Paperjam.lu

 (Photo : Cactus)

For children to develop properly, a healthy diet and regular exercise are of the utmost importance. From a very young age, it’s important that children get to understand the principles of a healthy life style as this will not only help them develop their motor skills but will also establish good eating habits, which will be beneficial for leading an active life when they get older.

The Ministry of Health has listed 10 principles to ensure a proper diet for children:

  1. 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day
  2. 3 portions of dairy products a day
  3. 1 portion of starchy foods at each mealtime
  4. Cutting back on quick-release sugars (e.g. chocolate)
  5. Being careful with fats: opting for vegetable fats
  6. Reducing salt, and using iodized salt whenever possible
  7. Drinking plenty, and preferably water
  8. Eating everything, but in moderation
  9. Taking pleasure in eating
  10. Being physically active! Every day taking exercise for 20 minutes (for young children) or an hour (for older children). They should be slightly out of breath and perspire a little.

Yuppi – Cactus’ mascot that both educates and entertains – also embraces these values and strives to get them across to children. With its Yuppi Mini-Laf races, which are untimed and organised with the Luxembourg Athletics Federation (FLA), Cactus encourages children to see taking regular exercise as a fun activity. Organised alongside major sporting events, each year Yuppi Mini-Laf races attract hundreds of children aged from 6 to 13. To make sure that these young athletes are properly prepared, there is always a warm-up session with Yuppi before each race. The first time they take part, each young runner is given a T-shirt along with a passport with which they can collect stamps. For each stamp collected on this passport, Cactus has pledged to donate 1 euro to the “Kriibskrank Kanner Foundation” at the end of the season to help children with cancer as well as their families.

Registration for the races is free of charge and takes place at the event.

Find out all the Yuppi Mini-Laf dates.