it's important to eat smart
and play hard!
For more information go to: www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhardkids.
The Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ Campaign was launched by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in 2000. The Campaign encourages and teaches children, parents, and caregivers to eat healthy and be physically active everyday. Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ offers resources and tools to convey and reinforce healthy eating and lifestyle behaviors that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid Food Guidance System.
You can also visit: www.AmericanHeart.org, www.Kidnetic.com and www.MyPramid.gov.
Kristine L. Bach, MS, RD, CDN is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Dietitian Nutritionist with a Master of Science Degree in Biology with the emphasis on Human Nutrition. She is a freelance writer, has appeared in "Woman's Fitness Magazine", and has a Nutrition Counseling Practice in Long Island, New York. You may contact her at nutritionservices11776@yahoo.com.
