From the time they hit middle school, most kids are always on the go. Whether it’s extracurricular activities, socializing with friends, connecting online for video games, or keeping up with homework, the time of adolescence is a very busy one. With such busy schedules, tweens and teens rarely make the best choices in food. They might skip meals or grab easy pre-packaged foods simply because they are short on time.
In fact, the most recent survey from CDC on teen behaviors showed that only 27% of high school students eat breakfast. Most skip it in order to sleep in longer or in a misguided attempt to lose weight. Additionally, the survey demonstrated that over the last 10 years, the percentage of high school students who eat fruit daily declined from 63% to 55%.
While it is very understandable why adolescents tend to eat unhealthy, it’s not a great idea. Good nutrition, a balanced diet, and healthy snacks have some tremendous benefits to tweens and teens:
- maintains their energy and focus
- provides key nutrients youth need to support their long-term health
- supports teens’ rapid growth and brain development
- improves academic performance
- stabilizes mood
Although these benefits are unlikely to sway the eating choices that a tween or teen make, parents can have considerable impact on their food intake with some simple strategies.
Smart Snacking Strategies
Here are some ways to make healthy snacking part of your adolescent’s everyday routine:
- Keep healthy snacks in your refrigerator, pantry, and car. Teens will eat what’s available, so if you stop buying junk and make healthier options available and easy to grab, your teen’s choices will automatically improve. We offer ideas for healthy snacks later in this article.
- Try to maintain a consistent schedule for meals and snacks. When we graze throughout the day we may not notice when we are hungry or full and eat extra calories. When we skip meals, we are more likely to make poor food choices and overeat when we do eat.
- Understand teen development and schedules. Teens need a great deal of food to fuel their rapid development. Typically speaking, most in this age group will require 2 to 3 snacks per day in addition to their meals – one in the morning, one prior to afternoon activities, and for some, a bedtime snack. Timing of snacks must be flexible to accommodate each teen’s unique schedule. If your teen likes to skip breakfast, then make sure they have access to a healthy snack in the morning.
- Encourage mindful eating. Establish a family dynamic where meals are eaten at the table, not mindlessly in front of the television or other screens.
- Prioritize important nutrients. Try to avoid buying packaged snacks, but if you do buy them, read the nutrition label. Look for snacks that are low in sugar, sodium, and fat and are high in fiber, protein, and calcium. The better option is to prepare your own snacks. When prepping snacks, choose:
- fruits and vegetables,
- whole grains that have 3 grams of fiber or more, and
- protein-rich foods, such as peanut butter or low-fat yogurt or cheese.
- Ensure sports kids get enough protein. Teens that are engaged in an athletic activity, such as sports or dance, should never enter practice on an empty stomach and also need a boost of protein right after their practice, such as nuts or chocolate milk.
Healthy Snack Ideas for Tweens and Teens
Below is a list of snacks that offer the nutrients tweens and teens need to thrive. Talk to your child about these options, and modify the list based on their likes and dislikes. Include your child as much as possible in the planning and selection of snacks so that they will be more likely to eat them. Most importantly, make sure these options are accessible and easy. Teens go for the path of least resistance, so ensure your teen knows where these food options are and make them easy to grab and go. Ideas include:
- Carrots and hummus dippers
- Fruit kebabs threaded with assorted berries and cheese cubes
- Freeze-dried fruit like strawberries and mango
- Jerky made with beef, chicken, bison, or venison
- Fruit with nut butter (such as apple with peanut butter or banana with almond butter)
- Chia seed pudding made with milk or vanilla soy milk
- Air-popped popcorn
- String cheese
- Create a trail mix with a handful each of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and a few chocolate chips sprinkled in
- Whole wheat pita triangles and hummus
- Whole grain crackers and nut butter
- Whole grain tortilla chips and salsa or guacamole
- Avocado toast on whole wheat bread
- Plain or Greek yogurt with fruits, nuts, seeds, and/or honey
- Overnight oats made with Greek yogurt
- Smoothies with fruit, milk and flax seeds