A child who practices physical activity must eat bread, meat and milk daily, for example, which are foods rich in energy and protein to guarantee the potential for development when practicing the activity. Furthermore, it is essential to eat vegetables and fruit every day and drink water throughout the day, avoiding very sweet and salty foods and especially processed foods.
Practicing exercise during childhood is extremely important, as it contributes to the growth of muscles and bones and helps maintain adequate body weight, avoiding complications that arise from a sedentary lifestyle, such as obesity. Therefore, in addition to playing on the school playground, children must practice a sport, such as skating or basketball, for 60 minutes a day.
Active child nutrition
An active child, who plays in the garden, runs in the school playground or does a sport such as swimming or football, for example, should consume:
- Carbohydrate-rich foods at every meal, such as bread, cereals, rice and pasta, for example, to provide energy. Discover the foods in: Foods rich in carbohydrates.
- Eat foods rich in protein especially after physical activity, such as chicken, egg, milk or yogurt.
- Eat at least 2 fruits per daywhich is rich in vitamins and prevents infections, especially before practicing physical activity or as a dessert;
- Eat vegetables every dayeating soup for lunch and dinner;
- Drink water throughout the day, as it hydrates and helps regulate body temperature. However, children who do sports should drink water up to 15 minutes before exercising and during exercise, every 15 minutes, between 120 and 300 ml.
Children who are active and practice physical activity spend more energy than those who do not do activity and, therefore, need to ingest more calories, approximately 2000 calories daily, which must be divided over at least 6 meals a day, not and must go more than 3.5 hours without eating, in order to maintain energy and good academic performance.
Food menu for children who practice physical activity
Below is an example of a one-day menu for an active child.
Fried foods, soft drinks, biscuits and cakes should not be consumed regularly and should never be an option before physical activity, as they lead to a feeling of a full stomach, causing discomfort.
