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Healthy eating is very important as healthy food will make you big and strong as well as giving you heaps of energy to play your favourite sport - Soccer! It means eating a wide variety of nutritious foods from all of the food groups, which contain lots of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Eating a wide variety of foods from all food groups will help you grow.
Some foods contain too much sugar or fat and not many vitamins or minerals - these are foods we should only eat sometimes.
The foods you eat have been divided into three groups according to how nutritious they are. These make up what is often called the ‘food pyramid’. You can use these groups to help you decide which foods to eat more of and which to eat less often.
The food pyramid helps kids to receive all the nutrients growing children need each day from the five food groups.
These are:
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Protein - this includes lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, legumes
- Grains - this includes bread, cereals, rice, pasta and noodles
- Dairy - this includes milk, yoghurt, and cheese
You'll notice that the fats, oils and sweets have been missed off this list. That's because they're not good for you and should only be eaten sparingly.
The bottom of the pyramid is the biggest part of the pyramid. It contains the foods you should eat most of the time.
The middle of the pyramid contains foods you should eat moderately (a medium amount). They are important for health but we don’t need too much of them.
The top of the pyramid is the smallest part of the pyramid. It contains foods you should only eat sometimes.
You'll need to eat a number of serves from each group depending on your age and how active you are. Growing children need the following number of serves from each group:
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Grains
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Veggies
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Fruit
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Dairy
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Protein
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4-7 yrs
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3-4
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4
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2
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3
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½ - 1
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8-11 yrs
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4-6
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4-5
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1-2
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3
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1 – 1½
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12-18 yrs
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4-7
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5-9
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3-4
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3-5
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1-2
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Where to get help:
- Your parents
- Your teacher
- Your Viva Soccer Coach
- The Internet
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