How To Teach Teenagers Healthy Eating Habits

Puberty and adolescence can be very interesting, and frustrating times for parents and teeners. During this crucial stage, most teenagers are highly active, and require more energy from different food sources. To ensure that your teenage son or daughter is able to cope with the rigors of school work and peer pressure, make sure that they develop a healthy eating habit. Most food experts stress that healthy eating is a way of balancing the amount and the type of food you consume, to keep you energized, strong and properly nourished. Here are a few helpful tips for teaching your teenage sons and daughters to adopt healthy eating habits. . 

Let Your Kids Appreciate The Tenets Of Healthy Eating

What exactly is “healthy eating”? In conventional terms, healthy eating refers to eating the food from all the food groups. This includes consuming balanced servings of fruits, grains, vegetables, dairy proteins, healthy fats and fibers each day. Healthy eating is the art of balancing nutrient-rich food items with moderate mounts of other food types, like sweets or typical fast-food fare. Healthy eating also refers to eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you are already full

Teach Your Teenager To Plan His Or Her Meals

Healthy eating means that you aim for eating three regular meals, from breakfast, lunch to dinner. Eating three meals a day, with the usual snacks in between, is actually one of the best ways for maintaining your body’s energy and healthy weight levels. Because most teenagers often skip breakfast, they are more likely to over-eat later in the day, and are more prone to becoming overweight.   

Avoid Excessive Sugar And Salt Intake

Consuming too much sugar and salt is definitely not advisable for teenagers, and for most of us. Beverages that contain high sugar levels are nothing but empty energy sources. This means that they contain a lot of energy that your body may not actually need, and they don’t have minerals, vitamins, proteins and even fiber. Instead of drinking the usual sugar-filled carbonated beverages, teach your teener to try diet sodas, flavored water, or sugar-free drinks or juices. Most desserts like cookies, cakes, candies and ice cream also contain lots of sugar. However, it’s perfectly okay to enjoy eating these foods, as long as these do not fully replace the healthier ones.  

Also educate your teenage son or daughter to be mindful when eating. Teach them the benefits of slowing down when they eat, as well as by listening to their body. Make them realize that they should only eat when they’re hungry, and they should stop eating when you’re full. By listening to your body, you will help balance its energy needs, enabling you to stay comfortable. Also remind your children to consume fiber-rich foods such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains, so that they’ll feel comfortably full, and have their daily fill of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.     
