Many teens feel as though they need to diet to lose weight, whether they are heavy or not. Magazine models, actresses and other famous people have established that individuals need to be skinny to be happy. The Teens Health website claims that your goal should be to establish a healthy diet and fitness program and stick with it. If you feel that you need to lose weight, discuss your diet and fitness program with a health professional.
Avoid Fast Food
One of the first diet tips for a teen is to be careful what you eat at a fast food restaurant. For most teens, cutting out all fast food isn't realistic, particularly when a carload of friends is involved. Before heading out with pals, learn what fast food options are available and compare fats, carbohydrates and calories from among the menu selections. Anything fried will have a high calorie content. You may want to select a yogurt parfait with fruit, a single hamburger rather than a double and a diet drink rather than a milkshake.
Make Your Pizza Healthier
Pizza is one of the most popular foods among teens, so select one that is lower in fat and calories. Choose vegetable toppings on a thin crust for the healthiest pizza possible. If you are with a group and no one else wants a thin crust, ask if you can order by the slice. If not, stick to eating one piece and have a salad beforehand to prevent overeating when the pizza arrives.
Another option is to suggest a make-your-own pizza party. Use whole grain tortillas for the base of the pizzas. Use low-fat and fat-free cheese. Have a variety of fresh vegetables for toppings.
Watch Vending Machines
An abundance of unhealthy foods can make vending machine snacking fattening. Prepare for times when you know you'll want a snack by packing fresh vegetables in single-serving bags. Before you leave your house, grab a bag of carrots and celery. Other items you can take with you are individual packs of raisins, apples or bags of grapes. If you're hungry, and you don't have any veggies or fruit in your bag, opt for a baked vending item rather than fried. Baked crackers or baked potato chips are much healthier than fried potato chips.
Monitor Portion Control
MayoClinic.com advises exercising portion control. Instead of heaping your plate with large amounts of a meal, serve yourself single-size portions. After you eat a meal, rather than get seconds, sit back and relax while your food digests. You may find that after 15 or 20 minutes, you're no longer hungry. One trick that may help cut back on your portion size is to serve your meal on a salad plate or saucer rather than a full-size dinner plate.
Fill Up Before Meals
Before sitting down to a meal, fill up on vegetables and salad items. Most raw vegetables are very low in calories, and they can satisfy your hunger before you start your main course. Avoid high-calorie salad dressings. Instead, choose low-fat or fat-free dressings. To save even more calories, request the dressing on the side and dip the tines of your fork into it before stabbing your salad. The hint of flavor enhances your salad without adding too many calories and fat.
Don't Add Salt
Salt is one of the food additives that can cause swelling and bloating, so cut way back on sodium. When eating out, request no added salt. Rather than automatically adding salt to your food at the table, taste it first. Read labels and opt for low-salt or low-sodium versions of your favorite foods. Once you get out of the habit of adding salt, you may discover that most foods taste just fine without it.
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