Nutrition Tips for Teens

Teens are in the transition phase from childhood to adulthood and therefore they are generally confused about what they want to be and how they can take better care of their body and mouth. It is during this phase that teens are excited about self-discovery and finding new options and concepts that attract them. Many teens also feel like experimenting and therefore they easily take up drugs, smoking, alcohol and even unsolicited sex. For teens, peers are very important and therefore they want to take good care of their health and appearance.

Many teens also want to ensure that they follow their own rules in terms of what they want to dress like and what food they want to eat. They often ignore the healthy diet patterns because they are more focused on other peer and group activities. Hence, it is up to the parents to ensure that they communicate the importance of good nutrition to their teens by talking, rather than using force.

Teens need lot of energy to stay active and to handle wide range of activities and therefore fruits and vegetables should be an important part of every meal. This is to ensure that the body receives all the nutrients and vitamins required.

Grains are equally important and therefore one must incorporate whole grains like oatmeal, whole wheat bread and brown rice to the diet.

Teens should also ensure that they consume low-fat dairy products or fat-free dairy products that can allow them to intake dairy-based nutrients without consuming too much of fat.

Teens must also consume lean proteins that are available in lean beef, skinless poultry and fish. Lean proteins are also available in eggs, peas, beans and legumes. Junk food is hard to resist, but teens should avoid junk food that can have negative impact on the health.

Teens that chew gum must ensure chewing sugarless gum that can balance the pH level in the mouth. Those who are wearing braces must ensure that they do not consume foods that could interfere with braces and accidentally bend wires. It is recommended not to consume nuts, popcorns and sticky food while wearing braces.