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
Benefits for Teenagers to Eat Healthy
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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.
- A healthy breakfast should contain foods from at least three of the different food groups.
- As a teen, you should strive to eat a serving of protein and at least one serving of whole grains with each breakfast.
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
How Schools Can Help Promote Healthy Eating
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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.
- There are a number of ways to eat a healthy breakfast.
- Always have fruit that is easy to take with you on the go such as apples and bananas.
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.
- If you are a parent, you play an important role in teaching teens the importance of eating a healthy breakfast.
- 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.
Related Articles
References
- Center For Young Women's Health: Begin with Breakfast
- Kids Health: Ready, Set Breakfast!
- Hoertel HA, Will MJ, Leidy HJ. A randomized crossover, pilot study examining the effects of a normal protein vs. high protein breakfast on food cravings and reward signals in overweight/obese "breakfast skipping", late-adolescent girls. Nutr J. 2014;13:80. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-13-80
- Bachman JL, Phelan S, Wing RR, Raynor HA. Eating frequency is higher in weight loss maintainers and normal-weight individuals than in overweight individuals. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011;111(11):1730-4. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2011.08.006
- Ogata H, Kayaba M, Tanaka Y, et al. Effect of skipping breakfast for 6 days on energy metabolism and diurnal rhythm of blood glucose in young healthy Japanese males. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;110(1):41-52. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy346
- Sievert K, Hussain SM, Page MJ, et al. Effect of breakfast on weight and energy intake: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ. 2019;364:l42. doi:10.1136/bmj.l42
- Barr SI, Difrancesco L, Fulgoni VL. Breakfast consumption is positively associated with nutrient adequacy in Canadian children and adolescents. Br J Nutr. 2014;112(8):1373-83. doi:10.1017/S0007114514002190
Writer Bio
Alia Butler holds a Master of Social Work from Washington University, St. Louis, concentrating in mental health, and a Master of Arts in social-organizational psychology from Columbia University. Currently, Butler is a freelance writer, penning articles focusing on mental health, healthy living and issues surrounding work-life balance. She is the principle/owner of ALIA Living, LLC, providing residential interior design services, professional organizing and life coaching.