Encouraging healthy food habits for teens may be challenging for parents because of the peer pressure kids face. In addition, diseases and conditions such as osteoporosis, high cholesterol and coronary heart disease may seem like "old age" problems to teens. To improve your chance of getting your kid to eat healthy, start with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's recommendations for teen nutrition -- then create healthier versions of kid-favorite dishes.
Balanced Diets
The USDA recommends teen girls eat between 1,600 and 2,400 calories per day, based on how active they are. Boys should eat 1,800 to 3,200 calories each day. Both boys and girls should eat a diet comprised of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, fats, meats and beans -- in that order, according to the USDA. Whole grains, vegetables and fruits should comprise more than 50 percent of a teen's diet, with dairy products, meats and beans contributing about 30 percent. Eat more healthy fats such as those found in vegetable oils, nuts and fish, rather than the saturated fats found in animal products.
Read nutrition labels with your teens so they develop an idea of which foods are high calories and which foods contain high levels of saturated fats and cholesterol. Girls should look to get sufficient iron and calcium from sources such as red meat, leafy green vegetables, cold cereals and dairy products. Lunchtime and after school are the two times you'll most likely have little or no control over your teen's eating habits -- help them make healthy choices by discussing lunch and snack options.
Familiar Diets
Let your teen eat pancakes, burgers, fries and pizza -- but ask them to choose healthier versions. For instance, make pancakes and waffles with whole grains and serve with a saturated and trans fat-free butter substitute or low-sugar fruit spread. Make burgers with lean ground turkey breast. If they order hamburgers with friends, ask them to skip the bacon, mayonnaise and cheese. Make pizza with whole grain crust and low-fat cheese, and ask your teen to order pizza with veggies instead of sausage or pepperoni, which cause saturated fat and cholesterol levels to spike. Bake fries instead of deep frying them, and keep the skins on them. Try making sweet potato fries for more nutrition. Have teens help write a list of healthy snacks they can eat such as veggies with fat-free dips, nuts, granola bars, fresh fruit, popcorn and peanut butter with apples or celery.
Weight Management Diets
The number of overweight teenagers tripled during the past 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Discuss with your child his weight goals and set daily calorie goals for eating and exercise. Use an online calorie calculator to determine a more individualized calorie goal for your child. Use an exercise chart to determine how many calories your child will burn from his exercise. On days when your teen will exercise, combine the calories he'll burn from his workout with his meals and snacks to determine the right number of calories to eat for the day.
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