Fifty percent of a teen's adult body weight is gained during adolescence. Whether this weight comes from healthy, nutritious choices or from junk food will affect their health as an adult. Nutritious foods provide energy for growth and learning; although it is closer to maturity, the teen body is still growing. Eating healthy for teens must incorporate their tastes, time constraints and revisit any negative preconceptions about health foods.
Step 1
Plan weekly meals and mealtimes, and incorporate school, sports and extracurricular activities and functions. Proper planning can reduce fast-food visits and strengthen family bonds at mealtime. It is never too late to learn about healthy food choices that can ensure an overweight teen doesn't become an obese adult.
Step 2
Avoid lunchtime pitfalls by packing healthy foods you like or purchasing a meal in the cafeteria. Schools are mandated to deliver nutritious lunches by the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- unless you visit the a la carte line. When packing lunches, use hard-side containers for sandwiches to avoid squished bread. Apples, grapes, celery and carrot sticks can take the place of bags of chips or cookies.
Step 3
Make daily protein choices count. Protein is the building block for growing lean muscle mass and bone strength. Although a burger will provide sufficient protein for the growing teen, it is not the healthiest selection. Teens require between 45 and 60 g of protein daily. Skinless poultry, trimmed red or low-fat meats, peanuts and soy are healthier protein choices.
Step 4
Take half the dish home when you eat out. Increasingly independent, teens might venture out to eat more often than at home. Healthy foods are available in restaurants -- order selections grilled, baked or broiled and avoid fried foods. Skip the fatty sides, such as fries, and request a side salad instead. At fast food restaurants, don't be tempted to up-size your meal -- rather try downsizing it. Get the smallest drink and side available to cut out fat and calories while still enjoying food with friends.
Step 5
Obtain around 1,200 mg daily of calcium. This mineral is vital to growing healthy bones and teeth in the adolescent. Calcium is naturally abundant in milk, fortified cereals and juices. Drinking plenty of milk and juice gives all the more reason to kick the sodas to the curb, which can contain artificial sugars, flavoring and colors, all of which are nutritionally useless.
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