Healthy Hollywood: Fab Food Friday – Healthy Eats For Teens Like Selena Gomez!

Selena Gomez knows better than anyone the importance of eating healthy.

The teen sensation’s bad eating habits landed her in the hospital this past June for malnutrition. “I do eat, the problem is I don’t eat right. I love everything that’s possibly not good for me,” Selena has said.

Unfortunately it took a trip to the hospital to wake her up and realize junk food doesn’t do a body good. Selena admits eating veggies used to mean they were covered in cheese or creamed before she would eat them. So, not right!

Selena’s not alone – United States teens are eating poorly and getting fat! 17 percent of children and teens aged 2 – 19 are obese.

Teens (and parents) read on – there’s no need to feed yourself junk. Get educated and your body will thank you tomorrow.

Emmy-award winning TV doc, Dr. Mehmet Oz, founded HealthCorps, an organization dedicated to fighting child obesity. HealthCorps recently launched, teenDailyStrength, an online community for 13 to 19 year olds looking for health-related information. “Most of today’s online health content focuses on adult rather than teen issues. Teens need a dedicated place of their own,” states Dr. Oz.

“Teens need to know how to eat in a nutritious way. As they’re still growing, it is critical they receive the nutrients they need to build bodies that will last a long time and function at their best,” reveals the experts at HealthCorps.

Parents also need to jump on a healthier program. “Many parents aren’t preparing or eating in healthy ways themselves, so teens don’t tend to worry about the consequences of lack of exercise or the over reliance on meals from a dollar menu,” states the HealthCorps experts.

Here’s some food for thought from Healthy Hollywood’s friends at HealthCorps.

7 tips for parents & teens:
1. Cook with teens using whole foods and healthier ingredients – the activity alone is a healthy one.
2. Use salad as a main dish, choosing dark green lettuce.
3. Don’t eat alone! Make meals special by eating with family or friends and savoring food.
4. Fight fatigue by eating regularly. Snack smart throughout the day. Think trail mix, dried fruit, and low-calorie granola bars.
5. Don’t eat fast – it takes at least 20 minutes to start feeling full.
6. Avoid overload at buffets – surround any rich favorite dishes with a mix of green, red, and orange veggies.
7. Keep moving – walk, clean your car and home, take the stairs, bike to the supermarket.

Healthy food choices for teens:
-Hummus and guacamole with veggies or whole wheat chips.
-Think fiber, especially in the morning – oatmeal.
-Healthy carbohydrates – vegetables, beans, 100 percent whole grain breads, whole wheat chips.
-Healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids can be found in salmon and other freshwater fish –try to eat three serving a week.
-Lean protein – chicken, turkey, fish.
-Seasonal fruits for dessert.

For more information on teens and healthy eating, be sure to check out www.healthcorps.org.

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