Why is it important for teenagers to eat healthy foods?

Eating healthy is often hard for teens. Indulging in snacks instead of proper meals can lead to an excess intake of fat, sugar, and calories and an insufficient amount of vitamins and minerals found in healthy foods. Teens go under a rapid growth of puberty. During this time, the body has an increased need for calories and other key nutrients such as proteins, calcium, iron, folate, and zinc.

Iron Rich Foods

        Iron helps your blood carry oxygen to all your muscles. It is also a prime benefactor with helping your brain function and immune system when fighting diseases. Another thing that happens to girls during their teen years or before is that they start menstruating. During menstruation, a girl's need for iron increases. This is why choosing iron-rich food sources such as beans, collard greens, tofu, and salmon, can help keep your body working optimally.

        A teenager's body will absorb more calcium from foods you eat during puberty compared to any other stage in life. There is an increased need for skeletal growth during the teen years. This signals your body to retrieve all the calcium it can. However, most adolescents are not eating enough calcium-rich foods. With a lack of calcium during the critical teen years, your bones may end up weaker and will be more prone to fractures in the future. Experts estimate that every 5% increase in adolescent bone mass will result in a 40% decrease in the risk of bone fractures later in life.

Calcium Rich Foods

        While calcium and iron is important to a teenager's diet, reducing the amount of saturated fats is also beneficial. The problem with steak is that it contains a lot of saturated fats. Saturated fats are categorized as animal fat, which is solid at room temperature. Even though steak contains high amounts of protein that your body needs, the excess intake of lipids in steak can raise your LDL cholesterol and clock up your blood vessels. LDL is one of the two major blood cholesterol carriers. Its nickname is the "bad" cholesterol because in excess amounts, it will increase the risk of heart attack. To keep your LDL low, teens should eat lean foods to reduce their intake of fat. This is why our group is promoting the Pescetarian lifestyle.

      
By May Chan