As the summer winds down, it’s time to think about school supplies, doctor’s appointments and any arrangements to be made for the new school year. If you are the parent of a high school junior or senior, you also need to start thinking about how to prepare your child for life on his or her own, whether that be at college, in the military or in the workforce.
How young people fuel their bodies plays a big role in their physical development and performance. If your teenager is considering entering the military, attending a military academy or trying to earn a college sports scholarship, eating high-energy foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy will help him train for peak performance. Staying properly hydrated with water, skim milk or smoothies made with fresh fruit is also important for active young people. The Human Performance Resource Center has a table of guidelines for what teenagers should eat and drink before, during and after sports practice or workouts. The center also has a grains table that shows the nutritional value of various grains, as well as gluten-free options.
To help prepare your teen to leave the nest, it can be useful to provide them with increasing autonomy in the kitchen. Invite them to help you put together a weekly meal plan and go shopping for the ingredients. Educating yourself and your teen about how to read nutrition labels can help ensure that you purchase the healthiest products. Encouraging your teen to invite some friends over for a cook-off will help them put their culinary skills to the test in a fun social environment. Not only will they fuel themselves for performance in their daily academic and athletic lives, but they will also gain important life skills.
At the same time, you can lead by example by limiting how much you eat in one sitting. Serving food on small plates and limiting your intake of products that are high in unhealthy fats, sodium or sugar will set a healthy example for your young adult. Similarly, drinking alcohol in moderation and avoiding tobacco will serve as a good precedent for them to follow.
Finally, although your teenager’s schedule already may be jam-packed, inviting him or her to join you for an evening stroll or easy bike ride can be physically and mentally restorative after a day of school, work or sports. Spending time engaged in this sort of light physical activity together is conducive to good sleep and shows them that you value your body. It also provides an opportunity for teenagers to open up to you about their lives in a pressure-free environment.
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