How to teach your teen healthy eating routines

Jan 6, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Jul 22

The habits your teen gets into around what and when they eat carry forward into adulthood. Help them make the right choices by encouraging healthy options, eaten regularly throughout the day.

How to teach your teen healthy eating routines

The essentials of a balanced diet

As well as their five a day (fruit and vegetables should make up about a third of their overall diet), everyone should have some starchy carbohydrate (another third), with the remaining third split between protein and dairy, plus a small amount of fat. Make sure vegetarians and vegans get enough protein, with plenty of protein-rich vegetables (such as peas, sweetcorn, asparagus, broccoli and avocado) as well as nuts, pulses and beans.

For brain power, good food choices to help concentration include green leafy vegetables, herbs, oily fish and pulses, so try to include these regularly. It'll be good for the whole family too.

Eating regularly

It’s important that teenagers eat at regular intervals to avoid peaks and dips in energy. Breakfast, lunch and dinner should be evenly spaced throughout the day and punctuated with healthy snacks.

Try to make sure they have breakfast before leaving the house. If they can't face food before school, get them to take a healthy breakfast snack, so they're not tempted to buy something unhealthy when hunger kicks in.

School might offer great lunchtime choices, or you could provide a packed lunch. Giving them ready-prepared lunch and snacks helps make sure they're eating the right types of food.

If possible, sit down for a family meal together at the end of each day (phone and tablet free). Not only does this start a fantastic lifestyle habit to take into adulthood, it also provides a break from being online and a chance to chat and share the day.

Snacking

The temptation to eat sugary, heavily salted, unhealthy snacks to keep energy up isn't only bad for overall health, it can also impair performance and concentration. This doesn’t mean they can’t have an occasional treat, but it’s better to avoid eating high-sugar and salty foods too often.

Help them make the right choices when they're in a hurry by providing healthy alternatives. If hunger strikes when they have a snack to hand, that's what they'll eat, rather than buying something unhealthy from the nearest shop.

If chocolate is a favourite, swap milk chocolate for dark chocolate.

Cook together

While it may not be possible every night, it’s great if you can include some meals cooked from scratch regularly through the week. Not only is this healthier and cheaper than ready meals and takeaways, it’s one of the best lifestyle habits to teach your child, one they’ll benefit from throughout their adult life.

Cooking together is a good opportunity to spend time together and bond. It’s a non-pressurised space for your teen to talk to you about things that may be troubling them without making it the central focus, and you can catch up on good news too.

Growing up

As your teen gets older and more independent, they’ll start preparing their own food, and it won't be possible to watch what they eat at every meal. Remember, they're going to eat what's available in the house, so if your fridge, freezer and cupboards are full of good options, that’s what they’ll reach for when they’re hungry.

When they’re eating away from home (for example at school), try to provide food rather than money, so they’re not tempted to spend on unhealthy favourites.

Fast food, sweets, crisps and other treats are absolutely fine, so long as they're a small part of an overall diet and not the staple. That said, tired teenagers are often tempted by convenience and quick-fix energy boosts, so may be drawn to unhealthy options despite your best efforts.