As a parent, hearing the words "I'm on a diet" from your teenager can be startling. Luckily, eating for weight loss doesn't have to mean cutting back on quantity of food, only the quality. Speak with your teen about healthy eating choices so she understands how caloric intake works and that frequent exercise should be used in conjunction with any diet. Explain to your teen the difference between a healthy diet and a fad diet to enforce good eating choices for the rest of her life.
Step 1
Keep the refrigerator stocked with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Wash and cut these vegetables so you or your teen can easily eat them as a snack or throw them into a meal. Sneak extra vegetables into every meal, for instance, in the tomato sauce when you make pasta or by including a small salad.
Step 2
Provide one serving of lean protein per meal. Sources of lean protein include lean turkey, whitefish, nuts, white meat chicken without the skin, tofu, black beans, lean pork and occasionally, lean beef. Avoid meats that contain lots of saturated fat, like beef.
Step 3
Make whole grains a part of your teen's daily diet. Whole grains are complex carbohydrates, which do not turn into sugar as quickly as the refined carbohydrates found in white bread and sugary cereals. Substitute white pasta for whole-wheat pasta or buckwheat pasta.
Step 4
Round out your teen's diet with low-fat dairy products. Although low-fat dairy products are not absolutely necessary, they can provide calcium and protein to keep blood sugar stable. Healthy snack ideas include low-fat or fat-free yogurt or low-fat string cheese.
Step 5
Encourage your teenager to make healthy choices, but that it is occasionally okay to eat sweets and indulgent foods in moderation. Learning to exercise willpower but still eating favorite foods will allow your teen to maintain her diet without getting frustrated.
Tips and Warnings
- Saturated fat should only make up 7 percent of your teen's daily fat intake.
- Consult your doctor if you are concerned about your teen's weight.
Things You'll Need
- Whole grains
- Low-fat dairy products
- Lean proteins
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