As teens become more independent in their food choices, they tend to make the wrong choices – even teens that were brought up eating healthy.
Relationship Between Nutrition and Physical Growth
By eating nutritious foods with lower caloric value, teens can experience a feeling of fullness and improve nutrient intake. The growing independence of high school kids increases participation in their social life. They have a generally busy schedule of activities which has a great impact on the way they eat. Nutrition and physical growth are integrally related. Optimal nutrition is a requisite for achieving full growth results.
Health-Related Problems Common in High School Kids
Studies have shown that there are a significant number of health-related problems which adolescents have, like obesity, and eating disorders in spite of students taking nutrition classes in school. A good eating plan focuses on the principles of satiety – the body’s signal that it’s full – by enhancing the feeling of fullness while simultaneously consuming fewer calories on food intake.
High School Kids Need More Nutrients
The total nutrient needs are higher for high school kids than any other time in life. In high school, body composition and biological changes occur which affect gender specific nutrient needs. High school kids have a great appetite. Meal times are irregular due to pre-occupation with books, comics, friends and dating. Snacking in between meals is therefore common among them.
Healthy Eating Tips
A few things to keep in mind while planning a diet for a high school kid.
• They should eat at least three meals a day.
• At this age, eating breakfast can upstart the metabolism, which will help in mood control, weight control and school performance.
• Caloric needs vary depending on their growth rate, degree of physical maturation, body composition, and activity level.
• The kids of this age group eat too much high caloric snack food and high fat food because of school, sports and work schedules overlapping with regular meal times, which has to be avoided.
• Snacks should be wholesome and not only a source of energy but also proteins and other essential nutrients.
• Kids can choose healthier drinks by having fruit juice or fruit flavored carbonated water and water instead of soda.
• Adequate amounts of calcium and iron are particularly important as the body of high school kids undergo this intensive growth period.
Diet and nutrition patterns adopted during these developmental years will set the stage for life-long habits which can make the difference between vitality and infirmity in later years.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
To whom it may concern,
Hi I’m Laura and im am a concerned grade 9 student. I have noticed that since coming to high school, I have began gaining weight. I am a fairly active person so I have come to the conclusion that it must be my deit.
I have found this website helpful because it has helped me to more understand some of my bad diet habits… Thanks!
If possible could you please give me some suggestions as to what snacks are suitable (healthy, easy to pack, not alot of money etc.) but also not what might be called ‘kidish’ or ‘pathetic’. I know that sounds rediculous but when you are in high school, you don’t want people judging you for somthing as dumb and just a lunch.
Anyway, if you have any ideas and have time to e-mail back, i would be happy to hear. I’m sorry if this is not an appropriate e-mail to this particular place.
Thanks for your time,
Hi Laura,
We asked one of our favorite high school counselors, Ms. Aracely Sanchez, to give her thoughts about your email. Here is what she had to say…
“I think this is a great e-mail! Don’t worry about your weight. If you are in the 9th grade or in high school in general, your weight will fluctuate a little and that’s perfectly normal. If you have noticed considerable weight gain, it’s probably due to changes in the meals available to you in your high school. It’s hard not to eat them when there is all you have available. Also, has there been a change in your physical activity? Were you in sports in middle school?
You are asking about healthy snacks and guess what? There are tons of healthy options out there that you can prepare AND will make you look cool too! Many high school students tend to go for fast food or what they consider “cool foods” and often times these foods are not the healthiest. As I mentioned before, some of those foods may be the only accessible choices. And some students will eat them everyday too!
In my opinion there are a lot of cool snacks you can prepare the night before. For instance, If you are not allergic to nuts or dairy or if you are not vegetarian, you can snack on trail mix, granola bars, yogurt, cheese sticks, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, some cold cut sandwiches, or grilled vegetable sandwiches, apples, strawberries, oranges, bananas, grapes, yogurt. Some grocery stores sell salads, which come with dressing and all kinds of goodies. Another great idea is to befriend a teacher with a microwave and at lunch time you can heat up your left over dinner!=) You can always create cool healthy lunches and or snacks and before you know it, your friends will follow too!”
If anyone has additional questions for Ms. Sanchez you can reach her at asanchez@highschoolmediator.com
Hi, I’m Booka and I’m in Year 8 in Australia.
We don’t have a lunchroom as such but instead bring our own lunch to school. I admit, I have a bit of a sweet tooth and am always snacking on chocolates and the like. I think it’s starting to affect my weight a little as well. Can you give any recommendations for any snacks that could curb my sweet tooth but still be healthy? Any good healthy savoury snacks wouldn’t be too bad either.
Booka
well im haveing a prob to you see i cant keep my hands off choc and need halp can you?
im at laidley state high and my it sales all stuiped stuff and im so over it and im doing a word doc on it can you help me?
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