Said It Here

How to get a picky teenager to eat healthy food

Teens who only eat junk food and microwaved meals resist switching to a balanced diet, leaving parents facing daily arguments and nutritional gaps. Because forcing the issue usually fails, parents end up lost trying to find a realistic way to introduce healthier meals without a fight.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    Trying to introduce yogurt mixed with candies or cookies like M&Ms and Oreos to gradually transition them to plain yogurt.
  2. 2
    Trying to give them multivitamins or supplements

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/Parenting2 people · September 2026

“trying to get a teenager to willingly eat a balanced diet is basically impossible, so relying on whatever fast-paced meals happen during the week definitely leaves some gaps.”source ↗

“What do you actually do to keep your teens healthy, and how on earth did you get them to take it without a daily argument?”source ↗

ZiyonGergis · r/Parenting · 6 upvotes

“How would you suggest to start to get your 13 year old kid to eat healthier? Right now all he eats is microwaved foods and junk food and is extremely picky.”source ↗

“I am kind of lost. Any advice will be brilliant”source ↗

Express_Espresso1 · r/Parenting · 1 upvotes

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised