Healthy Eating For Teenagers
by Chloe Murphy | 15th Sep 2022
During our teenage years, we experience rapid growth and development. Eating a healthy, balanced, and varied diet will provide all the required nutrients and energy needed to support physical changes.
The Food Pyramid provides guidance on daily servings from each food group. Make sure to choose a variety of foods from the bottom four shelves in order to achieve a good range of vitamins and minerals. Along with making meals more interesting!
Eating Patterns
Eating regular meals is really important. Make sure to start the day right with a balanced breakfast. Porridge, eggs, or yogurt bowls are all great ways to start the day.
Eating regular snacks is also important throughout the day, especially when experiencing rapid growth, studying, or exercising. Make sure to opt for snacks that contain both fibre and protein as they tend to be more satiating. Some examples include fruit and nuts, wholegrain crackers and hummus/cheese, or fruit, yogurt, nuts, and seeds.
Balanced Diet
In order to follow a balanced diet, make sure each meal contains efficient energy, protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and minerals.
On average teenagers need 3-5 servings of wholemeal cereals and bread, potatoes, pasta, and rice, however, teenage boys require up to 7 servings. This is based on age, size, and activity level.
Along with wholegrains, aim for 5-7 servings of fruit and vegetables. While opting for lean protein sources such as poultry, fish, lean cuts of meat, eggs, beans, lentils, and milk.
Dairy
Between the ages of 9-18 years, 5 servings of dairy are recommended as your calcium requirements increase to help bone development. One serving of dairy is 200ml milk, 25g of cheese, or 125g of yogurt.
Iron
Iron is important for teenagers' energy levels, especially teenage girls. Try to incorporate iron-rich foods into your daily diets, such as lean red meat, green leafy vegetables, and beans.
Hydration
Make sure to keep hydrated. Water and milk are the best drink options. Caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee should be limited to 1-2 per day as they can cause irritation. Other beverages such as energy drinks or sugary drinks should be avoided and only consumed occasionally.
What can GourmetFuel do for you?
If preparing healthy balanced meals for your teenager is becoming difficult around their studies and activities along with your busy lifestyle, you may like to try some of our healthy yet convenient meals. We have a range of meals to choose from including Lunches, Dinners, and Healthy Snacks.
Our meals are developed by nutritionists to ensure they provide sufficient nutrients and variety which will help support the growth and development of your teenager.
If you would like to discuss this further with one of the nutritionists, why not schedule a time that suits you here? It's all part of the service!
References
Safefood 'Teenagers' https://www.safefood.net/family-health/teens
National Dairy Council (NDC) https://ndc.ie/nutritious-by-nature/food-pyramid-and-dairy-guidelines/#:~:text=Between%20the%20ages%20of%209,or%2025g%20of%20hard%20cheese