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3 nutritionists (who are also moms) share how they get their teens to eat healthier - Yahoo
Getting most teens to eat healthy can be a struggle under the best of circumstances. Sure, they know what they’re supposed to do when it comes to fueling up right, most teens just don’t.
It’s not just you who has to deal with this: Nutritionists have trouble getting their teens to eat well too. And surprisingly, they don’t stress over it. “It’s important to understand that they’re not going to eat perfectly and you shouldn’t expect them to,” Karen Ansel, R.D.N., mom to a teenager and author of “Healthy in a Hurry,” tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “It doesn’t mean you should let them eat whatever they want, but good habits take time to build, like years.”
It can be tricky to get teens to eat well because they’re “developmentally becoming independent and challenging authority,” says Sonya Angelone, R.D., a mom of a teenage son and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “One way they can feel more autonomous is by choosing what to eat and what not to eat,” she adds.
Getting most teens to eat healthy can be a struggle under the best of circumstances. Sure, they know what they’re supposed to do when it comes to fueling up right, most teens just don’t.
It’s not just you who has to deal with this: Nutritionists have trouble getting their teens to eat well too. And surprisingly, they don’t stress over it. “It’s important to understand that they’re not going to eat perfectly and you shouldn’t expect them to,” Karen Ansel, R.D.N., mom to a teenager and author of “Healthy in a Hurry,” tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “It doesn’t mean you should let them eat whatever they want, but good habits take time to build, like years.”
It can be tricky to get teens to eat well because they’re “developmentally becoming independent and challenging authority,” says Sonya Angelone, R.D., a mom of a teenage son and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “One way they can feel more autonomous is by choosing what to eat and what not to eat,” she adds.