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Parents and teens today face a variety of issues that require
both understanding and education to address. We hope this article,
written by Dr. Judy Smith, can assist you in developing better eating habits for your child...and yourself! |
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Improving Teen Nutrition
Parents often wonder how to help their teen eat better. The adolescent years are busy ones, and teens eat more fast food, drink more pop, skip meals more frequently, and crave the foods their friends want. Two of the biggest reasons for staying involved in your child's food choices are to make sure your teen develops strong bones and avoids obesity. The more frequent choice of pop and reduced intake of calcium is causing osteoporosis to appear at an earlier age in adults. Obesity is reaching health epidemic proportions in our youth.
Five of the best strategies to improve your teen's nutrition are:
- Have regular family meals.
- Avoid battles over food.
- Serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks.
- Involve teens in the process.
- Be a role model.
Family Meals
Family meals are a time to reconnect. Many families cannot sit down every night together. But finding as many days as possible each week to sit together over a meal has proven benefits. Research shows that teens that take part in a regular pattern of family meals are more likely to make healthy food choices, and less likely to be involved with drugs. That is because a family meal can nurture close relationships as well as good nutrition.
"Not in my house", one mother said. "Family meals are a free for all, filled with people coming and going and usually 2-3 arguments at any given time."
It does not have to be this way. Start slow. If your family only eats together once every 2 weeks, start with a goal of one meal together each week. After a few successful weeks of this, add one more time. Pick the time that works best for most schedules in your house, and post it.
Involve your teen in the process. The teen should have a turn at selecting the menu and preparing the food. Divide the meal chores between parties so that the same person cooking is not the same person setting the table and doing the dishes.
Make a rule that no arguing, discipline or fights are permitted at the table. Also, no reading the newspaper and watching TV. Then stick to the rules.
Family meals are a great place to try new dishes. Don't force foods, but offer new ones mixed with the old. A box of low fat muffins takes 5 minutes to mix up and 15 minutes to bake. A baked chicken dish without the skin is healthier than fried. Beverage choices can be milk or water, with pop and high sugar juices not allowed at the table. Don't change all the dishes at once, just practice new choices. Remember, food is to be enjoyed.
Avoid battles over food
If all your child's friends are eating cafeteria food, left over fast foods, or all sweets at school, it is unlikely that your teen is going to carry in and eat their brown bag lunch. Be realistic. Your goal is that your teen makes healthier choices, not perfect ones.
Encourage your teen's involvement in shopping and food selection. Offer a variety of choices. If your teen still eats sandwiches, try whole grain bread or bagels, with a little lettuce added to the meat and cheese. Pick the lower fat dairy products. If chips are the thing to eat these days, buy ones that come in smaller portion sizes.
Nagging your teen about their choices, or criticizing their weight, is always a no-win strategy.
Serve a variety of healthy food choices
The average teen needs at least 3,100 mg of calcium a day. One cup of milk or one cup of yogurt contains about 300 mg, as does one cup of calcium fortified orange juice. If your teen does not average the necessary amount of calcium through food choices, consider calcium enriched cereal or caramel-like calcium chews.
Variety is the spice of life, and changing the food choices helps in getting teens to eat their "five a day" servings of fruit and vegetables. Your goal is progress, not perfection. Muffins with raisins, baby carrots with low-fat ranch dressing, 100% fruit juices in moderation, homemade "smoothies" in a blender, are examples of choices. If you know your teen ditches the fruit at lunch, stop sending it. Instead, offer a fruit choice at breakfast and dinner.
There are many good cookbooks that can give you simple and economical ways of making delicious meals, and turning old favorites into ones that are not as high in fat and sugar.
Involve teens in the process
Instead of just asking your teen what they want at the store, hang a sheet of paper on the refrigerator that has a box for protein, grains, fruits, vegetables, and dairy. Put a couple examples under each category reflecting what you plan to buy. Then ask family members to write down on the paper what they would like this week. If you have a snack column, only one snack per family member, and you only buy it if the member contributes at least one other healthy choice to the list.
Teens can learn to read nutrition labels at the store, and can be asked to prepare a menu. "My son would be glad to do that," said one unhappy father. "He'll pick up the phone and order a pizza". You can put some boundaries on menu preparation ahead of time. If your son wants to pay for a pizza for the family, limit the meats to one item on it, and serve up a tossed salad with it that people sit down to eat 10-15 minutes before the pizza is due.
Don't use food as a reward or a way of showing your child love. There are no bad foods, just foods that need used more sparingly than others.
Be a good role model
Parents often feel guilty that they do not model healthier life styles themselves. Use your desire to have your teen grow up healthy as a motivation to practice new habits yourself. Guilt and anger are not good ingredients for learning new behavior. Practice the patience and kindness with yourself that you will also need for your child. Remember, progress not perfection.
If you have problems slowing down to help fix a meal, or eat in a way that is not healthy, don't be afraid to let your kids know that you are aware of this, and ask their help in working together as a family to try new things.
Try to reduce the number of times that people are eating in front of the television.
Serve a greater variety of foods and recipes. Don't be discouraged if a week goes by where everything falls apart. Simply try again. And know that by improving the nutrition within your family, you are improving everyone's long-term opportunity for a healthier life.
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