By Elizabeth Beaumont
TIC Food Technology
Mealtimes are one of our most regular and enjoyable social activities. For adolescents it is often a time when they are with their friends and family, and provides an opportunity to relax, share experiences and discuss concerns. A kitchen is a comfortable and familiar environment to talk, a place to discuss the day and share with family.
Adolescents can be reluctant to be responsible for preparation of meals but will develop valuable skills and a sense of achievement from being involved in preparing food for their family. Skills gained in food preparation can lead to better long term health outcomes in adulthood, as an adolescent develops confidence to select and prepare foods themselves..
Food preparation gets easier the more you practice, encouraging participation in food preparation shares the responsibility.
Some tips for cooking with adolescents are to select simple/familiar recipes to start, provide plenty of praise and encouragement, be prepared to be the chef’s assistant and always thank the cook! For adolescents knowing the foods to eat for nutrition as well as when to eat is really important
- Take time to eat a proper meal at breakfast, lunch and dinner, based on a protein food, a whole grain carbohydrate and vegetables
- Have regular times to eat, especially if you need fuel for sport or assessments
- Plan for your hunger by having nutritious snacks available when you need them
- Consciously eat foods that provide nutrition, avoid filling up on energy dense but nutrient poor foods like chips, sweet processed foods and takeaways
- Great foods to assist your memory are eggs, tinned oily fish, nuts, yogurt, fruit, water, whole grain breads and cereals