01/14/2010

Motivating teenagers to eat well-balanced meals can be a challenge for many parents. Even if by and large they seem healthy, adolescent nutrition often falls short in meeting the daily recommended dietary requirements essential for emotional and physical well-being.

Not surprisingly, the harder a parent tries to instill an appreciation and respect for good health through lecturing, worrying or nagging, the more resistance a teen will put up in defense of their own autonomy. Even those who have been raised on healthy diets can be lured to make poor food choices as part of the quest to become more independent and assert themselves. This frequently attracts them to bad habits such as consuming large amounts of high-calorie snacks and sodas, skipping breakfast and eating more and more meals outside the home.

As a parent, it’s important to set a positive example whenever possible. If they’re repeatedly seeing you eating snacks high in sugar and fat content, they’re more likely to justify this as acceptable behavior and respond in kind. Gently correct bad habits when you see them developing, but don’t forget the long-term benefits of praising and rewarding your teenagers when they take care of themselves by eating responsibly. Remember, too, that socialization and the influence of their peer group play a significant role during teen years, and this is true when it comes to dietary selections as well.

If, for example, your daughter’s best friend loves apples, make sure they’re always available whenever she comes to your house. While your daughter may not eat an apple at your urging, she may eat one if that’s what she sees her friend doing. This is an example of a social situation where healthy habits begin and are established.

Make a list of all the nourishing foods you’d like to see them incorporate in their diet, ask them to circle their favorites, and then take an active role in providing healthy options by keeping these readily accessible in your home. Have healthful snacks like fresh fruits, vegetables and cheese within easy reach along with juices and fruit-flavored carbonated water.

If you know they’re going to be coming home late for dinner, have plates of nutritious food prepared that can be quickly heated up in the oven or microwave. Pair the serving of healthy meals with good music, laughter, candlelight, a fire in the fireplace and pleasant company. These additions to the overall dining ambience will positively reinforce good eating.

Another way to instill good eating habits is to share meals together as a family. The teenage years are a key developmental period for promoting the enjoyment of food and healthy lifestyles. If busy schedules make it difficult to gather everyone around the same dinner table, breakfast may be a better opportunity for spending time together over a meal. On occasion, of course, it may be necessary to fix a grab-and-go breakfast as they head out the door for school, but even that is better than letting them totally skip their first meal of the day.

Engage your young adults in activities such as menu planning, grocery shopping and food preparation. Reward them with something they want for successfully researching a project about nutrition. Encourage your child to explore healthy alternatives to satisfying a sweet tooth or seek out which fast foods he/she likes that are the healthiest. The more your teens have ownership in the investigation, the more interested they’ll be to put this knowledge to use and, in doing so, you’ll be preparing them with life skills that create ownership and a sense of responsibility.

Be protective of their self-esteem. There’s a direct correlation between good self-care (including nutrition) and a high sense of self-worth, so it’s important to teach them how to love themselves. If they show confidence and self-respect, they’ll be less inclined to carry unhealthy eating habits into adulthood.

Take heart that — while it may not be apparent now — the lessons imparted by parental example during these formative years are internalized, an interesting result being that many teenagers with terrible eating habits eventually end up with healthy diets. It also often happens when they have children themselves that you’ll be able to observe them modeling you.