17 Tips for Helping Teens Survive Your Ingredient-Based Household

While cooking dinner the other night, my handsome 15-year-old son opened the fridge for the millionth time that day, foraging for something convenient to eat.

I told him, “Son, there’s not going to be anything new in there since the last time you checked.” 

He declared, in a serious tone, “I’m tired of living in an ingredient-based household!” 

“Well, I’m sorry there’s only real food in this house,” I answered with my best mom smirk and kept cooking.

Later that night, I thought about when I was his age. I wouldn’t have had any idea what to do with a bunch of plant based “ingredients,” even if they were in the fridge (which they definitely were not).  

I wouldn’t have looked at tofu, soy sauce, and nutritional yeast and known I could make yummy tofu crumbles like a damn wizard.

I wouldn’t have known to nuke a potato, pour the clearly labeled “cheesy sauce” on top, and add green onions.

I wouldn’t have bothered looking for home-cooked leftovers to reheat.

I would have opened the fridge and reached for something that was ready to put in my mouth within seconds, like cheese, bologna, soda, or whatever processed items I could find.

So, it got me thinking of things I can do (or do more often) to help my teenager become more self-sufficient when it comes to eating. Here’s what I came up with: 

1. I can make this baked tofu or this one from Clean Food Dirty Girl and have it in a clear, labeled container. A block of tofu is indeed an ingredient, but baked tofu is an awesome easy snack (or start to a meal) anyone can grab and nosh.
2. Have a pre-washed, pre-cut bowl of fruit readily available. He can do this himself, but he likes to rebel in the form of eating unrinsed grapes and making sure I notice. 😂
3. Show him how to batch pancakes and experiment with adding protein powder and nut butter for his growing body. 
4. Let him pick a few freezer meals without judgment. 
5. Teach him how to warm up and elevate frozen staples like edamame, corn, and peas with seasonings.
6. Show him how to make Tofu Nuggets in the air fryer and have him try our copycat plant based Chick-fil-A Sauce from Clean Food Dirty Girl.
7. Print and hang up recipes for tried-and-true smoothies in the kitchen.
8. Empower him to shop and cook for one meal a week. He might not pick something plant based, but this would give him opportunities to build confidence in the kitchen. 
9. I can label things before I put them in the fridge/freezer along with the date they expire so he knows what’s good without guessing. I can also write down ideas for how to use the “ingredients” in the fridge, like “good on potatoes,” “add canned beans,” or “warm me up.”
10. I recently purchased a Nutribullet, which has been a game-changer for breakfasts and after-school snacks. It is easier to clean than the Vitamix and allows for smaller servings, so all my kids can make their own dairy-free smoothies how they want. 
11. When the sweet tooth strikes, I can teach him how to make a plate of dates stuffed with peanut butter and a sprinkling of coconut. Yes, he’ll comment on how they look like little turds on a plate, but after one bite, he won’t care! 💩🤣 ← His least favorite emoji that I use way too much. 
12. Have a stockpile of roasted cashews with Everything But The Bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s or make my own from Clean Food Dirty Girl. If I don’t have enough time, I can keep pistachios and roasted peanuts in plain view. He might open the fridge a million times, but he ain’t opening the cupboards, which is why leaving them out in plain sight is helpful to all. 
13. Make more WFPB cookies because I only have a few more years with him at home—ouch, that’s a tender reality.

Above, you can see my son in his natural state: On the phone, unintentionally eating plant based food. This was a recent family vacation (that he didn’t want to go on 😂), but after exploring the area, he really wants to move to Los Angeles.

If you’re struggling to get your teen to eat more plants, remember they’re watching what you eat, so if all you can do is lead by example in your ingredient-based household, that’s good enough.

So keep transforming those plant based ingredients into magic, Dirties. Pass on your kitchen knowledge to the next generation—we have the most delicious start with Clean Food Dirty Girl. There’s always hope, but there’s not always time. 

My teen may complain about “ingredients,” but trust me, when he gets home after a weekend of sleepovers and pizza, he practically begs for “real food.” 

I continued the conversation about our terrific teens in the Facebook group. Find more posts or share your own using the hashtag #TeenDirty.

Tips from our community 

1. Put single-size servings in the fridge so they can reheat or eat straight from the fridge. 
2. Add nutritional yeast and garlic powder to freshly popped popcorn.
3. Make grab-and-go muffins and granola. 
4. Make crispy chickpeas (together if possible). The Oven Roasted Garbanzo Bean Snacks in Clean Food Dirty Girl might hit the spot.

Do you have a tip or a funny storyto share  about your #TeenDirty? Talk to me in the comments below, and let’s get through the hilarious and hard times together.

Xo 
Brittany

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