Eating well and being physically active are crucial to achieving good health. How you treat your body now in terms of keeping it strong and giving it good fuel will have an impact on how you feel today and in the future.

Participants in the Kids' Run Club take part in the Healthy Living Challenge. The aim is to achieve 90 minutes of daily physical activity, reduce time spent in front of screens and make a healthy food choice over an unhealthy one.

Canada’s Food Guide can teach you more about foods that are good for you.

Learn more about healthy eating and learn how parents can play a role in helping their kids develop healthy eating habits.

Nutrition tips for runners

• Eat three healthy meals a day.
• Use Canada’s Food Guide to find out which foods are healthy choices. Learn to prepare healthy snacks with your family and make it fun. Cut up fresh fruit, veggies and low-fat cheese for snacks. Yogurt, popcorn and low-fat crackers with peanut butter are great choices.
• Keep a journal of everything you eat and drink for a three-day period to give you an idea of where to make improvements in your diet.
• Include at least one vegetable or fruit with each meal and snack. Pick dark green, orange or yellow ones as they are full of vitamins you need to grow and be active.
• Choose lower fat milk products such as skim or one per cent chocolate milk, yogurt and low-fat cheese. These provide calcium, which is good for your bones.
• Eat one to three servings a day from the meat and alternative group such as fish, eggs, peanut butter or chicken. These foods also provide you with energy for growth and nutrients for your muscles.
• Aim to eat at least five servings of grain or bread products a day such as whole grain breads and cereals, rice or pasta. These provide a great source of energy for an active lifestyle.
• Limit the sugar you consume from candies, pop and other sweets. They cause cavities and can lead to excess weight and other health problems.
• Limit the added fats such as margarine, butter, mayonnaise and oil. Limit processed and fast foods. Your parents can help you choose wisely.
• Think about what you consume in the way of drinks. Pop, sweetened fruit juice and even unsweetened fruit juice contain a lot of sugar. If you are thirsty, water is the best thirst quencher.
• Don't eat foods that are too spicy or too fatty before running as they are harder to digest and may give you a stomach ache.

Fueling for exercise

A healthy diet consisting of a variety of foods and beverages from the four good groups will prepare you for any type of exercise, including running.

Staying properly hydrated is especially important for runners as you will lose fluid by sweating.

Tips on fueling before, during and after running:

• Stay hydrated: Drink water regularly throughout the day.
• Planning meals: Eat meals so you run two hours afterward but have had a snack so you’re not hungry when starting your run.
• Unless you’re running for more than an hour, water is the best drink to stay hydrated.
• Water for running: Unless your run is longer than 45 minutes or in hot, humid conditions, drinking water while running isn’t necessary. If you’re properly hydrated, you’ll be able to complete your run comfortably.
• Sports drinks: These were developed for athletes participating in a vigorous activity for more than an hour. They contain a lot of sugar and other ingredients most athletes don’t require. If you’re expecting to be very active for more than an hour and will need something to keep you going, make your own “sports drink” by mixing 1/3 cup 100 per cent fruit juice with 2/3 cup water.
• Eating during exercise: This isn’t recommended as you may get a stomach ache. If you know in advance you’ll be active for several hours at a track meet or tournament, you’ll need healthy snacks that can be eaten in small quantities without causing stomach problems. Fruit, yogurt, cereal or granola bars, nuts or seeds, or cheese and crackers are good snacks.
• Refueling after running: This is important, especially if you’ve had a long or hard workout. Drinking water and having a healthy snack will do the trick in most cases. Chocolate milk is a great post-exercise drink as it has carbohydrates to replenish the glycogen your muscles used for energy and protein to help them recover.
• Energy drinks: These aren’t safe for children and youth because they contain high levels of caffeine, sugar and other stimulants. A young person with a healthy diet has enough energy to last the day, even if they are very active.