6 ways to keep active kids healthy

1. Check your child’s weight once a month to ensure that he or she hasn’t dropped any weight as a result of insufficient calorie intake. TIP: Active kids can require 500 to 1,000 more calories a day than their inactive peers because they burn more energy while engaged in sports.

2. If your child has lost weight, consider seeing a registered dietitian to help plan a diet that will meet his increased energy needs. TIP: You can find a dietitian at www.dietitians.ca/find, or talk to your family doctor or pediatrician.

3. Give an active kid three meals each day, as well as three or four healthy snacks. TIP: Kids have small tummies and cannot eat enough at a meal to sustain them for many hours, so snacks are vital to keeping their energy levels up.

4. Meals should be high in complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain breads, pasta, rice, cereal and potatoes. They should also contain protein (chicken, fish) and healthy fats (oil-based salad dressing, soft margarine, or any vegetable oil, such as olive, canola, sunflower or flax).

5. Serve a variety of foods to ensure all of your kid's vitamin and mineral needs are met.

6. Plan ahead. Busy schedules that include early-morning or night-time practices interfere with meal times. Be sure to carry healthy snacks and think ahead to the next meal so that healthy options can be available.

Page 1 of 1