Help Parents Support the Diet Quality of their Adolescents

01Emphasize food flavor instead of nutritional qualities. Many health campaigns urge people to eat more produce by filling half the plate with fruits and vegetables, yet only 10% eat enough. Encourage parents to lead with taste, not the healthiness of a meal by shifting the perception to the enjoyment of healthy foods. For example, fresh avocados can add a delicious, creamy bite to any meal and can fit into a variety of healthy eating patterns.

02Influence healthier eating by implementing environmental control strategies at home. Remind parents that they control the foods brought into the house. Encourage them to make their home a healthy one by stocking the kitchen with more nutritious options and limiting the supply of unhealthy items. For example, keep ready-to-eat produce such as apples, oranges, and avocados within view and move unhealthy snacks out of sight. This eliminates the need for parents to play the food police. By incorporating certain foods into the meal or diet, adolescents may improve their diet quality naturally.

In an observational study among 534 adolescents, researchers found avocado consumption was associated with better diet quality and higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, dietary fiber, and several vitamins and minerals but not with body weight (1). The Avocado Nutrition Center supported the study. Although the findings cannot be considered causal and more research is needed to generalize the results to larger, more diverse populations, the study suggests avocados support diet quality.

03Encourage low sugar beverage selections. When choosing healthy drinks, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest a daily limit on added sugar of no more than 10% of calories. Many adolescents don’t know how much sugar is in their favorite drinks. That’s about the amount in 16 ounces of regular soda. Show them how to add flavor to still or sparkling water by adding berries or a slice of lemon. Also, skip flavored syrups and whipped cream at the coffee shop.

References: 1. Segovia-Siapco, G, et al. “Associations between Avocado Consumption and Diet Quality, Dietary Intake, Measures of Obesity and Body Composition in Adolescents: The Teen Food and Development Study” Nutrients. 2021.