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    Home > Recipes > Lifestyle

    7 Healthy Habits for Teens

    Published: Oct 29, 2014 · Modified: Mar 26, 2020 by Whitney Reist · This post may contain affiliate links |

    A teen girl standing in from of an art gallery wall and holding an ice cream cone.

     

    Today we get to go to high school!! At least, in my pictures, we get to.  A few weeks ago, I received a fun opportunity to speak to a group of upperclassmen at a local high school during their home ec. period.  I've always had a soft spot in my heart for teens since my college days working at summer camp and helping with our church youth group, so this was a great time for me to think back on all of those great memories while I prepped for the class! I wanted to let the students try some new foods that maybe they had never had before, so I chose to feature spaghetti squash, cannellini beans, and quinoa. I demonstrated how to make a baked spaghetti squash lasagna and did a tasting of a fall quinoa fruit salad and a chocolate chip cookie dough dip with a secret ingredient (cannellini beans!).  As it turns out, about half of the class had never tried spaghetti squash or quinoa, and only a few people identified the secret ingredient. And as an added bonus, most everyone liked what they tried! Score! No picky eaters today - everyone had an open mind and tried all 3 of the dishes I brought.

    After my cooking demonstration, I did a little presentation on "7 Healthy Habits for Teens."  These were all habits I either developed as a teen or wish I had practiced because they helped me maintain a healthy relationship with food and eat healthfully during my college days.  I wanted to share them with you today because even if you aren't a teen anymore, it's never too late to pick up some healthy habits!

    High School

    1. Eat Breakfast

    Eating breakfast supports a healthy metabolism by “breaking the fast” after a good night’s sleep.  Remember that food = fuel. It’s what keeps you going mentally and physically.  Studies show that students who eat breakfast regularly have better concentration, perform better on tests and maintain a healthy weight more consistently. Choices can be simple and not your typical breakfast foods - it's fine to have a tortilla wrap with deli meat or a whole grain pita filled with hummus! To best regulate your hunger through the day and help you focus in the mornings, it's recommended that you eat within an hour of waking up. If you are always on the go in the morning, consider packing something before you go to sleep the night before. All you have to do then is wake up and grab your food before you go. Ever heard of a Bento Box? Let this change your life.

    2. Follow the 80/20 Rule

    This way of thinking helps keep your diet balanced, healthy, but still allows for occasional indulgences. Let's break it down: 80% of the time, make food choices based on how they nourish and sustain your body.  20% of the time, you can indulge in “sometimes” foods – anything goes! You can enjoy the indulgence without guilt because you know that, for the majority of the time, you are fueling your body with the nutrients it needs.  If you eat 3 meals per day, that's 21 meals per week. So for 17 meals (80%), you eat healthfully and for 4 meals (20%), you can have whatever you want. If you haven't already figured it out, life is about give and take.

    High School

    3. Eat Intuitively

    Mindful eating = eat when you are hungry, stopping when you are full.  Remember: healthy snacking is A-OK! When you get too hungry between meals, it can lead to overeating at mealtime.  Have fruits and veggies handy to snack on and balanced your snacks with a bit of protein or whole grains.  Try these combinations:

    Apple + peanut butter

    Whole grain crackers + string cheese

    Grapes + toasted almonds

    Tortilla + beans

    This is a great book on Intuitive Eating! It explains the whole concept in an easily understandable way.

    4. Offer to do the Grocery Shopping

    There are so many benefits in doing this – don’t wait until you are a busy college student to become an expert shopper! Offer to go to the grocery store for your family once per week. Pay attention to what's on sale, what’s in season (is usually on sale), foods you have never tried before, and how much things cost.  Becoming familiar with these factors of grocery shopping will make it easier for you to budget your food money and plan healthy meals to cook at home once you are in college! Keep in mind that you can save money if you buy foods that haven't already been prepared - think cut pineapple in a clear plastic box v.s. whole pineapple at the store. The whole version is much less costly. You may also learn a few kitchen skills (cutting fruits and veggies) this way as well.

    High Schoool 3

    5. Cook Dinner for Your Family Once Per Week

    This will help you go into the college dorm/apartment with an arsenal of easy, healthy recipes that will fuel you through classes. College is a busy, fun and exciting time, so why not get comfortable in the kitchen early? Make a goal to plan one dinner a week to cook for your family. It’s ok to enlist the help of a sibling, parent, or friend to be your “sous chef” or help with dish duty after the meal!

    6. Try a New Fruit or Vegetable Each Month

    Make your meals interesting and exciting by incorporating foods you’ve never tried before into meals. Variety is key to helping you get the greatest benefit from all the vitamins and minerals that produce has to offer. And be sure to cook it yourself if you decide to try something new! Studies show that when people try a new food they have prepared themselves that they have a higher chance of liking the new food.

    High School2

    7. Invest Wisely

    Remember that practicing good nutrition is like putting money in a savings account or having good insurance – it will pay off in more ways than you realize in the long run! The choices we make as young people about what to put in our bodies and how we take care of our bodies will have an effect on our health, ability to do what we love, confidence, and body image as we grow older.  So pick a healthy habit and start your investment in yourself today!

    Hungry for more? See what else is going on around here: Summer Favorites 2018, Easy Italian Beef Sandwiches, Easy as Pie Blueberry Cobbler, and Ulta vs Sephora Make Up Class.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. genevieve @ gratitude and greens says

      October 29, 2014 at 10:36 am

      These are great tips! Lots of teenagers tell me they don't know how to cook which is why they settle for crappy food, but I think often they just need a little push in the right direction 🙂

      Reply
      • Whitney Reist says

        October 30, 2014 at 6:04 am

        That's a great point, Genevieve. They just need someone to open their eyes to all of the simple foods they could prepare without much time or effort. I think some of the food blogs written by younger folks do such a great job with that - that way the teens can be inspired by peers!

    2. Deanna Segrave-Daly (@tspbasil) says

      October 29, 2014 at 8:17 am

      Great post - I give you credit for teaching teens for sure - great to hear they were so open minded 🙂

      Reply
      • Whitney Reist says

        October 30, 2014 at 6:05 am

        Thanks, Deanna! Luckily these students have an amazing teach for this period who is extremely creative and enthusiastic about food. Everything she had taught them up to that point definitely set me up for success in speaking to them!

    3. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      October 29, 2014 at 7:23 am

      The earlier kids can get in the kitchen and start learning about and cooking food, the better relationship they will have with it!

      Reply
      • Whitney Reist says

        October 30, 2014 at 6:06 am

        I agree, Rebecca! I'm so thankful that my 16 and 18 year old sisters have developed an interest in cooking - it gives me peace of mind to know they will be set up for success with eating well in college!

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