In a study published by the American Dietetic Association, parents are the biggest factor in what kids eat and in the food choices that they ultimately make. For young children, this doesn't come as a surprise because they have few opportunities to eat food not provided by their parents, but what makes the study noteworthy is that it applies to teens and concludes that having "healthy household eating rules" is the biggest factor in influencing a child's diet.

When parents emphasized getting a certain amount of fat (i.e. always served lean ground beef instead of regular) or made the number of servings of fruits and veggies important, the kids were more likely to make the same choices when eating without their parents.

What are good "healthy household eating rules" to have? The researchers who performed the study suggested having only healthy/healthier snacks at home, always having a vegetable with dinner and a fruit with breakfast, and setting limits on sweets and sodas. Kids might not strictly follow the "rules" when they're not at home, but their long-term choices will be shaped by them.

Even if they don't have a particularly large sweet tooth, most teens aren't going to turn down dessert. That's why Teens Cook Dessert might be a more effective way to get your teen interested in actually using the kitchen, not just eating in it. The book was written by two Arizona State University students and is meant to present recipes to high school and college aged budding chefs in an accessible way. For example, the recipes for chocolate chip cookies and apple pie may take a few shortcuts, but they're not the most cutting-edge recipes on the block. In this case, it doesn't matter. A teen who has an interest is more likely to be receptive to a book targeted at him (or her) than he might be towards a Martha Stewart or Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

Overall, the book reminds me a bit of a well-done food blog. It has great pictures dotted throughout and has an informal, friendly tone. There are tips about making the recipes, and about cooking in general, that seem like a "real" person is sharing them - not a potentially intimidating professional chef.

This might make a really good graduation/end-of-the-school-year gift because it'll give kids something fun to do over the summer holiday. Not to mention that there will probably be leftovers to taste...

A teenage Taco Bell employee in Virginia has received a sentence of six months in jail for spitting in a loyal customer's Mountain Dew, according to the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. After the customer raised a stink about the lack of iced tea, Shaleesheya G. Ford, 18, decided to lace his second choice with something of her own. According to the victim, Ford giggled and told him to have a nice day as she handed him his drink. The victim discovered the "loogie" shortly after leaving the restaurant. "Once I touched it, I knew exactly what it was," he told the FFLS. The spit in question was turned over to police. Charges stemming from the incident include assault and battery, obstruction of justice and filing a false police report. It's unclear from the FFLS story how the charges are related to spitting in a drink.

A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association indicated that teens who are involved in athletic programs have healthier eating habits than those who are not involved in sport. The findings indicated that both the athletic boys and girls were more likely to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, not skipping meals and making healthier choices than their peers, though many of the girls still did not meet their nutritional requirements for calcium and iron.

The study was conducted by the Eating Disorders institute in Minnesota and, surprisingly, concluded that students in weight-based sports, such as wresting and gymnastics, had even better eating habits than other athletes. Researchers dismissed concerns that these pressures often lead to eating disorders, saying "it may be that youth involved in sports at a less elite level of athletics, such as the junior high and high school levels, are able to maintain better nutrient profiles than athletes involved at an elite level."

 

 Blogging Baby heard about a teen with an unusual - and disturbing - food related talent. Apparently, an Indian teenager named Praveen Kumar Sehrawat can suck milk in through his nose and shoot it out through his tear ducts. He can shoot it over 12 feet away, though it's hard to say how accurate he is with his aim at that point. This "talent" has earned him a place in India's version of the Guinness Book of World Records. He also holds the national record for eating green chilies, having consumed 170 in just over 5 minutes. The world record for chili eating, however, is held by Filipino Eriberto N. Gonzales Jr., who ate 350 chilies in 3 minutes.