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Tasty Treats for Teenagers

Submitted by Stella Morgan on July 8, 2010

Parents play a major role in helping teens to adopt healthy eating foods. If you, as a parent, have the same objective of maintaining a healthy balanced diet for the family, it becomes easier to cook and prepare tasty nutritious treats for your children. It is easy to make them aware of the benefits of healthy teenage diets as today’s teens are more body conscious and health-savvy. It is a known fact that unhealthy snacks not only add extra sugar, saturated fats, and sodium to the body but may also ruin their appetite for healthy meals later. The truth is that teens love to munch snacks—the trick is in making healthy food choices in the right amounts.

Eating well helps teens to stay active and to reach their full potential.
Here are a few tips to ensure that your teen opts for healthy eating choices:

Stock your kitchen cabinets and refrigerator with quick healthy snacks which includes fruits, low fat dairy products, and whole grains bread. If these foods are available, your children will make healthier eating choices.

Involve your teen while shopping and preparing healthy nutritious meals.

It is important to connect with your teen, so ensure that the family eats at least one meal a day together.

You must ensure that your teen has access to a range of healthy foods. A balanced meal serving should include vegetables, proteins, and grains.

It is always better to opt for home food than to eat out. Restaurant fare is invariably high in fat content and calories which can lead to weight gain.

You must ensure that your teen stays hydrated throughout the day. Apart from fresh water, opt for fresh juices and sugar free beverages over sodas and carbonated drinks.

Keep sliced lemons and limes handy to add a bit of flavor to plain water.

Here are a few healthy snacks options for your teens which are not only easy to cook but are tasty and nutritious as well:

Sandwiches are always a healthy option but opt for whole breads when preparing them.

Popcorns are higher in fiber and make a healthy snack option for teens.

Fruit smoothies are good options over milk shakes. You just need to put some frozen bananas in a blender with low fat milk, strawberries, and vanilla/strawberry extract. Pour the shake in attractive tall glass which will make it more tempting for your teen. You may use mangoes or pineapple chunks for preparing the smoothie. These are packed with nutrients and are also very trendy.

Dry-roasted nuts and seeds have a satisfying crunch and are a healthy snack when eaten in moderation.

Make a fruit pizza by spreading nonfat cream cheese on a toasted muffin. Top with sliced strawberries, grapes, or any fruit canned in its own juice. Alternatively, top with broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes for a veggie twist.

If your teen loves potato chips, baked pretzels with mustard are a great alternative.