School opens next week in Duval, Clay and St. Johns County. As parents get their school supplies and other school requirements in order, don't forget to plan a healthy menu of snacks! Changing your snacking habits can help improve all areas of your teen's life and health. Feel better and do better in school and sports! Take the time to make that difference.
Help Your Teen Find Healthy and Energetic Snacks
Life is perhaps the most difficult when you’re a teenager; of course, being an adult brings its share of worry and responsibilities, but you also have the maturity and hindsight that a teenager lacks. They’re caught between their parents and their friends, they’re torn between doing what is right and what comes instinctively, and most of all, they battle the bulge as they struggle to remain slim (because it matters more than anything in their world) even as they’re tempted by lure of fast food and sugary sodas. It’s up to you as a parent to ensure that they look and feel great by helping them find and eat the right snacks.
It’s not too hard to prepare and provide them with healthy snacks that boost their energy and keep hunger pangs away; the most difficult part is getting them to avoid junk food and eat healthier options. While adults are forced to exercise and stick to healthy diets because they’re worried about their health, to a teen, all that matters is how they look and whether they’re going to be accepted by their peers. So use their weakness as your strength – get them sold on the idea of healthy snacks by promoting them as ways to look great and keep their skin smooth and clear of acne.
It’s the only language teens understand, and it’s also the truth – when they go overboard on fast food and sugary drinks, they gain weight and lose their complexions; they begin to pasty and plump instead of slim and sexy. Use these facts to get them to eating healthy food and snacking in healthy ways.
The best snacks for teens include:
• Slices of fruits and vegetables they can munch on
• Trail mix of nuts, dried fruits and perhaps a little chocolate
• Fresh fruit juices without sugar or any other additives
• Yogurt and fruit smoothies
• Whole grain, low fat crackers
• Frozen juice bars
• Low fat cheese and milk
In general, you can give your teen any kind of food as long as it is low in fat, salt, sugar and artificial substances including preservatives and additives.
Support your teen’s decision to eat healthy snacks by avoiding junk food yourself. Set goals and standards that the entire family can follow; if you insist that your teen eat healthy while you gorge on junk food and chips, your words are not going to hold water. So avoid buying unhealthy snacks or stocking them in your home. Once your teenagers are able to discipline themselves, it’s easy to send them along on the path to good health.
By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Paul Hench, he writes on the topic of masters in public health. He welcomes your comments at his email id: paul.23hench@gmail.com.
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