A lovely reader contacted me and said she’s struggling with getting her teen to eat healthier and asked me to tackle this harrowing topic.
I’m more than happy to give it my best shot…
Let us first put ourselves in our teenagers shoes just for a hot second. I’m not sure about you, but I was definitely seeking independence as a teenager. Teens want to feel like they have a say over their own lives (at least a little bit). It can be tough to admit, but it’s normal for adolescence to begin to separate from their parents and start making choices for themselves. We are telling our children what to do on a daily basis, mostly for their own safety, but also just basic expectations of them in life. So if they can make some independent choices about what they like to eat, they are going to want to do that.
When my son was a pre-teen I started feeling a power struggle with foods. I wanted him to be healthy and he wanted to stop being told what to do and especially what to eat. As a child he ate incredibly healthy. He ate gluten free, and he devoured any dinner I made him. Now that he’s 17, it’s whole different scenario. He drives so he can stop at any drive thru on his own and he even works at a Fast food establishment. I know he is eating a diet high in fat, cholesterol, and preservatives. I am very health conscious so this is not easy for me.
There has to be happy medium and there is.
HELPFUL TIPS
Pick your battles. Make a list of the top 5 priorities you would like your child / teen to focus on. Where does eat healthy fall on that list? Focus on one goal, and then move to the next.
Let them have a say about what they want to eat and then compromise with them. “Sure you can eat chips but put some in a bowl rather than eat the entire bag.”
Let younger children help with cooking and tasting as you meal prepare together. Play restaurant, have a “Trying New Foods Picnic”, or set up an “Interesting Foods Lab”. Get creative!
Let older children and teens use your insta-cart to shop, or plan a menu, or cook dinner for the family. If they are willing and eager let them do it all.
Ask for “Meal Requests”. That would sound like….“It’s your night to request you favorite meal, what do you choose?”
Try and find ways to balance their weekly nutrition. If you find yourself running through a drive through or heating up left over pizza one night, then have Chef salads or something vegetable heavy the next night.
Unfortunately, school lunches aren’t very healthy, so if your child wants to buy the school lunch come up with a patterned schedule to pack and buy.
Instead of packing processed sugary snacks for the daily school snack. Pre-pack fresh fruit or a cut-up veggies a couple days a week. They will eat it if they are hungry and might even start to like it.
Healthy Meal Ideas
Breakfast: Plain Yogurt with Fresh Fruit, Home-Made Oatmeal with Maple Syrup, Avocado Toast, Egg-Sandwich, Smoothie, Gluten Free Waffles.
Lunch: Veggie Pizza Pita, Tuna Melt, Home-Made Nachos (with some fun veggie toppings), Cucumber, hummus and feta wheels.
Snacks: Home-Made Kale Chips *See My Recipe Post, Low Fat Cottage cheese, Rice Cakes with Almond Butter and Banana, Smoothie, Seaweed Crisps
Dinner: Chicken Tacos with guac and grilled veggies, Veggie Stir Fry with a Protein, Cauliflower Fried Rice, Home-Made Minestroni Soup
Dessert: Popsicles, Chocolate Muffins (with hidden Veggies Shhh!), Frozen Blueberries mixed with Almond Milk, Fresh Berries with Whip Cream, Birthday Cake Granola with Almond Milk.
I truly love when my readers suggest topics for me to write about because I want to write about what YOU all are interested in. I also value the time you spend reading my blog and want it to be worth while for us both. It’s a win, win situation!
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XOXO
EVE