Busy girls need smart food choices for nutrition-on-the-run. Here are a few quick, easy and tasty combos:

• A tortilla wrap with slices of lean roast beef and Swiss cheese

• Yogurt with a handful of granola on top

• A barbeque sandwich on a roll, an apple or fresh juice

• A bowl of chili with cornbread muffin, water and pepper strips

• Apple and banana chunks dipped in peanut butter

• A taco salad with an orange

• An English muffin pizza

Check out the Cookin' Up Fun recipes to make with friends!

Balance Your Energy Equation!
You have probably heard that "you are what you eat"... so what does that mean exactly? A "balanced diet" means you get the most energy and nutrition from the foods you choose to eat. For a healthy body, start by eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full. Enjoy your favorite foods from all food groups – in sensible amounts. Have lots of fun staying active by playing your favorite sports, enjoying dance or yoga classes or even power-walking with friends.

Your Energy Equation is balanced when the amount of energy you use is equal to the energy (calories) that you get from food. If you take in more calories from your food than your body needs, then it's stored as fat. On the other hand, if you don't eat as many calories as your body needs, then it will use your "stored" energy (fat).

Change is Here!
This is an exciting time for you! Your body is doing lots of growing and changing, almost as much as when you were a little baby. It's very normal and healthy for your body, weight, and appearance to change. Don't panic if you notice changes in your body --- you are going through growth spurts. If you're worried about your weight, talk to your parents, a registered dietitian, the school nurse or your doctor. Being at a healthy weight is important. It's just as important to be physically active every day!

Variety Always Wins
Girls need about 40 nutrients every day – to grow, move and have fun. No food contains all 40 of these. So, you need to get a balance of these nutrients from many different foods. For instance, citrus fruits have a lot of Vitamin C but they don't have any Vitamin B12. On the other hand, foods from the meat group, like beef, fish, pork and poultry, have a lot of Vitamin B12 but they don't have any Vitamin C. This is why you need to eat a wide variety of foods every day. One food or type of food can't do the job all by itself. That's why we need to balance the foods we eat.

Not everyone needs the same amount of nutrients. Girls need different amounts of nutrients than boys. A 10-year old girl needs different amounts than a 15-year-old girl.

For detailed stuff on nutrients for your parents, click here.