Teenagers are know for not having healthy eating’s habits. Maybe you are a parent reading this or maybe you are a teenager. Either here are some of my best healthy eating habits and tips for teens so they can have a balanced diet.

What is a balanced diet?

Calorie intake

In order to actually eat healthy you need to know what a balanced diet is for a teen. So, let’s start with the basics.

First you need to know how much you should be eating. For the average teen it’s around 2000 calories. This is for both males and females.

However, everyone’s body is different and people perform at different levels of activity during the day. So, this number will vary, but it’s still a bench mark for you.

If you want to find out your exact calorie intake then you should try MyFitnessPal. This is a free calorie tracking app that allows you to scan the barcodes on food packaging and then log it in your food diary.

It will be useful to know what your daily calorie intake is. This will help you understand why and how you have gained or lost weight. However, you probably don’t need to lose weight. So, try to maintain your current weight. That will be a balanced calorie intake for you.

What you eat

What you eat is the reason why your body looks or feels the way it is. So, what are healthy eating habits for a teen so they can have a balanced diet.

Well you don’t have to eat green foods for the rest of your life. A healthy and balanced diet will consist of whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and things that grow from the ground. Yes, you can still have a bar of chocolate and a takeaway every now and again. But it’s about finding the balance to eat a healthy amount of each.

Healthy eating habits and tips for teens

Teens have pretty chaotic day to day schedules. So, how can a teen maintain a balanced and healthy diet day to day. Here are a few simple tips.

Get you first meal in early

Teens have a habit of waking up late in the day. This is not a healthy habit for your body. Not only will it cause fatigue during the day but it also affects your diet.

Skipping or missing breakfast will result in your body not waking up probably. When you first wake up your body doesn’t actually know that it’s a wake. It requires food or water to become really alive.

Waking up early means that you have the opportunity to wake your body up and energize it properly for the day. Your body loves to have a schedule. Trust me if you have a schedule where you wake up early you will maintain your weight and feel a lot more energized.

What to eat

What you eat is a major part of having a healthy eating habit and a balanced diet as a teen.

Whole foods are always the answer to being energized and healthy. So, what are whole foods

Whole foods are foods that have not been processed. We all know what processed food is, burgers, chips, chicken nuggets etc. A good healthy eating habit for a teen is to stay away from these types of foods.

I know its hard to avoid these foods. But once you stop eating those foods and replace them with whole foods, you will definitely notice a difference in your bodies energy levels, skin clarity, and other positive ways.

5 tasty whole foods

Here are 5 tasty whole foods that you can really make a tasty meal out of.

• Potatoes
• Rice
• Pasta
• Chicken
• Beef (mince)

Finding convenient foods you like

If you enjoy what your eating then your not really on a diet right. Young people like teens never really take the time out of their day to cook a home cooked healthy meal.

So the easiest solution is to find convenient foods that you enjoy to eat. For example, foods like fruits, crackers, and nuts are very healthy. These little snacks are great for you to take with you.

Build a schedule

As I mentioned earlier, your body loves to have a schedule. If you have a healthy schedule where you wake up on time every morning and have a decent breakfast, your body will thank you.

If you also fit in some healthy whole food into your eating schedule, then you will really have some healthy eating habits as a teen.

Summary

It isn’t that hard to have a healthy balanced diet as a teen. It doesn’t have to be a 24/7 job.

If you use the few simple healthy eating habits and tips that were mentioned above, then you will have a good diet as a teen. Make sure you have a good schedule, eat whole foods that you like, and try to wake up on time.

Feel free to use the links in this post to find more information to help you on your journey.