Yuck, fast food!

Mrs Botta, teenagers love fast food. Is it possible to break them of this habit?

The question is: do they really like junk food or do they just go to the takeaway because their mates do? In my experience, many young people want to eat healthily but don't want to spend the money - because they'd rather save up for a new pair of jeans or a game. Because a salad costs more than a burger, even at the fast food market leader.

«What also works is the knowledge track.»

If it's the money, there is one option that works well for my children: I give them lunch money so that they eat healthy meals - in return for a receipt. That way I can see what they have eaten. If it's more down to the peer group, then you should try to have a conversation with the kids. What does it mean to you to go to a fast food restaurant at lunchtime? Why do you like it? Is there anything we can do at home to upgrade our food?

Especially during puberty, it's pointless to get into a fight over healthy food. You can't beat your colleagues. It's better to get the children on board and involve them. Another thing that works is the knowledge approach. Explaining to them what hamburgers, hot dogs and doughnuts do to their bodies - even if it's «just» pimples, rolls of fat or cellulite. Believe me, no teenager wants to be fat or have cellulite.

Many children are hungry after school. How do I prevent them from reaching for crisps and the like?

Older children like it when you give them responsibility and show them connections, for example by saying: «Why don't you try this and see how you feel?» Or if you explain to them that their blood sugar levels immediately drop again after a chocolate bar and they feel hungry. When children are home alone, they like to eat in front of the TV or on their mobile phones. However, this prevents them from feeling full. The best thing to do is to put a prepared snack or afternoon snack out or in the fridge. This can also be labelled with the child's name.

«Big siblings have a role model function.»

They suggest that each family member is allowed to deselect three to five foods that they do not have to try or eat.

Write a list for yourself too. You also have the right not to try anything. This makes for funny situations when your children try to persuade you to try something. However, this list system only works until children reach puberty. The sense of taste is trained in the first ten to twelve years of life, after which everything that upsets the parents is exciting - in other words, bitchy eating behaviour. This usually normalises later on.

It becomes problematic if the teenager has younger siblings. Their behaviour at the table rubs off on the younger ones: If the older brother makes a fuss about vegetables, his siblings will do the same. We have the following rule: if the older child doesn't like something or doesn't want to eat it, this should be done discreetly, as he or she has a role model function. That works well.

What if children snack on the sly?

Sack money gives children the opportunity to avoid unloved food by buying something to snack on at the kiosk and then hiding it in their room. You should then insist that food is only eaten at the table. Older children can, for example, keep food that they like to eat and that you have negotiated with them in a box in the kitchen. This ensures that they don't eat anything at random. Or you can take a proactive approach: If the children are really keen on something, you can buy it together and eat it together. Even if it's three packs of Fasnachtschüechli.

Should sweets be banned?

Various studies show that children find foods that are forbidden or withheld from them particularly interesting. Children who have been forbidden sweets are more likely to reach for sweets later, more often and most often. It is better to negotiate something. For example: one sweet a day is fine, and fast food once a month is fine too.

What if someone at the table says: «Wäh! I don't like it!»?

Then you still scoop everything you've cooked onto the child's plate and don't get involved in a power struggle. You can explain to older children why such a statement is hurtful.

Many parents only cook what their children are sure to like. Is that wrong?

To prevent children from becoming fussy eaters, they need to eat as variedly as possible right from the start. And train their taste buds. A child has to try a new food 10 to 15 times until it has become accustomed to the new flavour. The rule works better: whoever cooks decides what goes on the table. If parents bring a new dish to the table with enthusiasm, it is more likely to be accepted. Children can also decide how much of what they want to eat.

Fat and salt are less of a problem for adolescents.

Another topic: staying seated at the table until everyone has finished.

A child can really get bored in a restaurant. It helps to take a box of exciting things with you that the child can explore and that will really keep them occupied. However, this box is only ever available when visiting a restaurant. At home, it's a question of definition, there is no one rule that applies. Adults should decide for themselves what they want and set a rule. It is certainly better to ask if you can get up instead of simply leaving the table.

Salt, fat or sugar: which is actually worse?

Fat and salt are less of a problem for young people because they generally do enough sport, sweat and lose salt in the process. In addition, we generally eat much less salt today than we used to. Fat is also less of a problem, as we consume less trans fatty acids and olive oil and rapeseed oil have replaced unhealthier oils such as sunflower oil. Sugar, however, is a problem, especially in combination with white flour or rapidly digestible carbohydrates - particularly for children with little exercise.

My daughter is suddenly eating vegan. Should I be worried?

Questions such as «Who am I and how do I come across to others?» are central to teenagers. This also includes trying out new food trends. I recommend not making a big deal out of it. The important thing to remember is that a lack of meat and dairy products means a lack of protein and iron - the latter is a particular issue for girls. A study of 16-year-old girls has shown that iron deficiency leads to a 1 to 1.5 grade drop. Deficiencies can therefore have a negative impact. This should be addressed and, if necessary, supplemented with vitamin B12 supplements.

These foods make you beautiful, smart and in a good mood:

• For better concentration: walnuts, cashew nuts, almonds, avocado, pulses - and drink plenty of water!
• For a better mood: vanilla, saffron, chilli, ginger, salmon, herring, dates, figs, berries
• For beautiful skin and hair: spelt, rye, carrots, wheat germ, lentils or meat, buttermilk, kiwi, horseradish