We could all use a few healthy eating tips, especially with spring break and bikini season right around the corner! We’re all so busy, with school and studying and work and friends, but we all need to eat healthy to stay healthy, so we all need a few healthy eating tips to keep us on track. I’ve done some digging, and put together a quick list of ways to eat healthier, even if you’re an on-the-go busy bee. Here are 9 healthy eating tips for teens.
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1. Know a Serving
Quick try this little experiment. Grab a bowl and a box of cereal, and pour out what you think is one serving. Now measure it and compare that to what the box says is a serving. Chances are, you poured out more than twice what a serving is supposed to be! Learn what actual serving sizes are, and try to stick to them.
2. Don’t Skip Breakfast
School starts early, and you’d rather have an extra ten minutes of sleep or flat-iron time rather than using that ten minutes to make and eat breakfast. But this is a very bad idea — breakfast is the most important meal of the day! It provides you with the energy and nutrition you need to start your day and keep it going! If you’re in a hurry, grab a breakfast replacement bar or shake. But don’t skip breakfast!
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3. Snack Well
The snacks most teenagers eat are the worst, loaded with empty calories, high fructose corn syrup, and fat. Chips, soda, candy bars — they’re all marketed to busy teens who don’t know any better… but you do! Choose healthier snack options, and snack often, about twice a day, with fresh fruits and veggies or a handful of almonds. This will keep your tummy full, your metabolism rocking, and your attitude sunny!
4. Avoid Fast Food
Fast food is, well, fast, but it’s horrible for you. One fast food value meal can contain all of the calories you’re supposed to eat it one whole day, and most of those calories come from fat, not healthy fiber or even natural sugar. If you do have to choose fast food, opt for a salad without the dressing, or a grilled chicken sandwich without the mayo. And skip the fries and soda altogether!
5. Skip Soda
I’ll say it again — this healthy eating tip is so important, I’m mentioning it twice! Most sodas are marketed to teens, and teens do make up most of the consumers of soda. But it’s awful for you, even the diet stuff! It’s loaded with caffeine, empty calories, high fructose corn syrup, and nasty chemicals. Research has shown that teens who drink more than one soda a day have a much higher risk of being obese, even as adults… so skip the soda!
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6. Try for Five
Remember when I mentioned healthy snacking as a healthy eating tip? Well, here’s a great way to eat healthy snacks AND follow a USDA recommendation: try to eat five servings (heaping handfuls) of fresh fruits and veggies every day. We’re all supposed to be getting five servings, but hardly any of us do… work on it!
7. Plan Ahead
There’s nothing worse than reaching for a healthy granola bar or baggie of fruit and then seeing that there are none left. Plan ahead to avoid these frustrating and potentially diet-wrecking outages. Ask mom or dad to stock up on healthy snacks, and make sure they’re there when you need them… consider even leaving a few of them for your older brother… hmm…
8. Brown Bag It
Some schools provide a salad bar option to the normal cafeteria cuisine, which is great. If yours doesn’t, here’s a healthy eating tip to help: pack your own and bring it to school! Another advantage, besides avoiding Meatloaf Surprise on Tuesday’s menu? You can pick out an adorable lunch box as a fashion accessory!
9. Cook at Home
If you’re avoiding fast food, and packing your own lunch, what are you supposed to eat for dinner? Easy — check out Pinterest or your mom’s old cookbooks for a few healthy recipe ideas, and cook at home! If you avoid using prepared foods (like Chef Boyardee and Hamburger Helper), you can whip up tasty, healthy meals that you can customize any way you like… and eat healthy at the same time!
With so many healthy eating tips, you’ll be on your way to more energy, a fitter figure, and a long, healthy life… woo! Which of these handy healthy eating tips will you implement first? Which do you think might be impossible? Or do you have another healthy eating tip to share?
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