All of us need to be sure we are following a healthy diet. Our overall health is impacted so very much from nutrition so the importance of this message cannot be stressed enough. One segment of the population that tends to overlook this fact is the teenage sector.

Teens are notorious for eating poorly. They love fast food, always eat on the run and seem to live on junk food. Getting a teen to eat healthy can seem virtually impossible, but with a little effort, it can be done.

Talk to your teen about what a bad diet does to you. At this age, appearance is very important. Point out how a healthy diet can help reduce acne, make hair shinier and help build muscles. Things like this stand out to teens and give them motivation as to why they should make changes. This also makes them see you are not just nagging them.

Have your teen go grocery shopping with you and teach them to read the labels. This works in three ways. You are spending time together, he or she feels important and respected as is getting a say in what’s on the menu and you are teaching an important life skill - all at the same time.

Read school lunch menus and help your teens make the healthiest choices or pack lunches including high protein items, plenty of fruits and veggies and healthy carbs. Teens are growing rapidly and need the right kinds of nutrients as building blocks. Diet is crucial at this age for proper development as well as helping them to reach their peak bone mass.

Teens often skip meals, particularly breakfast. This bad habit should be broken as soon as possible, as breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. If you get your kids off to a good start eating breakfast in the morning, they can perform optimally at school each day.

Growing boys ages 12-14 need approximately 2200 calories a day, while girls the same age need about 1800. 15-18 year olds need an extra 500 calories above these amounts.

Calcium intake is particularly important for both boys and girls, as bones and teeth are still developing.

Teens are probably never going to eat all healthy, all the time, but you can get them much closer to an optimum diet with a little work. Sitting down and eating dinner together as a family is a huge help and can serve double duty, creating special bonding time that can prove just as important as the proper diet it is helping to promote.

Tags: healthy diet for teens, teens and breakfast, teens and health