Don’t stress yourself out
Food choices shouldn’t become a family argument. Accept that your teens have developed their own sense of taste, take a deep breath, and pick your battles wisely. Asking your tween to ‘just try it’ is a good starting point, and if they then decide they still don’t want to eat what you’ve dished up, respect their decision. But don’t cave in by allowing them to eat hotdogs for dinner instead.
Load up on fruit
Make sure it’s always available. It’s a simple, nutritious, cost-effective snack. And don’t just stick with apples and bananas – look at what’s in season and mix it up. Think juicy pears, paw-paw, watermelon, mango and oranges. Got some time on your hands? Make a fruit salad together.
Blend, blend, blend!
If you have a blender, use it. Who doesn’t love a delicious smoothie? It’s a quick and easy way to get them to eat fruit and veg. Carrots, spinach, and beetroot all make for super colourful smoothies. For extra nutrition add Danone’s Yo-Jelly now made with 11 added vitamins, the taste is easily disguised by fruit and yoghurt. Pour into a cool straw cup and watch them down it.
Freeze it
Homemade frozen lollies make for a healthy treat on a hot day. Here’s an ice lolly hack for busy parents – open a pack of Danone Yo-Jelly, put a stick in each one, leave in the freezer to set, and there’s your ready-made lolly.
Don’t ban the ‘bad stuff’
This will only make your tween want it more. We want to teach our children that everything is okay in moderation. A treat is just that, a treat.
