Adolescent diet tips: Make sure your child becomes healthy in adulthood

Adolescents are between 10 and 19 years old. This is the age group when a child starts to step forward from childhood to adulthood. During this phase, a child develops physically and mentally very rapidly. The peak rate of height and weight annually becomes 9-10 cm and 8-10 kg in this age group. Muscle and bone health development is also very important not only for this age group but also for their future health. Therefore, good nutrition is essential at this age.

Most of the adolescent girls are introduced to the menstrual phase for the first time at this age. Therefore, they go through a sudden physical stress compared to boys. At this phase, all the girls need proper nutritional care for their health as well as try to secure healthy motherhood in the future.

The nutritional requirement in this age group is different compared to adults. The growth and development at this phase are very fast, so they need a continuous supply of calories and essential nutrients to meet the demands.

In this article Nutritional requirements for adolescents: - Calories - Macronutrients - Micronutrients Foods you should include in adolescent’s diet What should be avoided Common health issues during adolescence: - Anemia - Obesity - Underweight - Calcium deficiency - Alcohol and tobacco addiction Bottom line

 

Nutritional requirements for adolescents:

Calories:

During the growing phase our body needs continuous support of energy to be active. The requirement level depends on age, sex, and activity level.

Age group	Energy (kcal/d)
Boys (10-12 yrs)	2220
Girls (10-12 yrs)	2060
Boys (13-15 yrs)	2860
Girls (13-15 yrs)	2400
Boys (16-18 yrs)	3320
Girls (16-18 yrs)	2500

Source: ICMR, NIN, 2020

Macronutrients:

For healthy growth and development, macronutrients play a vital role. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are called macronutrients.

In the adolescent phase, kids are very active and they need calories to meet the demand. Carbohydrates act as a fuel and help to supply energy to the body which helps a kid to be active. A low carbohydrate diet may cause lethargy and tiredness.

Protein plays a very important role in the growth and development of muscles, tissue repair, and energy provide. In this growing phase, protein requirements also become high to fulfill the demand. Poor protein intake can cause malnutrition. Therefore, it is recommended to provide good-quality protein to your child for healthy growth and development.

Like other macronutrients, fat is also essential for growing children. Dietary fat helps to act as a source of energy. Not only that, fat helps to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K into the body.

The level of all the requirements may vary depending on age, sex, and activity level.

 

Age group	Carbohydrate (g/d)	Protein (g/d)	Fat (g/d)
Boys (10-12 yrs)	130	31.8	35
Girls (10-12 yrs)	130	32.8	45
Boys (13-15 yrs)	130	44.9	50
Girls (13-15 yrs)	130	43.2	35
Boys (16-18 yrs)	130	55.4	40
Girls (16-18 yrs)	130	46.2	35

Source: ICMR, NIN, 2020

Micronutrients:

The most common micronutrient deficiencies in adolescent groups are vitamin D, vitamin A, calcium, iodine, and iron. Micronutrient deficiency can cause teeth issues, impaired bone growth, eye health issues, and anemia (especially in adolescent girls).

The main reason for these deficiencies is poor dietary habits. At this age, children have their own opinions, and many of them try to avoid fruit and vegetables. Not only that, but sometimes, children suffer from poor nutrition because of social taboos and economic conditions of families, especially girls.

Therefore, it is important to ensure that every child must consume nutritional food. It helps their healthy growth and development not only for their present but also for their future. 

