Teenage is a time of tremendous changes - emotional, functional, and intellectual growth backed by a sense of independence. But teenage growth isn't just confined to emotional needs. It demands more nutrition. Nurturing good food habits during the teenage years goes a long way in keeping an individual healthy. Here's how parents can ensure that their teen is having the right set of food as per the needs of the body.

Teenage Nutrition: Nurturing Good Food Habits

The essentials include a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, no-fat or low-fat milk products, beans, eggs, fish, nuts, lean meats, and more. All in all, a varied diet is the need of the hour.

Fruits and vegetables:

A 2000-calorie diet bag around 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables. Anything less than that isn't good. Make sure that your teen consumes an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables.

Calcium:

Around 1300 milligrams of calcium could help you get adequate nutrition. Calcium is excellent for the bones and thus necessary for bone growth.

Proteins:

Who could forget proteins? Especially when we are talking about growth. Meat, poultry, and fish are highly recommended for a protein-rich diet. Estimates suggest that a teen must consume around five and a half ounces of protein daily.

The Importance of Whole Grains, Proteins, Fruits, and Vegetables

Energy is the driving force of teenagers. Who would miss out on whole grains? Your teen will need an adequate amount of whole grains for energy. Experts suggest six ounces per day. Whole-grain bread, brown rice, or whole-grain breakfast cereals could be given for better results.

Apart from these, iron-rich foods like spinach are recommended. It is seen that boys tend to double their lean body mass between the ages of 10 and 17 while girls need to recover the iron loss they undergo during menstrual cycles. Lastly, it would be smart to cut on fats. One must pick unsaturated fats like olives, canola, sunflower corn, and soybean.