Two Major Meals for Teens

Breakfast Is Important

It is most important that you eat breakfast every day. When you just wake up, it's usually been 10 or 12 hours since your last meal. With your brain and muscles running on reserve fuel, you need more energy to perform at your best.

A traditional sit-down, hot breakfast isn't necessary. There are lots of fast, easy foods that can give teen-agers a healthy start to their day. Here are a few suggestions:

• Whole-grain cereal with fruit and reduced-fat milk
• Whole-wheat toast, eggs, and juice or reduced-fat milk
• Fried egg and reduced-fat cheese on whole-wheat toast
• Oatmeal with raisins and reduced-fat milk
• Waffles, turkey bacon, and juice
• Low-fat yogurt with fruit and granola
• Bagel with low-fat cream cheese or peanut butter
• Fruit smoothie: fruit and milk or yogurt mixed together in a blender
• Bagel, string cheese and an apple
• Whole-wheat toast, hard-boiled egg, and fruit
• Turkey sandwich and reduced-fat milk
• Leftover pizza and juice
• Breakfast burrito: scrambled eggs, cheese, and veggies wrapped in a flour tortilla
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich and reduced-fat milk
• Grilled cheese sandwich and juice

Lunch Is Important, Too

Working all morning at school burns up a lot of energy, and you need a healthy lunch to refuel so that you make the most of your afternoon. Eat a healthy lunch every day, either one provided by the school, or one brought from home. When packing a lunch or choosing lunch items from the cafeteria, be sure to include a variety of foods from each of the five major food groups. Since most teens consume one-third of their daily calories at their midday meal, a nutritious lunch might typically include:

• One serving of fruit
• One serving of a vegetable
• Two servings of grains (bread, cereals, rice, pasta)
• One serving from the meat group
• One serving from the dairy group