You Are What You Eat: Healthy Eating Tips for Youth

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Studies have shown that teenagers often consume only half of the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are critical to healthy development and overall wellness, and a poor diet can even contribute to poor mental health. Changing your diet to be healthier may seem like a daunting task, but we found an article with some quick and easy tips to help you tackle eating well. Here are some key takeaways: 

• Cut back on pop, juice and other sugary drinks -- opt for water instead.
• Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Try to eat breakfast every day. 
• Don't skip meals. If you're trying to lose weight, this can actually backfire on you because your body will go into starvation mode and will hold onto every last scrap of fat and nutrition to sustain itself. 
• Eat smaller portions and try to limit yourself to eating fast food only once per week. 

Small changes can have a big impact! For more information about how you can eat healthier, check out this article from Australia's Better Health Channel. 

Special thanks to Sumaira K. for finding this article! 

"Ponzu Noodle Bowl" image via jazzijaza