Mommies Magazine

Five Healthy Fast Food Dinner Ideas Your Teens Will Love

Posted on 19. May, 2009 by Mom Mag in Foodlicious

You’re undoubtedly aware of the amount of fast food meals your teens eat. And you may wish they would choose to eat at home where you at least know what goes into the foods they eat. If they insist on eating at these places, here are five healthy fast food dinner ideas your teens will love.

1. Ask your teens to choose smaller portions rather than the super sized meals. Sure, they may feel like they’re getting more for their money, but those portions are way more than any adult would need for a day, much less a teen. If they must get the super sized portions, suggest that they share their meal with someone so they’re not eating as much.

2. Make the suggestion that your teen choose water or unsweetened tea to drink with their fast food meals as opposed to soft drinks. The drinks alone can add well over 300 calories to their meal’s total caloric value. When you consider a super-sized meal can add up to over 1,400 calories, that 300 for the drink can make a huge difference over a short period of time.

3. Many fast food restaurants are aware of the poor nutritional value of their meals, so they are beginning to offer healthier meals such as grilled chicken or larger salads with meat. While they would still be better off eating at home where they are able to control what and how much they eat, choosing healthier meals is still an improvement on their overall health.

4. If they choose to stay at home, you may want to teach them how to cook fast meals that still taste great. Asian foods are often stir-fried. These types of meals are both quick and nutritious. Because the foods are cooked quickly they retain more of their nutritional value.

5. There’s not much food that’s quicker to eat than fresh fruits. They’re packed so full of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that they’re hard to beat as far as being healthy. And since you can eat many fruits without peeling them, you can’t ask for anything faster. You will want to wash the fruit as soon as you get it home from the store to wash away any leftover dirt or residual chemicals. Once the fruit is clean, you can place it in a bowl where it’s ready to snag on the way out the door.

Every parent wants their teen to be healthy and happy. By encouraging them to limit their trips through the drive-thru, you can help them to stay healthier for a long period of time. They can cook meals that are quick to fix and still be healthy. They can also eat more fruits which they know are healthy and can be eaten on the run. These five ideas for fast food dinners are sure to appeal to your teen, so give them a try!