Healthy Eating for Teens
What is healthy eating?
Eating healthy is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and is something that should
be taught at a young age. The following are some general guidelines for helping your
teen eat healthy. It’s important to discuss your teen’s diet with their healthcare
provider before making any dietary changes or placing your teen on a diet. Discuss
these healthy eating recommendations with your teen so they can follow a healthy eating
plan:
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Eat 3 meals a day, with healthy snacks in between.
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Increase fiber in the diet.
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Decrease the use of salt.
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Drink water. Try to avoid drinks that are high in sugar, including soda and sports
drinks. Fruit juice can have a lot of calories, so limit your teen’s intake. Whole
fruit is always a better choice.
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Eat balanced meals.
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When cooking for your teen, try to bake, broil, roast, or grill instead of fry.
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Make sure your teen watches (and decreases, if necessary) their overall sugar intake.
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Choose fruit or vegetables for a snack.
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Decrease the use of butter and heavy gravies.
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Eat more chicken and fish. Limit red meat intake and choose lean cuts when possible.
Making healthy food choices
The MyPlate icon is a guideline to help you and your teen eat a healthy diet. MyPlate
can help you and your teen eat a variety of foods while encouraging the right amount
of calories and fat.
The USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have prepared the following
food plate to guide parents in selecting foods for children ages 1 and older.

The MyPlate icon is divided into 5 food group categories, emphasizing the nutritional
intake of the following:
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Grains. Foods that are made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain
are grain products. Examples include whole wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal. Aim
for mostly whole grains.
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Vegetables. Choose a variety of vegetables, including dark green, red, and orange vegetables,
legumes (peas and beans), and starchy vegetables.
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Fruits. Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the fruit group. Fruits may be fresh,
canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut up, or pureed. The American Academy
of Pediatrics recommends children ages 7 to 18 limit juice intake to 8 ounces, or
1 cup per day.
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Dairy. Milk products and many foods made from milk are considered part of this food group.
Focus on fat-free or low-fat products, as well as those that are high in calcium.
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Protein. Go lean on protein. Choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry. Vary your protein routine—choose
more fish, nuts, seeds, peas, and beans.
Oils are not a food group. But some, such as nut oils, contain essential nutrients
and should be included in the diet in small amounts. Others, such as animal fats,
are solid and should be avoided.
Exercise and daily physical activity should also be included with a healthy dietary
plan.
Nutrition and activity tips
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Provide regular daily meal times with social interaction. Demonstrate healthy eating
behaviors.
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Involve teens in selecting and preparing foods and teach them to make healthy choices
by giving them the chance to select foods based on their nutritional value.
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Select foods with these nutrients when possible: calcium, magnesium, potassium, and
fiber.
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Most Americans need to cut the amount of calories they consume. When it comes to weight
control, calories do count. Controlling portion sizes and limiting highly processed foods helps limit
calorie intake and increase nutrients.
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Parents are encouraged to provide recommended serving sizes for teens.
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Parents are encouraged to limit a teen’s screen time to less than 2 hours daily. Instead,
encourage activities that call for more movement.
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Teens need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days
for good health and fitness and for healthy weight during growth.
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To prevent dehydration, encourage teens to drink fluids regularly during physical
activity and drink several glasses of water or other fluid after the physical activity
is completed.
To find more information about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015–2020 and to determine the correct dietary recommendations for your child’s age, sex, and
physical activity level, visit the MyPlate and 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines sites. Note that the MyPlate plan is designed for people older than age 1 who don't
have chronic health conditions.
Always talk with your teen’s healthcare provider regarding healthy diet and exercise
requirements.
Healthy eating during adolescence
Healthy eating during adolescence is important as body changes during this time affect
an individual’s nutritional and dietary needs. Teens are becoming more independent
and making many food decisions on their own. Many teens have a growth spurt and an
increase in appetite and need healthy foods to meet their needs. Teens tend to eat
more meals away from home than younger children. They are also heavily influenced
by their peers. Meal convenience is important to many teens and they may be eating
too much of the wrong types of food, like soft drinks, fast-food, or processed foods.
Also, a common concern of many teens is dieting. Girls may feel pressure from peers
to be thin and to limit what they eat. Both boys and girls may diet to “make weight”
for a particular sporting or social event.
These are some helpful considerations as you prepare meals for your teen:
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Arrange for teens to find out about nutrition for themselves by providing teen-oriented
magazines or books with food articles and by encouraging them and supporting their
interest in health, cooking, or nutrition.
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Take their suggestions, when possible, regarding foods to prepare at home.
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Experiment with foods outside your own culture.
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Have several nutritious snack foods readily available. Often, teens will eat whatever
is convenient.
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If there are foods that you do not want your teens to eat, don’t bring them home.