Balancing Act 2024: Nutrition

Pre-teens and teenagers need a wide variety of foods from the five healthy food groups – vegetables, fruit, grains, dairy and protein. Healthy foods have nutrients that are important for growth and development during puberty. Teenagers should limit salty, fatty and sugary foods, low-fibre foods, and drinks with caffeine or a lot of sugar.

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Adolescence is the second-fastest growth stage in life after infancy. The adolescent’s growth spurt during this period creates an increased need for many nutrients. Eating right assures an adequate amount of key nutrients: c

Healthy eating during adolescence is important, as body changes during this time affect an individual’s nutritional and dietary needs. Adolescents are becoming more independent and making many food decisions on their own.

Whether it’s nightly dinners or a special Sunday lunch, family meals are perfect times to catch up, connect and communicate with each other. This can be especially important for busy older children and teenagers. Your child can also learn a lot about food, eating and family traditions by watching what you do at mealtimes.

We examined changes in food-choice behavior, nutrition knowledge, and attitudes of junior and senior high school students in a three-year national study of nutrition education integrated into home economics, health, science, and social studies

Nutrient needs during adolescence are higher than at any other time in the lifecycle, and failure to consume a healthy balanced diet during this time can have adverse affects on young people's well-being, energy and health. In addition to the impact on growth and development, a poor diet during this lifestage can cause a number of immediate health problems such as iron deficiency anaemia, obesity, diabetes and dental caries in the short-term.

Food literacy is a set of skills and knowledge that are integral to diet. It is common among teenagers to not have basic food literacy skills needed to consume a healthy diet. This study examined: (1) the current state of food and nutrition knowledge among adolescents 13–19 years of age in the census metropolitan area of London, ON, Canada; and (2) correlates of food knowledge and nutrition knowledge among adolescents.