Re-Shaping Your Teens' Ideas Towards Healthy EatingYour teens will have their own ideas of what they should be eating during their teen years. These ideas are definitely shaped by their peers and the media. As mentioned in previous articles, if your teen has been eating healthily since they were children then they will understand that healthy eating is the rule in your home. They may fight a bit, but in the end they will respect the rules. If they propose a compromise, remember to hear them out, what they are asking for may not be so bad. The real challenge for a parent is getting a teen who is not used to healthy eating to make the switch. You will have to totally re-shape your teen's ideas on food. Your children will definitely object to the sudden increase in vegetables and fruits, and lean meats. If they don't object, they probably just won't eat it, and you don't want this either! For teens that were used to junk food or fast food when they were younger, this change or switch towards healthy eating will be met with a lot of resistance because healthy food will taste very different from what they're used to, and they will definitely not make the switch over night. Sit your teenagers down and discuss why you want to make the switch to healthy eating. Explain to them that they need certain types of food and nutrients in order for their bodies to perform at its best while talking to them about how the unhealthy food can also affect their bodies. As mentioned before, your teens can think rationally and objectively, and if presented well, your case for healthy eating will be clear to them. If your teen is an athlete or conscious about their weight and/or the way they look, they are likely to be more open to this change if they didn't insinuate it themselves. Less open to change are teens that don't care too much about what they look like and don't have major weight problems or physical illnesses. Teens who already have great self-esteem and many friends, and have been getting along just fine with regular food may not see why they have to change anything. These are the teens that are likely to disobey your new healthy eating rules. Expect more boys than girls to rebel against healthy eating. |
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How To Get Your Kids To Eat Healthy Food - Without A Fight!
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