Teen Dieting & Weight Loss Tips

 Free Diet Plans & Menus   Site Map   10 Free Diet Plans   Calories   Diet Recipe Box   Diet Motivation 

Teen Dieting Tips - Meal Planning

THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY

The most important meal of the day is breakfast! When you wake up, you are actually, 'breaking your overnight fast'. The moment that you put that first tasty breakfast morsel into your mouth, the moment your metabolism kicks in and starts burning calories for the day.

Amazingly enough, some cereals contain more salt that a serving of potato chips and more sugar than a soda.  So choose your first meal of the day wisely.

Our suggestions include:

- a bagel with a Tablespoon of REAL cream cheese & a piece of fruit and a glass of skim milk

- a serving of oatmeal or cream of wheat with a piece of fruit and skim milk in the cereal

- 1/2 a cantaloupe or 1/2 a grapefruit plus 1 slice of toast with a bit of butter plus skim milk

- 2 pancakes served with honey - plus a cup of strawberries - plus a cup of skim milk

THE LEAST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY

That would be dinner. This should be your lightest meal of the day because it's very hard to burn off late evening calories.

In addition, try to eat as early in the evening as possible. If you must have a snack before bedtime, try to keep it at 100 calories. A piece of fruit or a teaspoon of peanut butter will usually scare off the hungries.

Our dinner suggestions include:

- a salad with grilled meat and light dressing plus a cup of skim milk or low fat milk

- a roasted chicken leg or breast plus 1 cup of vegetables plus a slice of bread plus skim milk OR low fat milk plus 1 cup of fresh fruit

- a bowl of soup plus a slice of bread or a few crackers plus a cup of skim or low fat milk plus a cup of fresh fruit

WHEN PARENTS RULE WHAT YOU EAT

You're trying to lose weight but your parents are making it almost impossible because of the types of foods they are serving. Pizza, hamburgers that need helpers, and rice that contains a lot of roni are cheap meals - and they sure are tasty meals, BUT they sure pack the weight on as well!

So what's a teen to do?

Talk with your parents and let them know that you're really working hard to get a healthier body and that you need their help. Most of the time, your parents will do everything that they can to help you achieve your goals - including your weight loss goals.

There are times when money is tight, and frankly, casseroles are cheaper as is fried chicken, hamburger and so forth. If this is the case, ask your parents if they can find healthier ways to prepare the meals. There are also healthier versions available on the market, generally lower in fat content.  So check those out.

Also, a good way to cut down the calories is to eat meats grilled, to omit fat in beans, to limit the use of butter or margarine, and to enjoy your hamburger without Mayo, using mustard instead.

Another way to help show your parents your dedication to your healthier diet is to volunteer to prepare a meal. There are some very tasty, simple and healthy recipes at Diet Teen - so wow them well!