Healthy Breakfast for Teens

Busy schedules, sleeping in, running late and a desire to be thin are among some of the reasons you may skip breakfast or grab unhealthy breakfast foods on the go. Despite this, you can learn the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast and how simple it can be to make healthy breakfast decisions even when you are on the go or running late.

Basics

Eating breakfast is important way to begin the day for most people, but it is especially important for teenagers. Breakfast meals provide the energy and nutrition you need to begin your day, be successful in the classroom and maintain proper development.

Food Groups

A healthy breakfast should contain foods from at least three of the different food groups. Protein and fiber-rich foods provide you with the most energy, notes Center for Young Women’s Health website 1.

As a teen, you should strive to eat a serving of protein and at least one serving of whole grains with each breakfast. Also, fruits can be added to every breakfast meal to increase the fiber content and in turn provide more energy.

Benefits

Healthy breakfasts have many benefits for teenagers 1. According to the Kid’s Health website, if you eat breakfast you are more likely to do better in school and engage in regular physical activities 2. Also, Center for Young Women’s Health reports that if you eat a healthy breakfast you are more likely to consume necessary vitamins, minerals and fiber and are less likely to be overweight 12.

Tips

There are a number of ways to eat a healthy breakfast. Try putting whole grain cereal in a baggie to munch on as you travel to school or to eat when you get to school. Always have fruit that is easy to take with you on the go such as apples and bananas.

If your dinner the night before was healthy and contained protein and/or fiber, eat the leftovers for breakfast. Buy cereals that contain whole grains and eat them with fat free milk or soy milk. To increase the nutrition value put berries or banana slices on top of the cereal.

Considerations For Parents

If you are a parent, you play an important role in teaching teens the importance of eating a healthy breakfast. It is valuable for you to role model healthy eating behaviors, especially for the first meal of the day. As a parent you need to take the time to eat a healthy breakfast each day even if you are in a hurry.

Also, you should involve teens in the processes of getting healthy breakfast food; this will help increase the chances that teens will eat the food. Ask teens what they want for breakfast or take them to the grocery store to pick out their own healthy breakfast foods.