Food facts for little nibblers

Fast snacks for active kids
Kids on the go need high-grade fuel to maintain their energy, so pick a smart snack from one of the four food groups. Try fave foods such as whole grain buns, muffins or dry cereal (not the sugar-coated kind); vegetables, such as sliced carrots or peppers, or pieces of fruit; yogurt, or cheese and crackers; hard-cooked eggs or trail mix.

For hydration, go for H2O. How much depends on the activity and the size of your child. In general, offer one cup (250 millilitres) of water before an activity, sips throughout and another cup immediately after the activity. That said, let your child drink as much as he wants; kids are more likely to under-drink than overdrink. If your youngster refuses water, try diluted juice. Avoid sports drinks though because they have too much sugar and too few nutrients, and only endurance athletes need the electrolytes they provide.

The lowdown on caffeine
You can keep your kids away from tea and coffee, but not always from caffeine, which is also found in chocolate and pop. Data from Health Canada shows that caffeine isn't great for kids. Here's how to keep them from having too much.

Kids between the ages of four and six should ingest no more than 45 milligrams of caffeine a day, and kids aged seven to nine no more than 62.5 milligrams a day. A standardsize can of cola contains between 36 and 46 milligrams of caffeine, a can of diet cola 39 to 50 milligrams and an average chocolate bar about 30 milligrams.

Don't worry if your kids eat occasional treats such as chocolate cake, says Fiona Yeudall, a registered dietitian and an assistant professor of nutrition at Ryerson University in Toronto. But as much as possible, take a pass on the pop and go for nutrient-rich beverages such as milk products. And don't worry about chocolate milk; it only has between two and seven milligrams of caffeine and hot chocolate about five, so they're both good bets.