HEALTHY BREAKFAST MEALS FOR TEENAGERS

Fruity Meals

Fruit provides an assortment of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which strengthen your teen's immune system. Fresh fruit also provides water, which supports hydration, and fiber, which enhances digestive function and fullness between meals. The American Dietetic Association suggests adding canned or frozen fruit to yogurt parfaits. Sliced banana and berries can add nutrients and sweet flavor to hot and cold cereals. For a healthy on-the-go meal, try blending fresh or frozen fruit with yogurt and pure fruit juice or low-fat milk to create a tasty smoothie. Pure fruit juice can also add valuable amounts of nutrients to breakfast meals.

Veggie-Meals

The words vegetables and breakfast may not match up in your teen's mind. Vegetables can easily add nutrients, color and flavor to a variety of breakfast dishes, however. Try adding chopped vegetables to omelets and breakfast burritos. If you're in a hurry, MayoClinic.com recommends leftover veggie pizza, which provides a good balance of carbohydrates from the crust, protein from cheese and vegetables from tomato sauce and topping.

Hearty Whole Grains

Whole grains are valuable sources of fiber and nutrients, such as B vitamins and iron. Incorporating whole grains into breakfast meals can enhance your teen's energy levels, physical wellness and brain function, according to the American Dietetic Association. A variety of whole grain foods work well into tasty breakfast meals. Try replacing conventional pancakes with whole grain pancakes, either from scratch or with whole grain baking mix. Dip whole grain bread in low-fat milk and egg whites to create heart-healthy french toast. Additional whole grain breakfast options include whole grain cold cereals or oatmeal served with low-fat milk and fruit, quinoa and egg or tofu scramble, and breakfast burritos made with whole wheat or whole grain corn tortillas. If your teen is eating on-the-run, send along a whole grain cereal bar and fruit or peanut butter and jelly sandwich made with whole grain bread.

Egg Dishes

Eggs provide valuable amounts of protein, which enhances lean tissue growth and repair, fullness between meals and your teen's ability to concentrate and maintain healthy energy levels throughout the day. Since breakfast meals too often lack protein, according to the American Dietetic Association, incorporate eggs or other protein-rich foods into your teen's breakfast meals routinely. Examples of egg-containing breakfast meals include scrambled eggs, vegetable omelets and breakfast sandwiches made with whole grain English muffins, a scrambled or fried egg, low-fat cheese and sliced tomato.