Nutrition: Maintaining Healthy Eating Habits

By Michele Blandino

Acquiring and maintaining healthy eating habits is a challenge for people of all ages but for teens, it can be particularly difficult. All too often, school cafeterias are of little help as their menus are seriously deficient in foods that aren’t fried, smothered in cheese or laden with sodium. Busy lifestyles don’t help either; in fact, many families rarely take the time to sit down to an evening meal together and instead rely almost exclusively on fast food and other poor choices.

But even with all of these obstacles, it is possible to maintain a healthy diet.

Here are a few things you can do:

• Make a Family Commitment: Each family member needs to understand that they will benefit from changing their eating habits before they will commit to making a change. Once everyone is on board, it will be easier to ditch the fast food in favor of healthier selections that can be made ahead of time and heated on those busy evenings.
• Brown-Bag It: It will be easier to avoid the temptations that are in the school cafeteria by bringing your own lunch. If you have a serious will-power issue, be sure to leave your money at home so that you will not be tempted to “forget” about your lunch. In addition to enabling you to eat healthier, you will probably find that you have a few extra minutes to eat your lunch because you will not have to stand in line to be served.
• Become a Label Reader: You might be surprised at how many calories are in your favorite snack food. Remember, calories – even more than carbohydrates and fat content – are the most important factor. If you are trying to lose weight, keep track of the calories you consume each day. Making even a small reduction in your daily caloric intake can make a big difference in your weight over time.
• Think Before You Eat: Before you have a snack, take a second to ask yourself if you are really hungry. Chances are, you are not. Even if you only eliminate this type of eating from your diet, you will most likely lose weight. If you feel you must have a snack, opt for fresh fruit or vegetables.
• Get Moving: Go for a walk. Take a bike ride. Take an aerobics class. The key is to spend less time sitting around playing computer games or watching television and more time exercising. Ideally, you should aim for 30 minutes a day – more is even better.