Heart Health for Kids: Dr. Alo’s Complete Guide to Food & Fitness
Feb 19, 2026
🍎 Eat for a Healthy Heart
Hey kids!
It's never too early to start taking care of your heart! Even if you are 5 years old, you can do simple things to fix your heart!
Tell your parents to help you with some of these!
You don't need a special diet, you just need to know what to put on your plate. Think of food as fuel: better fuel means a stronger, faster, happier you.
🌈 Eat the Rainbow
Fill half your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables at every meal. The more colors, the more vitamins and nutrients your heart gets. Aim for 4–5 servings of fruits and veggies every day.
- 🍓 Red & orange: apples, strawberries, carrots, bell peppers, sweet potatoes
- 🥦 Green: spinach, broccoli, edamame, cucumber, avocado
- 🫐 Blue & purple: blueberries, blackberries, grapes, eggplant
- 🍌 Yellow & white: bananas, corn, cauliflower, pears
🌾 Choose Whole Grains
Swap white bread and sugary cereals for whole grain versions — they digest more slowly and give you steady energy all day long. Try to fit in at least 3 servings daily.
- Brown rice instead of white rice
- Whole wheat bread instead of white bread
- Oatmeal instead of sugary boxed cereal
- Whole grain crackers instead of chips
💪 Pick Healthy Proteins
Your muscles — including your heart — need protein to grow strong. The best options:
- Fish: aim for two servings a week (salmon, tuna, tilapia)
- Beans, lentils, and chickpeas
- Nuts and nut butters (peanut butter counts!)
- Chicken, eggs, and low-fat dairy
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💧 Drink Smart 🏆 Gold Medal: Water is always #1. Plain milk is a great runner-up. ⚠️ Watch out: Limit juice to one small cup (4–6 oz) per day. Skip sodas and sports drinks — they're packed with sugar that stresses your heart. |
🧂 Go Easy on Salt and Sugar
Too much salt raises blood pressure — making your heart work overtime. Too much sugar can cause weight gain and inflammation. Both are tough on your heart over time.
- Don't add extra salt to your food
- Save sweets and desserts for special occasions
- Read food labels — packaged foods often hide extra salt and sugar
🏃 Move Your Body Every Day
Here's a secret: your heart is a muscle. Just like your arms get stronger from push-ups, your heart gets stronger when you exercise. The more you move, the better everything in your body works — including your brain!
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⏱️ How much do you need? Ages 6–17: at least 60 minutes of activity every day. Great news: you don't have to do it all at once! Three 20-minute play sessions throughout the day count just as much as one full hour. |
💥 The 3 Types of Movement Your Body Needs
- Heart-Pumping (Aerobic) — Every Day
These make you breathe harder and your heart beat faster. This is the most important type for heart health.
- Running, jogging, sprinting
- Swimming, biking, dancing
- Soccer, basketball, tag, football
- Muscle-Building — At Least 3 Days a Week
These strengthen your muscles — including that all-important heart muscle.
- Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups
- Climbing on playground equipment
- Gymnastics, tug-of-war
- Bone-Building — At Least 3 Days a Week
Impact activities help your bones grow dense and strong while they're still developing.
- Jumping rope, hopscotch
- Basketball, running
- Gymnastics
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🏀 Bonus tip: Many activities count for all three types at once! Basketball builds your heart, muscles, AND bones simultaneously. |
🎯 Activity Ideas by Age
Ages 7–10: Make It Fun & Playful 🎉
At this age, the best activities are the ones that feel like pure play. You're still learning how your body moves — so try lots of different things and don't worry about being the best!
- Tag, hide-and-seek, capture the flag
- Riding your bike around the neighborhood
- Swimming at the pool or beach
- Dancing to your favorite songs
- Jumping rope, hopscotch, monkey bars
- Walking the dog or hiking with family
Ages 11–14: Find Your Thing 🔍
Middle school is the perfect time to discover what you actually enjoy — whether that's team sports, solo activities, or something totally different. Both are great!
- Team sports: soccer, basketball, volleyball, baseball, hockey
- Solo: swimming, tennis, track, martial arts, skateboarding
- Dance: hip-hop, ballet, or just your room + your playlist
- Outdoor: hiking, rock climbing, kayaking
- Bodyweight training: push-ups, squats, planks
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Pro tip: Playing multiple different sports (rather than specializing in one year-round) helps prevent injuries and keeps things way more fun. |
Ages 15–17: Build Habits for Life 🔑
As a teen, you're building habits that can stick with you forever. This is also when you can start more structured training — just learn proper form first!
