Poor eating habits are commonplace. Because the majority of eating disorders develop during adolescence, early prevention and intervention are critical. As a parent, you have an influence on your teens and their development. To promote healthy eating habits in teens, encourage them to eat breakfast and more meals with the family. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because the body has been without food for so long. When teens skip breakfast and begin their "foods for the day" with lunch, they often begin a higher fat, saturated fat, and sodium exposure.
With their high energy and nutrient needs, teens often need snacks as a "refueling stop." On average, teens probably eat more snacks than regular meals. That makes healthy snacks important because snacks can furnish a good part of the day's nutrition. Don't keep chips, pretzels, cookies, crackers, and other junk foods in the house for snacks. Other important things to promote healthy eating habits in teens is encourage your teens to drink water, and then drink more water than soda.
