15 Nov Nutrition for Growing Teens
While what teens should be eating isn’t far from what an adult needs, it’s important to keep in mind that they process food a lot faster and more efficiently than adults.
Foods we need to focus on for our teens is nutrient dense.
These will help build their muscles, help their brains focus better, and keep their energy levels up for the long periods of time they tend to sit in classrooms and do school work.
Examples of nutrient dense foods are whole foods, like fruits and vegetables.
It’s also important to always combine fruit with nuts or a nut butter to prevent sugar spikes, and keep energy levels consistent.
Nuts are a good source of protein and fats, which gives your teen longer periods of fullness.
For vegetables, we can always offer it with something like a hummus dip or cashew cheese for a snack.
When it comes to full meals, we want to make sure our vegetables are paired with a healthy amount of high quality fats, again to sustain fullness and energy.
This includes cheeses, oils, nuts, ghee, butters, etc.
Our meals should also include whole grains like brown rice, oats and quinoa.
Carbohydrates are a vital part of keeping our energy sustained throughout the day, so don’t skimp on them!
For teens, especially when they’re active, we want high quality protein to be part of meals as well. Choose wild fish or organic, grass-fed when it comes to meats.
Choose local, organic and fresh vegetables and fruit when possible. We should always strive to keep our healthy as clean as possible, and will be extremely beneficial for their growing bodies and minds.
Additionally, keep track of how much water they consume, especially when they’re active.
Want to help your teen restore electrolytes? You can make a homemade electrolyte drink from water, fresh lemon juice, sea salt, and honey.
Now, if you have a teen who isn’t a fan of plain water, try to add frozen berries, maple, and/or mint to their bottles as well.
At the end of the day, we should try to avoid giving our teens processed sugar. I know it’s hard! But opt for fruit and dried fruit like dates, raisins, figs, etc.
Processed foods in general will prevent our teens from having the energy and brain function they really need, and creates habits that will follow them their a lifetime.
Even small changes at a time will make a big difference!
Overall, plenty of healthy fats, carbs and protein is massively important to keep our teens healthy and energized.
Also, it’s really hard to get all of the minerals and vitamins we truly need from our food. Go to your doctor and run some blood tests so you know exactly what supplements they need. Everyone is different!
Try to make some healthy swaps and if you’re worried about your teens health, remember that having a health child starts with you!
Danna helps incredible women understand just how incredible they really are – by working on self love, on healing their relationship with food, and giving their gut what it needs in order to support their health and livelihood. Her goal is to help others reach deliciously sustainable lifestyle changes. Enjoy life, and enjoy every bite of food you eat. No diets, no deprivation!
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