- Competitive or recreational sports
- Weight training and gym workouts — start light, focus on form!
- Running, cycling, or swimming for fitness goals
- Group fitness classes: spin, kickboxing, HIIT
- Outdoor adventures: hiking, camping, kayaking
- Active jobs: lifeguarding, coaching kids, camp counselor
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Remember: Being active is one of the best ways to reduce stress from school, improve your mood, and sleep better at night. |
📱 Screen Time and Heart Health
Screens aren't the enemy — but too much sitting is. When you spend hours on your phone, tablet, or gaming console without moving, your heart misses out on the exercise it needs.
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The recommendation: keep 'fun' screen time under 2 hours a day. That includes TV, video games, social media, and scrolling. Use the extra time to get moving — even a short walk counts! |
Simple trick: every hour you're sitting, stand up and move for 5 minutes. Walk around, stretch, do jumping jacks. Your heart — and your focus — will thank you.
👨👩👧 Make It a Family Thing
One of the best-kept secrets to staying healthy? Do it together. Kids who see their parents eating well and staying active are far more likely to do the same.
🏃 Family Activity Ideas• Go for a walk or bike ride after dinner • Play a backyard sport on weekends • Explore local parks and hiking trails • Sign up for a fun run or charity walk
🍳 Family Food Ideas• Cook meals together — kids who help cook eat healthier! • Grow a small herb or vegetable garden • Try one new fruit or vegetable every week • Water on the table before every meal • No screens at the dinner table |
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🥗 Dr. Alo's Rainbow Snack Planner
Pick one color to focus on each day! These snacks are heart-healthy, easy to make, and actually taste great.
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Color Day |
Heart-Healthy Snack Ideas 😋 |
Kid's Kitchen Job 👨🍳 |
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🔴 Red & Orange |
Celery with peanut butter & raisins, sliced bell peppers with hummus, sliced oranges or strawberries |
Wash the berries or scoop hummus into small bowls |
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🟡 Yellow & White |
Sliced bananas with cinnamon, low-fat string cheese, hard-boiled eggs, plain Greek yogurt with honey |
Peel bananas or help crack and peel hard-boiled eggs |
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🟢 Green |
Edamame in the pod, cucumber slices, green grapes, green smoothie (spinach + banana + water) |
Cut cucumbers into coins with a butter knife (with help!) |
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🔵 Blue & Purple |
Blueberries or blackberries, frozen grapes (great candy swap!), baked sweet potato wedges |
Wash and dry the berries using a salad spinner |
📅 My Weekly Menu Planner
Sit down together on Sunday and fill this out for the week ahead. Planning ahead makes healthy eating so much easier!
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Day 📆 |
Breakfast 🍳 |
Lunch 🥪 |
Dinner 🍽️ |
Snack 🍓 |
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Monday |
Oatmeal & Berries |
Turkey Spinach Wrap |
Baked Fish & Rice |
Apple Slices |
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Tuesday |
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Wednesday |
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Thursday |
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Friday |
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Saturday |
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Sunday |
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⚡ Dr. Alo's Quick Tips to Remember
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✅ 60 minutes of activity every day — can be broken into chunks! ✅ Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables ✅ Drink water first — before juice, soda, or anything else ✅ Choose whole grains over white bread and sugary cereals ✅ Keep screen time under 2 hours a day ✅ Muscles AND bones need work at least 3 days a week ✅ Try new activities until you find something you actually love ✅ Start small — any healthy change is a step in the right direction! |
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❤️ Your heart works hard for you every single day. Show it some love — eat well, move often, and have fun doing it! — Dr. Alo |
References:
Lichtenstein AH, et al. 2021 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health. Circulation. 2021.
Steinberger J, et al. Cardiovascular Health Promotion in Children. Circulation. 2016.
Lobelo F, et al. Physical Activity Assessment and Counseling in Pediatric Clinical Settings. Pediatrics. 2020.
Piercy KL, et al. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. JAMA. 2018.
Muth ND, et al. The Role of the Pediatrician in the Promotion of Healthy, Active Living. Pediatrics. 2024.
Flynn JT, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline for Screening and Management of High Blood Pressure in Children. Pediatrics. 2017.
Hampl SE, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Obesity. Pediatrics. 2023.
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Cardiology & Obesity Medicine
