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How to be a Fit Kid

Good habits are great to keep when you're young. This way, when you get older, it's easy to keep going with what you're used to rather than breaking bad habits and turning around your whole lifestyle and way of eating. Keeping your kids fit is a great habit to keep. With a great attitude, they can keep a fresh mind and even make "eating healthy" fun!

Although kids have a favorite food or snack, it's best to eat a variety of foods, fruits and vegetables. By doing this, you're most likely going to get the nutrients your body needs. Taste all kinds of new and old foods including green veggies. The older you get, the more pleasing vegetables and fruits will be. Strive to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day - two fruits and three vegetables. You don't have to eat them plain; mix it up a bit! You can put a banana on Grapenut Cereal, or 1/2 cup (113 grams) of strawberries on any type of breakfast cereal you want. Have 10 baby carrots and mix it up with Ranch or Catalina dressing. Cut up some Celery Sticks and spread Peanut Butter over them. Have a 1/2 cup of salsa with chips, and 3/4 cup (170 grams) of fruit juice.

Milk and water is the perfect beverages to drink most often. Cold water is the number one thirst-quencher when you're really thirsty. And there's a reason your school cafeteria offers cartons of milk. Calcium is a main "ingredient" to a kid's health; especially when growing. It grows strong bones and it also has a great source of mineral. Kids need about 800 milligrams each day if you are 6 to 8 years old and 1,300 milligrams if you're 9 years or older. Below is a list of foods and drinks that would add up to the 1,300-milligram daily goal:

-2 cups (about half a liter) of milk (600 milligrams of calcium)
-2 ounces (57 grams) of cheese (300 milligrams of calcium) (Grilled Cheese Sandwich is a favorite!)
-1 cup (227 grams) of yogurt (315 milligrams of calcium)
-1/2 cup (113 grams) cooked white beans (120 milligrams of calcium)

If you're wanting a beverage other than water and milk, then 100% juice is good, too. But try to limit sugary drinks like soda, juice cocktails, and fruit punches. They contain a lot of added sugar. Sugar just adds calories, not important nutrients.

Another great habit is to notice how your body feels while eating. Once it's comfortably full, stop. Or eat and wait a while so your food can settle. Sometimes, people eat too much because they don't notice when they need to stop eating. This leads to unhealthy weight gain over a period of time.

Although it's hard for kids to do, limit your time on the computer, playing video games, and watching TV. This will keep you from being active and doing activities like basketball, bike riding, and swimming. Try not to spend more than 2 hours a day on screen time, not counting computer use related to school work.

One of the fun jobs about being a kid is you get to figure out which activities you like the best. Not everyone has a passion for baseball or soccer. Maybe your love is boxing or karate, kickball or tennis, or dancing! Ask one of your parents to help you do your favorite activities regularly. Find ways to be active every day. You might even write down a list of fun stuff to do, so you can refer to it when your mom or dad says it's time to stop watching TV or playing computer games!

Speaking of parents, they can be a big help if you want to be a fit kid. For instance, they can stock the house with healthy foods and plan physical activities for the family. Tell your parents about these five steps you want to take and maybe you can teach them a thing or two. If you're a fit kid, why shouldn't you have a fit mom and a fit dad?