If your teen has expressed interest in changing her diet, it is natural to feel nervous. Your teenager may wish to exercise control over what she eats, and she may want room to make her own eating decisions. Instead of forbidding your teen to diet, encourage her to eat a variety of healthy foods and exercise throughout the day to achieve her dieting goals.
Significance
Encourage your teen to start a diet that he can actually maintain, recommends MayoClinic.com. Instead of removing every food item from the refrigerator and depriving your child of his favorite foods, stick with substitutions that are more manageable. This way, your teen can follow the new diet both at school and at home without feeling frustrated or deprived.
Features
Start buying more fresh fruits and vegetables and incorporating them into the meals you make for your teen, suggests KidsHealth. Adding at least five fruits and vegetables a day will help your teen stay full while eating nutritious, vitamin-rich foods instead of junk food and sugar. Start each lunch or dinner with a salad to curb her hunger, but forget the creamy dressing. Instead, add a small amount of olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette on top for flavor.
Effects
Eating healthy at home will help your teen understand that a healthy diet is important, but he will be more apt to make healthy choices at school if you provide quick, delicious snacks for her to eat throughout the day. Pack trail mix with walnuts, almonds and raisins so your teen won't be tempted to go to the vending machine between classes. Pack a nutritious lunch for your teen that includes 100 percent fruit juice or water instead of soda or sugary drinks.
Considerations
If your child sees you eating unhealthy foods while she's trying to create a healthier lifestyle for herself, she may feel discouraged. Cook healthy foods for the whole family to show your child how important eating healthy is to you. If your teen is the only family member that is expected to eat healthy foods, it may be more difficult for her to continue making nutritious choices, according to MayoClinic.com.
Expert Insight
The American Heart Association warns against following fad diets that may promise quick weight loss results. A fad diet may seem like an easy way to lose weight quickly and may focus on eating a single food or food group over a long period of time. Encourage your teen to stay away from fad diets because most of the weight will return when your child returns to his normal diet.
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