Teens can get a hard rap when it comes to their eating habits! Just as not all adults are alike with their food choices, teens shouldn’t be all grouped together as a “junk food generation”. When given a choice many teens “wished” they could eat healthier. Clean Eating Tips for Teens will encourage teens to make food choices that supports a healthy body.
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Teens can take care of their bodies and make health a priority. Essential Oil Use for Teenagers features four teenagers and how they use oils to improve their health.
It’s encouraging to hear teens say they like healthier food and would eat more real food. Teens that eat clean will have stronger immune systems, be energetic and have less mood swings.
Teens need healthy calories to grow, mature and have sufficient energy. Simple defined: Clean eating is consuming real food that has been minimally processed. The quality of the food they consume does matter!
You’re still growing! A teenage body is still growing and the brain is developing daily. Teens NEED vital nutrients to have healthy, strong bones, clear skin, healthy hair and most of all energy.
Superfoods for Teens
I love the word superfood! To me it sounds like the food gives us strength and is naturally nutritious. Even better when my body loves the nutrition. What are the superfoods for a growing teenager?
Veggies. I’m not talking over-cooked bland tasting vegetables. Check out Eat the Rainbow Challenge! Pick and chose vegetables of all colors. Eat them raw, dip them, steam, bake them, and roast a variety of vegetables.
Salmon. Teens need healthy omega-3’s. You’ve heard the saying, “fish is brain food.” It really is! We need omega-3’s for our brains to develop, for our brains to function optimally, and to improve our memory.
Nuts. Provide fuel. The protein in nuts is a stable source of energy.
Oats. Our ancestors had it right when they made oatmeal part of their weekly menu. Oats are a fiber packed grain that also provides essential nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants.
Berries. Nutrient packed berries are vital to a growing body! They are high in fiber, lower in natural sugar, and fight inflammation. The best part is they are usually easy to find in the groceries stores year round.
Teens – load up on the five superfoods mentioned above! Your body will thank you, your parents will be shocked and your friends will want to eat what you’re eating!
Clean Eating Tips for Teens
Remember teens need essential vitamins for optimal calcium and iron. These two nutrients are especially important because they support strong bones and aid in building muscle tissue. The last thing teens want is to feel sluggish and weak. They might reach for that high caffeine drink which is not what their body needs.
Here is 10 Practical Tips for eating cleaning!
Plan to succeed! Have real food available for your teen. Remember, taste is huge for teens!
- Prepare homemade granola bars. Place them in the freezer so they are easy to grab whenever you need an easy snack.
- Buy unsweetened whole milk yogurt or non-dairy unsweetened yogurt and top with your favorite fruit or granola.
- When possible, pack your own lunch or prepare your own meals when not in school.
- Eat your veggies for snacks. Wash carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower and keep in the fridge. They go great with dairy free ranch dressing or classic hummus.
- Record the food you eat for a week. Download a Free Food Journal for more success!
- Keep fruit on hand. When studying for an exam or writing a paper, grab a bowl of grapes or slice up an apple.
- Make a wrap. Be creative and toss in leftovers, BBQ chicken, slice cucumber, beans, micro-greens or taco meat.
- Peanut Butter Protein Bars make an excellent snack!!! They require no baking. Warning, they disappear quickly!
- Eat dark chocolate. Look for dark chocolate bars that contains 70% or higher of cacao. It will satisfy your sweet tooth and give you an energy boost. Eating Evolved 85% Cacao Caramel Crunch.
- Make a conscious effort to eat 80% of your meals and snacks from real unprocessed food (food not found in a wrapper, box or can). You’re not trying to be perfect, just healthy!
Learning to apply the Clean Eating Tips will teach teens a valuable life skill. When you plan and prepare food to eat, you are feeding your body the necessary ingredients to grow and thrive.
6 Bonus Tips for teens FROM teens
- Be good at baking and preparing a few snacks and meals. Surprise your family with a homemade pizza crust and healthy toppings (uncured pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, sliced onions, peppers and crushed garlic).
- When you’re snacking with a friend (or your sister), prepare chips and cheese and toss in the oven for 5-6 minutes. Siete Grain-Free Sea Salt Tortilla Chips
- Plan on having fruit for a snack once a day; either a handful of grapes, banana, apples, kiwi slices, or berries.
- Roast vegetables in the oven with a little bit of butter and sea salt.
- Drink water all day long, it helps with not getting a dip in energy.
- Make breakfast fantastic! Fried eggs and sausage, homemade granola & yogurt, gluten free sourdough bagels with butter and honey. Check out Nutritious Breakfast Ideas for Busy People.
Clean Eating for Clear Skin
Hydration, hormone balances, and inflammation play a huge part in whether or not a teen will struggle with healthy looking skin. Here are a few brief tips on striving for better skin.
Hydration.
Do drink 8-10 oz. of water depending on your body weight and activity level.
Don’t drink caffeine beverages, soda, juice, and alcohol.
Hormone balances.
Do exercise, manage stress, eat eggs and fish, and get adequate sleep.
Don’t eat a diet high in sugar, fats, dairy, and fried foods.
Inflammation.
Do eat fiber rich foods like vegetables and oats. Drink water and iced green tea.
Don’t eat or drink your sugars. Avoid processed high fats found in chips and candy.
Clean Eating for Teens
Teenagers are both impressionable and daring. Let’s strive to set good examples for them, encourage them to try new real food items, and impress upon them to learn to prepare meals from real food.
I have been with teens on wilderness trips, taught them in my lifeguard classes, and hung out with them at church youth group. The best part is raising two of my own! Teens are fun and they love to eat. I encourage teens to chose healthy foods and drink water. It always surprises people when I bring in salsa, organic tortilla chips, and veggie slices to youth group and they disappear FAST!
Plan to make superfoods part of a teens weekly diet! Teens need to take time to plan and prepare real food that they will enjoy and like. Lastly, apply the clean eating tips for healthier looking skin.
Teens: congratulations on making clean eating part of your life!!!
Pursuing better health together,