If you have a teenager you are probably well aware of their often less than healthy eating habits. Helping a teen eat healthy involves teaching her how to plan ahead so that she stays within the recommended daily allowances for calories, fat and other nutrients. According to the Child Development Institute, eating well during the teen years is important for mood and school performance, as well as a healthy weight. You can encourage your teen to plan her diet and meals by modeling good behavior yourself and by equipping her with the knowledge to make the right choices on her own.
Step 1
Talk to your teen about why planning diet and menus are important. Tell him that eating a healthy and balanced diet will give him energy, provide adequate nutrition and help him establish healthy habits that he can carry with him throughout his life.
Step 2
Show your teen how to write down her plan for meals and snacks. Teach her how to plan a day's worth of food that fits within a healthy diet by helping her write down what she will eat and when she will eat it. This will help her eat often enough to keep her energy up, but will also provide her with the means to prevent herself from overeating.
Step 3
Discuss eating fast food. Eating at fast food restaurants is a staple in many teen diets, but it is typically loaded with salt, fat and calories that aren't healthy. Help him learn how to make healthier choices at fast food places by showing him how to look up the nutrition information for the items he usually chooses.
Step 4
Pack your lunch together. This will give you the opportunity to show her what makes up a healthy lunch that fits into a diet plan. Variety is important so that she doesn't get bored eating the same thing and end up skipping lunch or resorting to unhealthy choices elsewhere. Emphasize the importance of including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean sources of protein. This will give her energy for the rest of the day and help her meet many of her nutrient needs.
Step 5
Enjoy family meals together. This can be dinner or breakfast. It allows you to provide a healthy meal for your teen and model good eating habits while also connecting over the day's events. In addition, cooking meals together at home allows you to control the ingredients you use, making it simpler to create a healthy meal. Allow your teen to give his input over what you prepare because getting him involved in the process makes it more likely he will eat what is made and will begin to understand what goes into cooking a healthy meal.
Things You'll Need
- Healthy foods
- Pen
- Paper
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