Hi, I'm Charlotte Lawson, a registered, licensed dietitian here in Tampa Bay, Florida, and getting teenagers to eat healthy and make right choices can be pretty difficult sometimes. It's a very changing time in their life, where they're starting to exercise their independence and wanting to do things on their own. First off, just know that eating jags happen. A teenager may like something one week and absolutely hate it the next time. They're also going to be very succumbed to peer pressure. A child or a teenager that likes pizza every single day because their friend does, and they feel embarrassed to choose things like humus and pita chips. They may go to school and want to trade that special turkey sandwich for that, you know, bag of potato chips instead. So, know that it's okay. Also know that this is a rapid time of growth for them, and a lot of times calorie counting isn't necessary at this point. One of the best things you can do is be a role model for your teenager. Offer those healthy foods at home, and enjoy eating healthy foods with them. The more they see you practicing these healthy options, the more likely they will be to choose those healthy things as well. We also know teenagers have a crazy schedule. They could be coming home from school at different times or different sports practices, so having healthy snacks for them available at home, where they can easily grab those options, is going to deter them from choosing things like cookies or bags of potato chips, that are convenient foods, but not necessarily healthy. Even having fresh fruit in the fridge, such as some grapes or some bananas on the counter, are fast, easy snacks a teenager can choose. So again, be a role model. Try and prepare, and have those healthy snacks for those kids; and again, also realize, don't get discouraged. This is a time in their life with lots of changing, which means things will change in the future too. So, that's some tips on how to help that teenager eat healthy. For more info, visit eathappy.info. I'm Charlotte, and happy eating.
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