Healthy Eating Teens: Forming New HabitsPart of getting your teen to eat healthy is to get them to form new habits which will promote health and healthy eating. If the habits weren't there before, you will have to start slowly. Remember that just like new year's resolutions, most people make the mistake of taking on too much at one time, and the resolution ends up fizzling after about two weeks. You need baby steps to form new habits, so start with things that are realistic, and then work your way up to your big goals. To help your teens form the habit of healthy eating, the first step is to discuss the plan with them. Making them understand what you want to do, and showing them that you need their help will make them feel like they are a part of the decision, and not see it as something that is being imposed on them. Make your teen your partner in healthy eating, not your minion. Get them to agree to one or two healthy meals each day, both of which you will prepare for the first month. During this first month, educate your teen on the benefits of healthy eating. Discuss it with them often, but not too much that they will become sick of the conversation as this can turn them off healthy eating as well. The more they understand how this can help them, the more they will be open to the idea. As mentioned in chapter three, teens can be very impressionable, so make sure healthy food and healthy eating makes a great impression on them during this first month! If you are both just started healthy eating together, expect that it will be difficult for both you and your teen to form the new habit. This is why baby steps should be realistic. Committing to one month should give you a time frame to settle into the healthy eating habit. Making it an everyday thing for a month will help keep it consistent. Consistency is one of the cornerstones of forming a habit. If you can keep healthy eating consistent for a full month, it will be much easier to continue after the month has passed. Leave yourself reminders that you plan to eat healthy. Ask your teen to do the same for themselves. This will encourage them to at least stick to the one month commitment. More importantly, you have to follow the healthy eating rules. If you break them first, your teen will see that you aren't serious, and they will end up going back to their old habits. Be a role model for your teens, and they will follow suit. After the first month has passed, make new goals, and start all over again. You may need to re-asses your goals in terms of your month's progress. Say you and your teens did very well, maybe the next goal can be healthy eating two meals a day, and one healthy snack. |
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How To Get Your Kids To Eat Healthy Food - Without A Fight!
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