10 Eating Habits You didnt know about today's Indian Teenager!

You would agree, our children growing up in today’s world have their own set of rules when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. You would especially find “teenagers” who have built their own rulebook to govern their eating habits as well. This is the "growing phase" when a teenager requires maximum nutrition due to the multiples of physical changes that continue to occur in their mind and body. But sadly social influences, peer pressures and the jet age stage we have set up for ourselves often leads them to make the typical eating habit mistakes-Eating outside, skipping breakfast, eating junk food, having inconsistent meal times and the list goes on…

While you will find some on one extreme running after the “size zero “ -ending up with bulimia,  anorexia;  you will also find the other set binging on the fast food today- ending up with obesity and its side effects.

In the midst of the confused minds, it was pleasant to find some sort of equilibrium when I came across this young lady to be-Ms.  Riya Jain, a STD IX CBSE Student. Read below to understand there is still HOPE;-):  

Aarti: Hi Riya, What according to you is Healthy Living?

Riya:  Hi! According to me, if you have a balanced diet i.e., if you include the necessary nutrients in your meal and mostly avoid eating outside and exercise regularly, you have a healthy lifestyle. Also if you don't have any bad habits( most of us know them) then you lead a healthy life!

(Hmmm…not a bad start! She recognizes the basics of a healthy lifestyle)

Aarti : What is healthy food to you?

Riya: I have learnt in my earlier school studies that a healthy diet or a balanced diet consists of nutrients(carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fibers, vitamins and minerals). But according to me, it is the food which whenever I eat, my mom would always be happy with me (chuckles)!

(A mother loving person indeedJ)

Aarti:  How many times do you eat in a day?

Riya: I have 5 meals a day.

(Good. One should have small meals in typical intervals of 2-3 hours. So leaving aside the hours of sleep, one should typically have 6-7 small meals in a day to maintain a good metabolism rate and avoid putting those extra kgs)

Aarti:  What is your favorite food?

Riya: Being a kid of this generation, I like(all kinds of) junk food. But the food made by my grandma is always the best.                                       

(She accepts! Junk food has influenced one and all today!Since it is highly unlikely to avoid in today’s life, one should have a healthy mix of junk or fast food with homemade nutritious food which typically or grandparents still continue to follow)

Aarti:  What food do you eat on a holiday or special day?

Riya: Whenever mom makes something I like, the day becomes special. On a holiday, I would prefer something which is usually not made at home. Also I sometimes try surprising my parents on holidays by cooking on my own. Something unusual and tasty.

(I repeat..A mother loving person indeedJ)

Aarti:  What do you do with the left-over food at home?

Riya: Usually we finish the leftovers the next day by making parathas out of it or in some other way possible but avoid throwing it out in garbage.

(With the prevalent scarcity of food in different parts of the globe, we need to understand that we need to LOVE FOOD…and that is what I firmly believe as well … as you may have noticed in my blogs I tend to re-iterate…and save food, make better use of left- over food. The easy and most rampant way is to throw it away! We do not want to face a time where we have to worry about the FOOD rate going higher than the dollar rate, do we?!!!)

Aarti:  How important is being fit to you?

Riya: Being fit is quite important for me. Being fit does not mean looking very slim or thin but being physically strong and mentally as well.

(Rightly said!)

Aarti:  Do you like to eat snacks or full meals?

Riya: It depends on the time of day. Like in the afternoons I would prefer full meals but in the morning or in the evening I like to have snacks.

Aarti:  What time of the day is your last meal?

Riya: I have my dinner by 8 pm. But before sleeping I have chocolate milk.

(We should have early dinner, typically 2 hours before we assume our night sleep as it helps digestion and also reduces the risk of stroke by about two-thirds is what I have heard)

Aarti:  Do you eat because you are supposed to eat to live or do you eat because you love to eat?

Riya: I am a foodie and that's for sure. But these days I am preparing myself for the hostel meals so i have to eat whatever is made at my home be it the capsicum or the bitter gourd.

(OK so now she confirms, she is the normal typical teenager…she hates some food type atleast…hahaha)

But talking to her has reinstilled the hope that the Indian teenager type, though represents itself to be rebel to some extent has the basics of a healthy life absolutely clear in their heads.

A healthy eating habit lifestyle leads to a healthy, happy and longer life!

Love FOOD!