Teenagers are always on the go. They are traveling between school, extracurricular activities and work, so it’s important that they understand how healthy eating can increase their energy and improve their overall health. Eating plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains are a start, but equip your teens with easy-to-make recipes they can use for breakfast, lunch dinner and snacks.
Eat A Healthy Breakfast
Teens need a good breakfast to get their days started, and sugary cereals don’t foot the bill. Teens should opt for whole-grain cereals that pack the nutrients that teens need to keep them fueled until lunch time. Kids Health offers a warm, breakfast cereal recipe for teens that combines 1 cup of water, ½ cup rolled oats, ¼ cup applesauce, cinnamon and brown sugar.
For a breakfast on the go, create yogurt parfaits by mixing your favorite yogurt with berries and granola, and place it inside of a disposable cup.
No More Quick Meals
It’s easy for teens to stop by the local burger spot to pick up lunch or dinner, rather than investing in healthy eating habits. Carry-out and fast-food restaurants give teens food in a hurry, but there are many quick, healthy meals that teens can make at home and take with them to school or for their after-school activities.
Burritos provide a variety of nutrients that are beneficial to teens. Brown ground turkey, prepare refried beans in a separate pot, then combine. Combine diced red and green peppers, corn and onions with oregano, paprika, chili powder, salt, ground cumin and lime juice to create the filling for your burrito. Opt for a whole-wheat shell. Top your burrito with low-fat cheese.
Pizza can be healthy meal option for teens if it’s modified to include vegetables and low-fat ingredients. Use a whole-wheat pizza crust, cover it with tomato sauce, sprinkle reduced-fat cheese or soy cheese, add a variety of vegetables, such as green peppers, red peppers, onions and Roma tomatoes.
Other healthy lunch and dinner options include tuna sandwiches on whole-grain bread or hummus on a whole-grain pita, paired with a chef salad.
Between Meals
Combine fruits like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, pineapples and mangoes, along with water or fruit juice and ice, to create tasty frozen fruit smoothies. Sweet and tasty, teens can drink fruit smoothies in the morning, instead of coffee, or as a healthy snack to replace cakes, cookies and candy.
For more snack options teens can, top cottage cheese with fresh fruits, try peanut butter on whole-wheat crackers, try cheese slices and apples.
Photo Credit
- healthy food image by nutech21 from Fotolia.com
