Most schools try to provide nutritious lunches for your teen, but some high school cafeterias are more like a mall's food court, with selections such as pizza, French fries, tacos, hot dogs, sloppy Joes and hamburgers.

Teens' eating habits have their parents concerned; the child obesity rate in the U.S. is at its highest in decades.

Unfortunately, you can't monitor what your teens eat every minute of every day. You can pack him or her a nutritious lunch, but you have no idea if they traded their lunch for a candy bar -- or worse, thrown it away.

Many teens are embarrassed to bring a bag lunch since many other students don't. Boredom is another reason they don't like to bring a lunch; peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day aren't going to cut it. Talk it over with your teen to find out his or her favorite foods. Then find middle ground between what he or she will eat and making a lunch that's interesting, delicious and nutritious.

Variety is key with a brown bag lunch. For example, instead of regular potato chips, try baked chips, pretzels or microwave popcorn. Instead of snack cakes, try applesauce, yogurt or pudding. A mixture of dried fruits and nuts is not only a good snack; it's full of antioxidants and iron. Teenage girls especially need a lot of iron.

No time to make lunch? That's no excuse. In the time it would take to watch a few minutes of TV, check your e-mail or make a phone call, you could prepare a decent lunch.

Students who have jobs sometimes use their own money to buy lunch, making it harder to regulate their meals. There's no question they like greasy food -- not only is it cheap, it'll fill them up faster than healthier foods.

When eating at fast-food chains, encourage your teen to try to avoid the greasy stuff, instead opting for grilled chicken or veggie burgers, as well as salads. Not only will they provide vegetables, but they also provide fiber, something many teens don't get enough of in their diet.

Discourage teens from supersizing anything as that encourages overeating. And teach them to watch out for the hidden fat and calories in the "healthy choices." Just a few include:

• Veggie and tuna sandwiches at sandwich shops are on the surface healthier, but without a nutritional boost such as low-fat mayonnaise, both fat grams and calories skyrocket.
• A salad with dressing on the side might seem healthy, but the creamier the salad dressing, the higher the calories. It can be just as bad as a burger and fries.
• Stay away from soda -- regular or diet -- as it releases empty calories and increases appetite. Drink juice, whole milk or water.

What students eat while still in school can set good -- or bad -- eating patterns for adulthood. Teens who make healthy food choices now are more likely to make better food choices as adults, while studies show that overweight children are likely to become overweight adults.

Set an example to your children: Eat well, exercise and make a healthy lifestyle a family affair.