Teenagers are awesome! But probably not many teens are like I was when I was a teen. I read the “Prevention” magazine from cover to cover, and ordered bone meal, dolomite, and desiccated liver tablets by mail. This is when I was 13-14 years old! Most teens don’t even consider the subject of “healthy food for teens.” “What? Who cares!” may very well be the attitude! They’re young, they’re strong; they don’t have to pay attention to their diet. Or so they think.
What Do Teens Actually Eat?
It’s not a secret that teenagers aren’t known for super healthy eating habits. If one were to ask which group demographically has the most unhealthy diet, the answer might very well be “13-19 year-olds.” Let’s face it; there are a LOT of teens out there for whom the 4 main food groups are something in the order of burgers, fries, pizza, and pop. The 5th main food group is snack food from bags – potato chips and Doritos!
Many of us love a slice of pepperoni pizza or a mouthwatering cheeseburger from time to time. That’s probably not a problem, but what is a problem is that these foods are foundational foods for too many teens. They are loaded with calories and saturated fat and have very few vitamins and minerals.
Healthy Food Is Just for Older People…
No, it isn’t. Patterns of eating are established in childhood and teenage years that last for life. Obesity, for example, is a huge problem for many teens. What causes that? Primarily it’s unhealthy food and a sedentary lifestyle that are the biggest factors.
Of course, there are many teens who are active and not overweight, but sadly, there is an amazing number who aren’t. That’s not natural. And that is NOT a good start for a healthy life in your 20s, 30s, and beyond!
The teenage years are also years of huge emotional stress and development. Unhealthy food and lack of exercise are big contributing factors to depression and mental health issues.
So, while it might be tempting to hit up the drive-thru every day, it’s not a great idea – seriously. Your body will thank you in the long run if you take a different approach.
A Huge Challenge
In addition to the preponderance and availability of junk food everywhere, there’s the pressure put on by teenage social peer groups. When teens are together, it’s generally junk food that rules the day, not carrot and celery sticks! Most teens are not willing to be the “odd person out” to the degree that they go only with healthy when the norm is unhealthy. Even adults don’t like to go against the grain; young people even less so.
Message to teens: It’s unrealistic in most cases to expect that you (as a teen) will never eat anything unhealthy. Can you eat healthy 80% of the time? If you can, you will be healthier than most teens and well on your way to establishing good eating habits for the rest of your life.
What Does a Simple Healthy Teen Diet Look Like?
It doesn’t have to be spartan and bare and contain only salads! In fact, for a teen, nothing but lettuce and tomatoes and diet ranch dressing wouldn’t meet their nutritional needs.
And it’s important to recognize that teens need extra nutrition to fuel the physical changes that accompany puberty. If teens are “hungry all the time,” this may very well be the reason.
Lots of healthy food from the 5 basic food groups is the solution! (plus exercise)
- Fruits and Vegetables
Five servings a day! Eat a variety of foods from this list: sweet potatoes, carrots, berries, citrus fruits, dark leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables (and more). These foods have necessary vitamins, minerals, and fiber – which are antioxidants and help prevent diseases, strengthen your immunity and improve your digestion.
- Whole Grains
Whole grains have fiber, and complex carbohydrates for energy. Eat at least three servings of oatmeal and other wholegrain cereal, whole wheat bread (the buns on a Big Mac are NOT whole wheat, for your information!), brown rice and quinoa. Try to stay away from refined carbs as much as possible. Even though they give you energy, they don’t have fiber, and the simple carbs’ quick conversion to sugar could possibly lead to obesity and eventual diabetes.
- Lean Protein
Try to get your protein in a form that is not accompanied by animal fat. All that “skinless” stuff is what you’re after! Eat skinless turkey and chicken breast, fish like salmon and tuna, beans and peas and other legumes, eggs and lean beef and pork.
- Dairy Products
Cheese, cottage cheese, milk, yogurt – these are all great. But try to go for low-fat cheeses and low-fat other dairy products, as well.
What we are looking for in dairy products is calcium. Some people – including teens – are lactose-intolerant. If you are among that number, you need to find other sources of calcium, because it is very important to have a good source of calcium to build strong bones and teeth.
- Healthy Fats
You don’t have to drink olive oil out of the bottle, but you do need to get some healthy fats in your diet. Olive oil and avocado oil are great sources, but not the only source. Nuts are great, too!
Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, and walnuts are fantastic sources of healthy fat. This means that almond butter and cashew butter are equally good. Seeds are also a great source of healthy fat – chia seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and more.
Stick margarine? I would stay away from it. It’s not considered healthy fat.
The Easy and Budget-Friendly Part…
The biggest challenge is to make sure a teen’s diet is healthy; “easy” for teens is all the unhealthy – fast food, chips, pop, etc.
If you’re on a budget and have a growing family of teens, how can you feed them the good food that their growing and developing bodies need, but still stick to your budget? That’s a great question! They truly do seem to need a LOT of food, and their stomachs seem to be bottomless pits!
One thought to “get the ball rolling” along these lines: buy healthier foods in bulk. Buy nuts in bulk, for example! Nuts – particularly raw nuts – are both a tasty snack and when they are bought in bulk (at Costco, for example) they are budget-friendly.
Summing Up…
For teenagers, eating a healthy diet is not just a good idea – it’s crucial. It will help them feel their best and prevent chronic diseases later in life. Encourage your teen – or if you are one, encourage yourself! – to choose healthy options. And be a good example! Don’t preach health to your teen and then eat junk yourself. Teens need good examples!
If you have any thoughts or questions about the subject of this post, please feel free to share them in the space provided below.
