Give Teens Choices To Fuel Up In Healthy Ways

For some teenagers, eating half a box of cereal is a snack, and a gallon of milk in a refrigerator can run out faster than a gallon of gas in a Suburban.

Being a teen is tough enough.

One way to help your children live through the teen years is by having plenty of smart choices available for them to eat. Burgers, fries and shakes work well in a pinch, but what about more healthful options?

Without good nutrition teens may be moody, suffer from chronic low energy and lack the ability to concentrate. The typical teenager can easily eat between 2,000 and 5,000 calories a day, depending on their size and how active they are.

Teens who come home and vacuum the cupboards because they neglected to eat during the day are not eating in a balanced way.

Teenagers who skip out on breakfast have a harder time staying focused in class and performing well in extracurricular activities.

It’s too easy to use the “I-don’t-have-time” excuse. All you need is two to five minutes to put together a long-lasting breakfast.

An instant breakfast packet can be added to 8 ounces of low-fat milk and blended in less than two minutes. Tossing in a banana or some frozen berries while blending will add more nutrient-dense calories.

How about peanut butter on that bagel, or a bowl of cereal with some light cream cheese on a muffin?

What kind of cereal do you keep in the cupboard?

If it’s fluffy and full of sugar, then it won’t go far toward feeding a growing body and providing lasting energy. Try cereals with less than 6 grams of sugar and at least 2 to 3 grams of fiber per ounce, such as Shredded Wheat, Total, Wheat Chex, Wheaties or Cheerios.

A tablespoon of peanut butter on a piece of toast will go farther than a fat-free cereal bar. Instant oatmeal topped with low-fat milk, nuts and dried fruit provides an excellent slow-burning fuel source.

Have a mixture of granola, yogurt, dried fruit and nuts already mixed up (keep in the refrigerator) that can be quickly scooped into a bowl and eaten.

Even if they eat breakfast, teenagers may find themselves already hungry by midmorning. A snack of dried fruit and nuts, a granola bar, a bagel or a low-fat cheese stick can help take the edge off hunger until lunch time.

At lunch, a salad and diet pop isn’t enough fuel. Teenagers need calories.

Remind your teen to include a protein (chicken, turkey, fish, lean meat, legumes, cottage cheese, eggs or seafood) in their lunch; the amount should be at least half the size of their palm. Carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, potatoes, tortillas and rice will provide much-needed quick energy.

Fats, like peanut butter, vegetable oils, olives, avocado and dressings, provide long-range fuel for sustained energy levels.

Vegetables will add fiber, minerals and vitamins. And by substituting low-fat milk for pop, teens get more protein, carbohydrates and calcium.

After school, it’s important to have food available for teenagers that packs a lot of calories and requires minimal preparation - other than a bag of potato chips and a 40-ounce soda pop.

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fruit smoothie, carrot-raisin muffins, bowl of chili or a potato with some cheese on top can keep the body fueled until dinner.

The less food teens eat during the day, the more they will need at dinner. Make sure that your teenager’s dinner includes protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and a fat source.

If teenagers are hungry before bed, encourage them to eat a snack. Try topping a bowl of ice cream or frozen yogurt with cut banana, apple, orange or kiwi or frozen blueberries. A slice of banana bread or an apple-carrot muffin can make a satisfying evening snack.

Feeding the hungry teenager can be challenging. But with a little practice and by making nutrient-dense food available, you’ll help improve your teenagers’ energy levels and possibly their study habits - or at least they’ll be able to concentrate longer.

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The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Craig T. Hunt The Spokesman-Review