HEAT: Healthy Eating & Activity Together

Teen Tips

Healthy

Review your growth charts and blood pressure with your health care provider.
Key points in your teen years:
- It is a time of rapid physical growth and increased appetite.
- Hang out with friends who make healthy life choices.
- Give your growing body the sleep it needs.

Eating

Select healthy foods for meals and snacks:
- Eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables and 3 or more servings of whole grain foods per day.
- Eat only healthy, low-fat snack foods.
- Drink low-fat or non-fat milk.
- Use soft margarine rather than lard, butter or stick margarine.
- Portion control is very important.
- Drink 100% fruit juice (limit to 4-6 oz. per day), but not fruit drinks.
- Avoid high-calorie, non-nutrient foods (e.g. donuts, French fries, chips, cakes and candy).
- Avoid fried foods, fruit drinks and sodas. Drink water instead.
Limit fast food meals to no more than twice per week.
Avoid restrictive and fad diets.
Eat healthy traditional foods enjoyed in your culture (e.g., beans, corn, tortillas, fruits, and vegetables).
Always start the day with a healthy breakfast.
Eat slowly and don't have a "clean plate" policy for meals.

Activity

Plan for at least 60 minutes daily of intermittent, moderate to vigorous physical activity, such as dancing, running or hiking.
Limit TV, video and computer time to less than 2 hours a day.
No TV during meals.
No TV in your bedroom.

Together

Spend time with family during meals and in physical activities.
Be responsible for whether and how much you eat.
Don't let advertisements rule your food selection.
Share in selecting and preparing healthful foods and drinks.
Don't use food for comfort. Instead recognize emotional triggers for eating and subsitute with healthier ways of coping.
Be responsible for adapting food intake to match your level of activity.
Ask for healthy food choices and beverages to be sold or served in school.
Be a role model of healthy eating and activity for peers and others.

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