Teen and preteen nutrition: Building healthy habits for life
As preteens and teens go through major physical and emotional changes, their bodies need the right balance of nutrients. Parents and caregivers play an important role in helping teens make healthy eating choices. Learn what teens need, how to overcome challenges, and tips for providing healthy options.
Healthy food choices for teens
Teenagers grow quickly. In fact, the only time humans grow more quickly is in infancy. Because of all that growth, teen bodies have specific nutritional needs that are different from adults.1 Understanding their unique needs can help you and your teen make healthy food choices.
Nutrient-rich (or nutrient-dense) foods are those that have lots of vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients with relatively low calories. For example, most vegetables have lots of fiber and vitamins and are low in calories. Meanwhile, candy is high in calories while providing very few nutrients.
Nutrient-rich foods should be the top priority for teen nutrition. However, they can have less nutritious foods sometimes.
Help your teen understand the difference between a serving size and a portion. A serving size is what’s on the nutrition label for any given food.2 So, if a food says it has 100 calories, that is for one serving size.
The serving size could be half of the package, one piece or even the whole thing. A portion is how much of a food you actually eat in a sitting. Sometimes the portion and serving size are the same, but they often are not.
For healthy eating, your teen can have bigger portions of nutrient-rich foods than other types of food. For example, a healthy portion of broccoli is likely a lot more filling and healthier than a sugary donut.
Generally, nutrient-rich foods fall into one of four categories: fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. These four food types can provide your teen with nutritious, balanced meals.
Fruits and vegetables can be fresh, canned, frozen or cooked into their favorite meal. They just need to maintain their fiber, vitamins and minerals. Grains like rice, oats and wheat can be an important part of any diet. Whole grains are less processed than other types, and they include all parts of the grain.3
Lean proteins are protein-rich foods that are low in saturated fats.4
Examples include:
- Greek yogurt
- Beans
- Lean beef
- Skinless chicken
- Tofu
- Some fish
Sugary drinks5 and ultra-processed foods6 may be harder to avoid today. However, they are not nutrient-rich and provide very little value to your teen’s health. As such, they should be limited.
Sugary drinks are sodas, juices, energy drinks, sports beverages and other drinks with added sugar. Some of these sugary drinks can have more sugar in one can than an adult should have in a day.7 Help your teen choose healthier hydration like water and tea. While all food is processed in some way (even fresh vegetables are picked, sorted and shipped), ultra-processed foods have ingredients such as:
- Sodium nitrate
- Hydrogenated oils
- Aspartame
- High fructose corn syrup
Consuming too much ultra-processed foods can make your teen more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and heart problems.8
You may notice months in which your child seems to grow really quickly. That’s often called a “growth spurt.” During growth spurts, teenagers quickly make new muscle and bone. During these times, they need plenty of amino acids, calcium, and vitamin D.9 You can choose foods that are high in these nutrients:
- Amino acids10 – beef, chicken, fish, eggs, soy and quinoa
- Calcium11 – yogurt, milk, cheese, leafy greens and broccoli
- Vitamin D12 – fatty fish, eggs, mushrooms and fortified foods
How many calories should a teen eat to be healthy?
Our bodies get the energy they need from the calories in food. Whether your teen eats junk food or perfectly balanced meals, they need to eat the right amount of calories each day to be a healthy weight.
While your teen’s needs are unique, knowing the average number of calories needed per day is a good start. Then, you can adjust based on your teen’s activity level and more.
Below are the estimated caloric need for moderately active tweens and teens.13
| Age | Calories per day for girls | Calories per day for boys |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1,800 | 1,800 |
| 11 | 1,800 | 2,000 |
| 12-13 | 2,000 | 2,200 |
| 14 | 2,000 | 2,400 |
| 15 | 2,000 | 2,600 |
| 16-18 | 2,000 | 2,800 |
| 19-20 | 2,200 | 2,800 |
Factors to consider for your teen’s calorie intake
Every teen matures at their own pace. That’s why it’s important to consider where your teen is in their maturity journey when figuring out their nutrition needs.14 For example, a 14-year-old who is a “late bloomer” may have caloric needs that are more like 12- or 13-year-olds.
Your teen’s activity levels will impact their caloric needs. Teens who play sports may need more calories because they burn energy during practice and games. Meanwhile, a teen who is more sedentary than their peers may need fewer calories.
How can teens eat healthy on the go?
Today’s teens are busy. Between school, friends, sports and other activities, they hardly have time to relax. It’s no wonder why families often choose to eat convenient foods.
Unfortunately, drive thru meals and gas station snacks are often packed with excess calories and lacking in essential nutrients.
Your teen doesn’t have to choose between their favorite activities and eating healthy. A few smart strategies can keep your whole family healthy on-the-go.
Meal prep together
It’s hard to make healthy decisions when you’re in a rush. Give yourself and your teen easier options that meet your goals by preparing healthy snacks and meals ahead of time.
Once or twice a week, set aside an hour or so to chop veggies, cook a few meals and portion things out. You can even include your teen in the process!
Make simple swaps
You don’t have to make perfect choices every time to have healthier nutrition. A few simple swaps can improve your teen’s health. Start by choosing a healthier option at their favorite fast food place.
For example, get a grilled chicken sandwich instead of something fried. Choose water instead of a sugary soda. These decisions add up!
Keep healthy snacks handy
As you research healthy snacks and meals, make sure to keep a list of options. When you’re grocery shopping, choose a variety of snacks from that list. When your teen heads out the door, give them a snack or two to take with them.
How can parents help encourage healthy eating habits for teens?
As you probably know, you can’t really force your teen to do anything. It’s often in their nature to rebel, push back and experiment on their own. However, you can still help your teen be healthy and make nutritious choices.
Even if they won’t admit it, teens learn by watching the adults in their lives. Just adopting healthy eating habits can help your teen understand what healthy eating looks like. You can talk to your teen about why you make those choices, too.
For example, you might say something like, “I’m not really feeling hungry anymore. I’m going to save the rest of this for later.” Or you might say, “I am so hungry, but it’s not dinner time yet. I’m going to eat an apple with peanut butter. That’ll give me fiber, fat and protein to fill up on.”
In a few short years, your teen will be an adult. They may need to shop for and prepare food all on their own. You can set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating by teaching them how to make these choices.
Bring your teen along as you shop for groceries. You may talk to them about why you make one choice or another. Use the opportunity to teach about nutrition.
Sometimes you’re too busy to stop what you’re doing and prepare a healthy meal. Give your teen the skills they need to do it themselves. This way, they’ll also be able to cook when they are on their own.
Nutrition is a complex subject. Even the experts are constantly learning! Stay curious about nutrition and talk to your teen about it. Show them that it’s great to ask questions. You can even look up the answers together.