The American Dietetic Association

aaaNational Center for Nutrition and Dieteticsaaa

International Food Information Council Foundation

President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports

A brochure for kids from 9-15 years 





         





TO HEALTHY EATING AND 

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR YOU
Work up a sweat. 

Vigorous work-outs — when you’re breathing hard and sweating — help your heart

pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel your best. Start with a

warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as

push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.

Start your day with breakfast. 

Breakfast fills your “empty tank” to get you going after a long night without food.

And it can help you do better in school. Easy to prepare breakfasts include cold

cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, yogurt with

fruit, whole-grain waffles or even last night’s pizza!

Get Moving!

It’s easy to fit physical activities into

your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to

see friends. Take a 10-minute activity

break every hour while you read, do homework or

watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator

or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30

minutes every day.

Snack smart. 

Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from different food groups — a glass 

of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or celery sticks with peanut

butter and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies,

chips and candy are OK for occasional snacking.

to healthy 

eating and physical 

activity for you
Balance your food choices — don’t eat too

much of any one thing. 

You don’t have to give up foods like hamburgers, french fries and ice cream to eat healthfully. You just have to be smart about how often

and how much of them you eat. Your body needs

nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many

different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C 

and A, iron and calcium from a variety of foods.

Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid

and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels

Get fit with friends or family will help you get all these nutrients. . 

Being active is much more fun with friends 

or family. Encourage others to join you and

plan one special physical activity event, like a

bike ride or hiking, with a group each week.

Foods aren’t good or bad. 

A healthy eating style is like a puzzle with many parts. Each part — or food —

is different. Some foods may have more fat, sugar or salt while others may have more

vitamins or fiber. There is a place for all these foods. What makes a diet good or bad

is how foods fit together. Balancing your choices is important. Fit in a higher-fat

food, like pepperoni pizza, at dinner by choosing lower-fat foods at other

meals. And don’t forget about moderation. If two pieces of pizza fill you

up, you don’t need a third.

Make healthy eating and physical activities fun! 

Take advantage of physical activities you and your friends enjoy doing together and

eat the foods you like. Be adventurous — try new sports, games and other 

activities as well as new foods. You’ll grow stronger, play longer, and look and feel better! 

Set realistic goals — don’t try changing too much at once.

Eat more grains, fruits

and vegetables. 

These foods give you 

carbohydrates for energy, 

plus vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Besides, they taste good! Try breads such as

whole-wheat, bagels and pita. Spaghetti and

oatmeal are also in the grain group. 

Bananas, strawberries 

and melons are some great tasting

fruits. Try vegetables raw, on a

sandwich or in a salad.

Join in physical

activities at

school. Whether you

take a physical education

class or do other physical

activities at school, such as

intramural sports, structured

activities are a sure way to feel good,

look good and stay physically fit.
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Fats, Oils & Sweets

USE SPARINGLY

Milk, Yogurt & 

Cheese Group

2-3 SERVINGS

Vegetable Group

3-5 SERVINGS

Bread, Cereal, 

Rice & Pasta 

Group 

6-11 SERVINGS

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry

Beans, Eggs & Nuts Group

2-3 SERVINGS

Food Guide

Pyramid

t

Everyday make 

extra steps in your day;

take the stairs instead of the 

elevator; walk or ride 

your bike instead 

of getting a ride

The Food Guide Pyramid is a practical

tool to help you make food choices that are

consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for

Americans. Using the Pyramid enables you to

eat a variety of foods daily so that you can get

the nutrients you need.

To make the most of the Pyramid, you need to

know what counts as a serving.

Food Group Serving Size

Vegetable 1 cup raw, leafy vegetables, 1⁄2 cup 

cooked or chopped raw vegetables or 

3

⁄4 cup vegetable juice

Bread 1 slice bread, 1⁄2 bagel or English muffin, 

1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal, 1

⁄2 cup cooked 

cereal, rice or pasta, or 5-6 small crackers

Fruit 1 medium piece of fruit, 1⁄2 cup mixed fruit 

or 3

⁄4 cup fruit juice

Milk 1 cup milk or yogurt, 11⁄2 ounces natural 

cheese or 2 ounces process cheese

Meat 2 - 3 ounces cooked lean meat, poultry or fish 

(about the size of a deck of cards). Other foods 

which count as 1 ounce meat: 1

⁄2 cup cooked dry 

beans, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons peanut butter or 1

⁄3 cup nuts

Key— These symbols show fat and added sug- ars in foods.

Fat naturally occurring (and added)

▼ Sugars (added)

Source: 

U.S. Department of Agriculture/

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Watching TV & videos

Playing videos & computer 

games, Sitting for more than 

30 minutes at a time

Leisure & 

Playtime

Miniature golf Canoeing, Swinging

Tumbling

Strength & Flexibility

Pull-ups/push-ups

Rope climbing

Ballet/dance

Karate

Biking

Swimming

In-line skating

Aerobic exercises 

(at least 20 mins.)

Jump rope

Skateboard

Running

around Recreation activities

(at least 20 mins.)

Relay races

Kickball

Skiing

Volleyball

Play outside

Ride your bike or 

walk to the store

Help around the house

Take the stairs 

instead of the elevator

Take your dog or 

brother/sister for a walk

Pick up your toys

WITH FRIENDS:

■ Dance to music

■ Play games like tag and hopscotch

■ Join a sports team at school or the park 

WITH FAMILY:

■ Go on a walk together

■ Play at the park

■ Turn off the TV for a day

BY YOURSELF:

■ Fly a kite

■ Do cartwheels, somersaults 

or jumping jacks

■ Practice sports skills

Each week you can have fun and be 

active by trying the following things... 

Fruit Group

3-5 SERVINGS

Basketball

Soccer
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2/98

International Food Information Council Foundation

1100 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.

Suite 430

Washington, DC 20036

The American Dietetic Association

National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics

216 West Jackson Boulevard

Chicago, IL 60606-6995 ®

What’s Your Nutrition and 

Physical Activity I.Q.?

Can you fill in the blanks to find these secrets to

healthy eating and physical activity?

1. Eat from the five food groups every day. These 

include a) , cereals and grains, 

b) fruits, c) vegetables, d) milk, yogurt and 

cheese, and e) and proteins.

2. Do moderate physical activities for 

minutes daily. 

3. Eat to get going in the morning.

4. Vigorous activities make you 

and breathe hard. 

5. Eat a of foods every day.

6. Take a 10 minute break every hour

while you read, or do homework.

7. Smart are just what you need if

you get hungry between meals.

8. Be sure to your muscles before 

and after work-outs.

9. Use the Facts Panel and the Food 

Pyramid to help you balance food choices.

10. Keep to stay in shape.

If You Want to Know More

For additional information about food and nutrition, or a referral to a registered dietitian (R.D.) in your area, call the ADA’s

National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics (NCND) Consumer

Nutrition Hot Line (800/366-1655). 

For more information about improving your physical activity

level, write the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and

Sports at the address below.

President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports

HHH Building, Room 738H

200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, DC 20201 

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