Our bodies require 2-3 servings of milk, yogurt, and cheese. One serving is equal to 1½ ounces of natural cheese, 8 ounces of yogurt, and 8 ounces (1 cup) of milk.

If you don’t like milk, there are other foods you can eat to get your daily dose of calcium. You can drink calcium-fortified soy, almond, or rice milk. Another milk option is chocolate milk. Try using small amounts chocolate syrup, like 1 teaspoon, mixed in with your milk to give your milk a little better taste while still giving your body the calcium it needs! You can also eat cheese, beans, some calcium-fortified breakfast cereals or bread, calcium-fortified orange juice, and spinach and broccoli.

Yes, it is important to eat green, leafy vegetables because they are good sources of calcium, fiber, as well as contain a lot of vitamins and minerals your body needs while growing. If you just do not like the taste, you can try a variety of ways to eat them with other tasty things you like such as making a salad with a little bit of dressing or including them on a yummy tuna, turkey or ham sandwich. This way you get your green leafy veggies AND you can enjoy them!

Broccoli and green beans, like all vegetables, are good for you because they make you feel full and contain vitamins and minerals that help your body work better. Vegetables are better for you than snack foods like chips, candy bars, or sweets. This is because these snack items provide very little, if any, fiber or vitamins and minerals are usually very high in sugar and very salty which could be bad for your body.

White bread doesn’t contain as much fiber as whole wheat bread does. Fiber, as a fuel for your body helps you feel full. The longer you feel full, the less you will want to grab junky snacks or other things that aren’t great sources of fuel.

Your body needs 2-4 servings of fruit each day. One serving is equal to one medium, apple, banana, or orange. To make it easy, try to include at least one different colored fruit with your meal or as a snack everyday! Eat the rainbow colors in fruit and your body will have a full tank of fuel that is delicious and fresh!

Foods that are good sources of protein are meats, poultry, eggs, all dairy products, and most grain products such as oatmeal, pasta, bread, and rice. Protein is important because our body requires protein for our blood, muscle and bones. When you exercise and feel sore the next day, replenish the protein that your body uses to make your muscles ready for another round!

You should always eat slowly when you are eating a meal or snack. Eating slowly allows your body to determine if it is full or not. When you eat too fast and suddenly feel overly full, then you know you are over eating. You should also only eat what is on your plate until you feel full, and don’t over eat by eating past the point where you are full. You can have your parents take you to the doctor to check your weight. You can also log onto Neat Eats and Treats (N.E.AT.) to select a meal plan that is specific for your age and energy needs.

Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle. It allows your body to be fit and helps you have stronger muscles and bones. It also keeps you from gaining weight and becoming overweight. Exercise can be fun! Just running around the playground, climbing on the monkey bars, riding bikes, playing soccer or other sports, and taking your dog for a walk count as exercise. You can make time for exercise at recess, after school, and especially during the vacation and summer breaks!

You don’t have to eat a big breakfast in the morning. Some good small meals include a mini bagel with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese on it along with a serving of fruit. You could also have a cup of yogurt with a piece of toast. A bowl of cereal with low-fat milk is also a light breakfast. If you know you get hungry around 10:30 am at school, you should try bringing some snacks to school. Some healthy snacks include a piece of fruit, carrot and/or celery sticks with peanut butter, crackers, granola bars, and trail mix.

Try bringing your lunch to school instead of getting your lunch from the cafeteria at school. Pizza, mac-n-cheese and chicken nuggets can very high in calories, fat, and sodium. Some good things to eat at lunchtime are deli sandwiches such as ham and cheese and tuna salad. Include in your lunch a piece of fruit and another snack like the ones listed in Question 10. You can also look for these options in the cafeteria but the best thing you can do is bring your lunch from home. It will have the most nutrition in it because you will know exactly what is in it.

Healthy snacks for after school would be apple, carrot, or celery sticks with peanut butter. You can also make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or try mixing it up with a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Other healthy snacks are a piece of fruit, granola bars, trail mix, oatmeal, or yogurt. Don’t worry! Dinner is usually around the corner.

If you feel hungry all the time, it usually means that what you eat isn’t filling enough. Eating every 3 hours is usually enough. Think about eating 6 small meals a day, rather than big meals of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Healthy snacks throughout the day are good too.

Popcorn can be a healthy snack. Since it is considered a whole grain, popcorn counts toward your 6 servings of whole grains a day. The only way that popcorn can become unhealthy is when you add additional toppings such as butter, cheese, salt, or sugars to it. The popcorn at the movie theater might seem like a good option, but remember, it is loaded with salt and butter, which is not healthy for you!

Many fast food restaurants like McDonalds and Taco Bell do not typically have healthy options to choose from. These menus usually contain a lot of fats and calories that are not good for your body. There are a few healthy options on the menus though. You can choose from salads, grilled chicken, milk and juice drinks instead of soda, and even fruits that come with kids’ meals. Just be careful!

Pasta for dinner isn’t always a bad thing, but it is good to keep in mind not to eat it every day. Have mom buy the 100% whole grain pasta and not white pasta. The whole grain pasta makes you feel fuller longer and counts toward your 6 servings of whole grains a day. It also contains fiber and other vitamins and minerals that your body needs to grow.

Eating meat in your diet is an important source of vitamins, minerals and protein. You don’t have to eat red meat all the time. You can substitute it with chicken and fish. But if you don’t like any kind of meat, there are alternatives such as tofu and tempeh, which are vegetarian options of protein.

Unfortunately, soda is not a healthy choice. Soda has a lot of sugars and calories that are not good for you. You can choose drinks like 100% juices and water. Water is very important to your body because it keeps you hydrated and has many health benefits.