As you get older, you’re able to start making your own decisions about a lot of things that matter most to you. You may choose your own clothes, music and friends. You also may be ready to make decisions about your body and health.
Making healthy decisions about what you eat and drink, how active you are and how much sleep you get is a great place to start. When it comes to nutrition, here are some tips to guide you.
Food for energy
Your body needs energy to function and grow. Calories from food and drinks give you that energy. Think of food as energy to charge up your battery for the day. Throughout the day, you use energy from the battery to think and move, so you need to eat and drink to stay powered up.
Balancing the energy you take in through food and beverages with the energy you use for growth, activity and daily living is called "energy balance." Energy balance may help you stay a healthy weight.
Different people need different amounts of calories to be active or stay a healthy weight. The number of calories you need depends on whether:
You are male or female
Genes
Age
Height and weight
Whether you are still growing
How active you are, which may not be the same every day
Choose healthy food and drinks
Fruits and vegetables
Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables. Dark green, red and orange vegetables have high levels of the nutrients you need, like vitamin C, calcium and fiber.
Grains
Choose whole grains like whole wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal and whole-grain cereal.
Protein
Power up with low-fat or lean meats like turkey or chicken, seafood, egg whites, beans, nuts and tofu.
Dairy
Build strong bones with fat-free or low-fat milk products. If you can’t digest lactose—the sugar in milk that can cause stomach pain or gas—choose lactose-free milk or soy milk with added calcium. Fat-free or low-fat yogurt is also a good source of dairy food.
Fats
Fat is an important part of your diet. Fat helps your body grow and develop, and may even keep your skin and hair healthy. But fats have more calories per gram than protein or carbs, and some are not healthy.
Some fats, such as oils that come from plants and are liquid at room temperature, are better for you than other fats. Foods that contain healthy oils include:
Avocados
Olives
Nuts
Seeds
Salmon
Tuna
Avoid foods that contain saturated and trans fats, which are not healthy for you. This includes:
Butter
Stick margarine
Cheese made with whole milk
Fried foods such as hamburgers, chicken and fries
Limit added sugars
Some foods, like fruit, are naturally sweet. Other foods, like ice cream, baked desserts and some beverages, have added sugars to make them taste sweet. These sugars add calories but not vitamins or fiber.
Try to consume less than 10% of your daily calories from added sugars in food and beverages. Reach for an apple or banana instead of a candy bar.
Many teens need more of these nutrients:
Calcium to build strong bones and teeth. Good sources of calcium are fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese.
Vitamin D, to keep bones healthy. Good sources of vitamin D include orange juice, whole oranges, tuna and fat-free or low-fat milk.
Potassium, to help lower blood pressure. Try a banana or baked potato with the skin for a potassium boost.
Fiber, to help you stay regular and feel full. Good sources of fiber include beans and celery.
Protein, to power you up and help you grow strong. Peanut butter; eggs; tofu; Legumes, such as lentils and peas; and chicken, fish and low-fat meats are all good sources of protein.
Iron to help you grow. Red meat contains a form of iron that your body absorbs best. Spinach, beans, peas and iron-fortified cereals are also sources of iron. You can help your body absorb the iron from these foods better when you also eat foods with vitamin C, like an orange.
Everything you eat adds up. Make wise choices to stay healthy. And while skipping meals might seem like an easy way to lose weight, it actually may lead to weight gain if you eat more later to make up for it. Even if you’re really busy with school and activities, it’s important to try not to skip meals.
