Healthy Eating Teens: Making it a Family EffortIn a previous article, we mentioned that one good step towards healthy eating is to get the entire family into the habit. This is an effective way to encourage your teens to eat healthily because it becomes a kind of family project. Getting the entire family involved shows each member that you're all in it together. This cooperation between family members is a good example to set for all your children, and your children will feel good having a family that helps each other and does things together for the benefit of all its members. The action plan for forming a healthy eating habit discussed in the previous articles can also be applied to a family plan. In fact, with more members working together, more can be achieved. Other people can be assigned to cook on various days, and you will have more people coming up with healthy suggestions. If your entire family is making an effort towards healthy eating, ask each of its members what their favorite foods are in order to help you make a healthy menu that you know your whole family will eat. A big part of the family effort towards healthy eating should be eating as a family. In previous article, we've mentioned the importance of family meals. Eating together provides comfort and stability for children. It helps parents monitor their children's eating habits, and it can lessen the chances of obesity among children. Having a family meal at least once a day (say for dinner) is a good time for parents to reconnect with their children, and promote healthy eating. For teens, family meals can keep them from hanging out with the wrong crowd or getting themselves into trouble. Eating with the entire family helps teens resist peer pressure because they have a stable base and sense of who they are. Knowing that you have a family to fall back on can be very comforting for a teen, and they may rely on this stability more than their parents realize. Aim for happy or lively discussions during family meals to make it a truly pleasant time for each of its members. Parents should take note of the fact that their habits can get passed down to their children. Children or teens who over-salt their food are likely to have gotten the habit from their parents. This is because children tend to do what their parents do without realizing it. Most parents also don't realize that these small things they do can affect their children. When eating as a family, parents should set good examples for their children, not just healthy eating habits but other good habits as well. Family meals should be well balanced and address the different food groups. Parents can take the opportunity of having family meals as the chance to discuss proper food portions with their children. More than just discussing it, though, demonstrate the proper food portions in the serving sizes on each plate. Parents can put food on their children's plates during the first few meals, and then watch their children serve themselves in succeeding meals. Remember that a part of healthy eating is how much you eat, and learning as a family is a good way to approach it! Next Article: Healthy Eating Teens: Understanding Eating Disorders |
Sign up to our FREE email mini course now and get more useful tips and information, delivered straight to your inbox, on how to get your kids to eat healthy. When you sign up, you'll receive:
Subscribe now and enjoy the benefits instantly!
|
How To Get Your Kids To Eat Healthy Food - Without A Fight!
|
