Healthy Ideas for Middle and High School Students
May 2020
River Road ISD
FAST
TAKES
Celebrate strawberries May is National Strawberry Month! Packed with vitamin C, strawberries are in season and are fun to eat in different ways. Your teen can add them to salads or use them in place of tomatoes for a sweet and savory salsa. Try a dessert pizza, too: Dust toasted flatbread with cinnamon, and top with a thin layer of low-fat cream cheese and strawberry slices.
Hit the trails Whether you live near the mountains or in the city, your family can go for a hike. Encourage your child to look up trails in the mountains or a nearby park. Or he could let city sidewalks be the “trails,” climbing stairs for elevation, and planning routes so he explores different streets and neighborhoods. Protein bars may be convenient and sound nutriKnow tious, but they can have as much fat and added sugar as candy bars. Search for whole-grain bars with no saturated or trans fats. They should also be high in fiber and protein (3 grams or more of each) and low in sugar (no more than 10 grams). Did You
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Just for fun Q: Waiter, will my pizza be long? A: No. It will be round!
Add healthy food to summer outings Summer fun is calling, but that doesn’t mean your teen has to leave healthy eating at home. Share these ideas for making good choices when he’s out and about.
Amusement park Your child will work up an appetite walking and running from ride to ride and game to game at a theme park. Encourage him to take a refillable water bottle along—and skip the soda. At mealtime, maybe he’ll order a veggie kebab or turkey burger instead of fried foods like chicken tenders or a corn dog. Pool or beach Suggest that your teenager spend pool or beach days with a cooler in tow. He and his friends could take along Greek yogurt cups, blueberries, and baby carrots for snacking. For lunch, they might make turkey roll-ups by wrapping lowfat string cheese or pickle spears in slices of lean deli turkey.
On vacation Staying with relatives? Your child could offer to cook his favorite healthy dinner for everyone. Maybe he’ll put together foil packets with shrimp and zucchini, then grill them alongside corn on the cob. Staying in a hotel with a refrigerator? Stop by the nearest supermarket for breakfast staples like low-fat milk, whole-grain cereal, and fresh fruit. You’ll save money and start each day with a nutritious meal.
Outdoor safety for active teens Long summer days mean more time to play outside. Help your tween or teen stay safe and healthy with these tips. ●●Take a friend. No matter how great a swimmer
your child might be, she should swim with others and in places with a lifeguard on duty. ●●Avoid the hottest part of the day. Encour-
age your teen to do vigorous activities, such as playing tennis or basketball, in the morning or evening when it’s cooler. ●●Wear sunscreen. Your child should protect her skin from the sun to decrease
her chance of skin cancer. Have her apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside and reapply it every 2 hours. If she’s swimming, she should reapply each time she gets out of the water. © 2020 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Teen Food & Fitness™
May 2020 • Page 2
“I can cook!”
vegetables are tender and the meats are cooked through. Steam. Heat 1 cup fresh or frozen veg-
Your teen is more apt to eat a healthy meal that she helps prepare. Show her how to cook with these basic techniques.
etables in a covered microwave-safe bowl along with 1–2 tbsp. of water. Cook 4–6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Test for doneness by piercing with a fork.
Saute. For this quick-cooking method, chop or slice vegetables, and cut meats into cubes or strips. Heat a little olive oil in a skillet, add ingredients, and stir regularly with a wooden spoon until the
ACTIVITY CORNER
Poach. Here, the cooking heat comes
from the liquid. For example, put chicken pieces in a pot of water or chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat to a low simmer, and cook until the color of the chicken changes from pink to white. Tip: This is a great way to make juicy, low-fat chicken to use in chicken salad or burritos.
Bike party
Nothing says “summer” like riding bikes with friends. Gather your fellow cyclists, set a date and time, and have a party on wheels! Pick a theme. Maybe your teen will choose an ’80s theme and wear bright, colorful clothes and glow-stick necklaces. Or he could channel his inner superhero and hit the road with his friends in costume. Stay safe: Make sure costumes won’t get caught in the bicycle tires, spokes, or gears during the ride. Choose a route. Wherever the group is riding, be sure the route is safe. Follow the rules of the road. They should look for trails in parks.
NT Skipping meals? PARTE O My middle schooler, Jessica, PARENT mentioned that her friends sometimes skip lunch as a way of dieting. Although she said it in passing, I was afraid she might be thinking about trying the same thing. I pointed out that food gives her energy and the nutrients she needs to grow. I also shared my own experience—when I tried dieting in the past by skipping meals, I ended up eating more, not less, by the end of the day. Now I give my daughter gentle reminders. In the mornings, I mention interesting choices on the school lunch menu like sriracha honey chicken or baked green bean “fries.” And after school, I tell her what I ate for lunch and ask her what she had. Having these conversations is a nice way to connect when we get home, and I’m hoping it’ll make her less likely to skip lunch.
In the
K tchen Pasta salad: Lightened up Calculate the miles. After your child
maps out the bike party path, have him calculate the distance. He might even set a goal for a certain number of miles he wants to ride this summer. O U R
P U R P O S E
To provide busy parents with practical ways to promote healthy nutrition and physical activity for their children. Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated 128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630 800-394-5052 • rfecustomer@wolterskluwer.com www.rfeonline.com Teen Food & Fitness™ is reviewed by a registered dietitian. Consult a physician before beginning any major change in diet or exercise.
ISSN 1935-8865 © 2020 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
Traditional pasta salads are often prepared with creamy dressings, making them high in fat. For more nutritious options, your teen can mix up lighter versions of colorful summer favorites.
1 whole-wheat rotini with – 4 cup light or fat-free Italian salad dressing, 1 cup halved grape tomatoes, –12 cup chopped mushrooms, and –14 cup each finely chopped basil and red onion.
Very veggie Drizzle 4 cups macaroni (cooked, drained) with 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a bowl. Stir in 1 cup chopped broccoli florets, 1 diced carrot, 1 diced red 1 bell pepper, and – 4 cup Parmesan cheese.
Southwest spice 1 In a bowl, whisk – 4 cup olive oil, juice from 1 lime, 1 tsp. chili powder, and 1 tbsp. honey. Add 1 lb. cooked whole-grain – 2 penne pasta, 2 cups black beans (drained, rinsed), and –12 cup corn. Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro.
Zesty Italian Toss 4 cups cooked