TEENS AND NUTRITION

NAVIGATING THE CHALLENGES TO HEALTHY EATING

The importance of teens and nutrition should not be underestimated. The teenage years are a time of rapid growth and development physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. They need to fuel this growth with foods that will sustain and build them, not undermine them. Nutritional guidelines for teens, as advised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), are the same as for infants and children. This presents a unique problem for parents because teenagers are more independent and face social pressures that younger children do not. Eating out with friends, peer pressure and part time jobs all wreak havoc with the healthy diet your teen may have enjoyed in the past.

It is recommended that teens eat a wide range of healthy, nutritious food including:

Vegetables, fruit, nuts and legumes including green leafy vegetables
Wholegrain grains and cereals such as bread, pasta, rice, noodles
Protein from lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, tofu and other vegetarian alternatives
Dairy products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt or alternative sources of calcium
Mono-unsaturated fats and oils in moderation such as olive oil and coconut oil
Water

It is recommended that teens limit their intake of foods containing

Saturated fats
High levels of salt
High levels of sugar

Alcohol is not recommended for teens.

Unfortunately in our fast food culture when teens are not at home they are bombarded with all the wrong food choices and not the right ones. Burgers, fries, pizza and soft drinks are all staples of the teenage social life and are high in saturated fats, salt and sugar.

Educating your teen on healthy food choices and modelling these choices at home is important. Encourage your teen to balance out the less healthy choices of one day with more healthy choices the other days. One of the ways you can do this is to ensure that you provide healthy food choices at home and prepare nutritious meals when your teen does eat at home. Snacks are important and can be prepared ahead and left for your teen and their friends. A cheese and dip platter with vegetable sticks and breadsticks for dipping is a good alternative to crisps. Popcorn, fruit salad, soup and rolls, sandwiches, dried fruit and nuts are also healthy options. The trick is to make it tasty, easy and fast because teens often have so much going on that they do not have time to make it themselves but need to feed their growing bodies.

It is normal for teens to want to assert their independence from their parents and food choices are one of the ways they do this. As a parent it can be frustrating but it’s important to keep it in perspective and look at the overall picture of what your teen is eating over a period of a week and not just a day. Balance, moderation and education are the key to navigating the minefield that is teen nutrition.

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