Driver's Seat (ages 12-18)

Pre-teens and teenagers ages 12 – 18 Whether you are a ‘mom-on-a mission’, an amazing dad or a loving grandparent it is important to feed your pre-teen a nutritious diet. Good nutrition is the best route to fuel a young person’s growth and development. A healthy introduction to food is imperative in the adolescent years. At this age, good nutrition is vitally important for growth and brain development. Adapting to healthy eating in the pre-teen and teenage years establishes a positive relationship with food for life! My Nutrition Placemat is like having a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist (RDN) guiding both the pre-teen/teenager and the parent at every meal! Early in life we crave what we are introduced to. We are not born with an affinity for sugar, fat, and salt. Healthy and unhealthy eating habits are learned by watching how loved ones eat, being influenced by television, social media, and friends. Pre-teens/teenagers’ nutrition needs manifest as a surge in appetite around the age of ten (girls) and twelve (boys). When this happens, it is typically indicative of the oncoming puberty growth spurt. Eating the right amount and the right type of calories is imperative to setting up a lifetime of good food choices. Overweight pre-teens and teenagers tend to become obese adults. 1 in 3 Americans have prediabetes and 90% don’t know it.   Establish a family motto of ‘Practice Progress Not Perfection’ and ‘Moderation Not Deprivation.’ Both are great seeds to plant for a lifetime of benefit.