When It Comes to Teen Nutrition, We're All on the Same Team: How Coaches Can Help Kids Eat Healthy & Nutritious Food! by Nicole DeAvilla

I remember when my son came back from rugby camp at Cal Berkeley, home of national college rugby champs, excited to tell me what he learned. He had enough self-awareness to say, "You might have already told me this, Mom..." He went on to say that as a high school athlete he should be eating lots of salads and other vegetables, lean protein and whole grains. 

If you are having trouble getting your sports-minded teen to eat nutritious food, enlist the help of coaches and professional athletes. Let teens know that good nutrition is not just a "mom thing!" 

• Find one of the growing nutrition classes or sports programs for teens.
• Google athletes from their favorite sports and find one that has a great diet that they can emulate. 

Teens like to make their own choices, so empower them to make good ones.