Age group	Vitamin A (μg/ d)		Vitamin D (μg/ d)	Calcium (mg/ d)	Iron (mg/ d)	Iodine (μg/ day)
Boys (10-12 yrs)		770	600	850	16	150
Girls (10-12 yrs)		790	600	850	28	150
Boys (13-15 yrs)		930	600	1000	22	150
Girls (13-15 yrs)		890	600	1000	30	150
Boys (16-18 yrs)		1000	600	1050	26	150
Girls (16-18 yrs)		860	600	1050	32	150

Source: ICMR, NIN, 2020

 

Foods you should include in adolescent’s diet:

• Grains (preferably whole grains) like oats, brown rice, whole grain products, multi-grain bread or chapati, etc.
• Proteins like egg, chicken, and fish are animal proteins, and pulses, legumes, paneer, tofu, etc., are plant-based proteins.
• Fats and oils like cheese, yogurt, nut butter, ghee or clarified butter, and olive oil.
• Provide seasonal vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, zucchini, carrot, green, capsicums, beans, potato, sweet potato, leafy vegetables, etc.
• Any type of seasonal fruit which is available in your local market.
• Dairy and dairy products like cow’s milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc.
• Nuts and seeds like peanuts, almonds, nut butter, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.

At this age, children become choosier. Ensure the plater must be attractive. Put some variation in their diet. Do not repeat the same dish regularly. During adolescence, sometimes kids love to go outside to socialize with friends and eat outside foods. Do not force them to eat homemade healthy foods rather guide them properly to make a perfect balance between homemade healthy foods and outside foods.

What should be avoided:

During adolescence, there are as such no food restrictions implemented but if anyone has any kind of allergic reaction or any health issues then you must be aware of food restrictions (if any). Not only that, but some kids love to consume street foods, fast foods, salty foods, fried foods, sugary drinks, chocolates, etc. Too much consumption of unhealthy foods is not good for their health. Therefore, it is very important to guide them properly about healthy food habits because unhealthy food habits or unhealthy lifestyles in the adolescent age group may cause serious health issues in the future.

Common health issues during adolescence:

Anemia:

According to The National Medical Journal of India, over 56% of adolescent girls and 30% of adolescent boys are anemic in India (1). Poor dietary habits, and social taboos, are the main reasons for child anemia. Make sure to provide iron-rich foods to your kids, especially girls.

Iron-rich foods: Meat, fish, poultry products, green leafy vegetables, dry fruits, and pulses are good sources of iron.

Include vitamin C-rich foods in the diet which helps to increase iron absorption.

Avoid drinking tea just after a meal because it reduces iron absorption into the body.

Obesity:

Child obesity is a big issue globally. According to the report, nearly 160 million children and adolescents (65 million girls and 94 million boys) are affected by obesity in 2022 (2). The reason for this condition is an unhealthy lifestyle and poor dietary habits. It is very important to guide your child properly about good lifestyle, and healthy food habits. Always encourage them to do some physical activities. Childhood obesity may cause type II diabetes, high blood pressure, health disease, and others in the future.  

Underweight:

Due to poor nutritional care, low economic conditions, or childhood health issues like diarrhea, flu, and pneumonia, many children become underweight. Therefore, it is important to provide good nutrition and a balanced diet to your kid because being underweight may cause malnutrition, lower muscle strength, low immunity power, and lower confidence level. 

Calcium deficiency:

The requirement for calcium needs to be fulfilled at a young age. Calcium is a mineral that helps maintain tooth health and develop strong bones. Globally, many children and adolescents fail to achieve the calcium requirements. As a result, bone health issues like osteoporosis in adults are common. Therefore, providing a calcium-rich diet to adolescent kids is very important.

Calcium-rich foods:

Milk, cheese, yogurt, soy products (like soybeans, and tofu), broccoli, green leafy vegetables, calcium-fortified foods (like juice, milk, and cereal products), beans, fish, etc.

Alcohol and tobacco addiction:

The adolescent age group is the most sensitive age group. At this age, kids love to explore new things fearlessly. Sometimes they try to do many things for fun but in the future, it becomes dangerous for their health.

Worldwide at least 1 in 10 adolescents aged 13–15 years used tobacco, 2018 (3), and 155 million adolescents (15-19 yrs) are addicted to alcohol globally, 2016 (4). Therefore, alcohol and tobacco addiction in the adolescent age group is a major concern globally.

Bottom line:

Providing balanced nutrition during adolescence is crucial for promoting healthy growth and preventing future health problems. Being a parent, it is your responsibility to provide proper knowledge about good health to your kids.