1. Keep the Fruit Bowl on the Counter
Teens want to be part of the "in" crowd, and unfortunately even those with healthy habits tend to get into a junk food rut. Fruit is part of a healthy diet, and while your teen may not want to pack her own fruit in her backpack, she will eat it at home if it is available.
Keep a fruit bowl on the counter and remind your teen that fruit is a good snack. Emphasize including healthy foods, not excluding less healthy ones. Tell him eating some fruit daily will help him stay well and not get sick for the school dance or the next big game. Giving teens reasons to eat well that they can relate to helps them make the right choices.
2. Keep Healthy Convenience Foods Around
Most teens are on the go. Rushing out the door for the school bus, after school activities, and evening homework and social lives. Snacks are a must to keep up with the calorie needs of teens, so keep healthy options around the house such as low fat granola bars, peanuts, whole grain crackers, low fat frozen pocket sandwiches, microwaveable "stir-fry bowls," whole grain cereal, nonfat milk and ice cream to make milkshakes, and pretzels or tortilla chips with salsa. Try to save the high fat chips and cookies for special occasions, but don't forbid junk food. It is wiser to allow some junk food now, but in moderate amounts. The more that is available, the more he'll eat. A junk food phase will pass with your teen, as long as they see you modeling healthy choices.
3. Milk is Not Just for Little Kids
There is a trend toward decreased milk consumption in teens and therefore inadequate calcium intakes. Teens still need 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium daily. While girls usually are done growing by age 15, boys continue to grow until as late as 25, and both boys and girls continue to deposit calcium into bone until about age 30. Encourage drinking milk with meals to ensure adequate calcium. Do not allow anybody to drink soda pop with a meal. It is an empty-calorie food, meaning it provides bodies with no nutrients at all and only calories from sugar.
4. Encourage an Interest in Cooking
One of the most valuable skills you can provide your teen is the art of cooking. You don't have to get fancy, just teach them the basics. Cooking not only saves money, but it also provides a life-long skill that helps control calories and fat in the diet. A home-cooked meal tastes good and is good for you. Teach your teen the basics using a nonstick frying pan, a stockpot, a wooden spoon and a turner. Give him a quick and easy cookbook for his next birthday. As with any effort we make with our teenagers, he may not thank you now, but he will probably be grateful later.
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