Page 20 - HFHB - Magazine

Hungry teens

If you have teenagers in the house, I know you will them up.
appreciate all the help you can get to keep them • Stock up on cereal. Buy high fibre cereals, these
fed. Boys especially seem to have hollow legs and make a great snack at any time of day, look for
can never be filled up. Ask a teenager their four cereals that contain at least 3 grams of fibre per
favourite foods and they’re likely to say burgers, serve. Avoid sugary cereals as these will only give
fries, soft drinks and chocolate bars. them a sugar hit and have them back in the pantry
in no time.
Media influence doesn’t help with advertisers • Feed a sweet tooth with fruit. Leave it in a bowl
tempting them with a huge array of unhealthy on the bench or chop up a delicious fruit salad.
foods. Unfortunately, teenagers who have Fruits that are in season are ideal as they are
unhealthy eating habits are likely to take them into normally cheaper to buy.
adulthood. Once they develop a taste for salty, fatty • Stretch it out. Add grated vegetables and slices of
or sugary foods it’s so much harder to break the bread to help the mince dishes go further. Think
habit, so it’s important to encourage them to eat rissoles, spaghetti bolognaise and pasta bakes,
well now. teens love them.
• Leftovers are your friend. Leftovers can easily be
Poor food choices can also affect their skin which reheated and served on grainy toast or used as a
can be a real concern in puberty. By cutting out jaffle filling.
greasy food and sugary drinks such as colas their • Plan ahead. Home cooking is definitely a great
skin will show a quick improvement. There’s also way to save money. Make the time for a cooking
cases of teenagers developing Type 2 diabetes, day and freeze into meal sized portions for when
caused by an unhealthy diet and a lack of exer- they announce, “I’m starving!”
cise. • Stay hydrated. Thirst can often be mistaken for
hunger. Make sure they have access to plenty of
Providing them with healthy options doesn’t need cold water; a much better choice than expensive,
to break the bank. Follow my eight simple tips high sugar soft drinks or those so-called energy
below to fill up hungry teens: drinks.
• Have quick options on hand. An omelette is quick
and easy to make. Use the recipe provided or Article submitted by Annette Sym of Symply Too
substitute veggies with what you have on hand. Good
Add leftover cooked chicken or sandwich meat to
the mix if you wish. Homemade pizzas are another
quick option.
• Fill up with fibre. Foods that are high in fibre will
keep them feeling fuller for longer. Including
vegetables or salad with their meals will help fill