You should make an effort to maintain regular mealtimes and eat together, even with a teenager. While a teenager is able to take more responsibility for their eating habits, their attitudes are picked up at home, from friends, and from social media. Talk positively and appreciatively about food and eating to your teenager.
A varied diet provides your teenager with nearly all of the nutrients they need. However, growing teenagers need a daily vitamin D supplement.
The fundamentals of a teenager’s eating
Eating regularly keeps a teenager alert and helps them stay energised at school and during hobbies. A teenager’s daily routine should include five meals: breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner and a bedtime snack.
Shared mealtimes provide a good opportunity to catch up on each other's day. Also, not only do cooking and eating together bring joy, but they also help foster healthy eating habits.
For a balanced breakfast or snack, teenagers can create their own combination of vegetables, whole grains and protein (‘1+1+1’).
Tips for a balanced diet
- Vegetables, fruit or berries with every meal.
- Wholemeal products (e.g. wholemeal bread and pasta).
- A wide variety of protein sources (fish, legumes, other plant proteins, dairy products, eggs, chicken, meat).
- Enough calcium. An adolescent needs 1,150 mg of calcium per day.
- Soft fats, such as oils, full-fat margarine, nuts and seeds.
- Limited salt and foods high in salt.
- Desserts and sugary foods and drinks only in moderation.
- No energy drinks: they are harmful to a teenager’s physical and mental wellbeing.
Read more about nutrition
A healthy relationship with food
A healthy diet is flexible. A permissive and relaxed attitude is part of the art of eating. Rigidity around eating, lists of forbidden foods and feelings of guilt do not promote a healthy relationship with food.
Try to keep your family's eating habits similar, as this will make eating feel like a normal part of everyday life. Food is about feeling good – it is not a means of punishment, rewarding or performing in life.
Get a feel for the teenager’s thoughts about food during shared meals, for example:
- Are you eating well enough to keep up at school and in your free time?
- How does your eating rhythm affect your mood or wellbeing?
- What feelings does eating bring up for you? How do you feel about eating in general?
Set a healthy example in your own attitude towards your body and eating. Be kind and accepting towards yourself as well.
Eating disorders in teenagers
An eating disorder is a condition in which a teenager’s thoughts about food, eating and their own body take up too much of their life. A teenager with an eating disorder may not be aware of their condition or their need for help. This is why the situation must be addressed as early on as possible.
There is cause for concern when a teenager
- avoids foods or restricts their diet
- hides food, avoids eating with others
- is obsessed with losing weight or pursuing a healthy lifestyle
- loses weight quickly or experiences weight fluctuations
- sees their body in a distorted way, e.g. as larger than it actually is
- is obsessed with exercise.
You should always seek professional help for an eating disorder. However, you should also talk to the teenager about your concerns. Ideally, it would be best if you could seek help together with the teenager.
Find support via Eating disorders association of Finland(Link leads to external service)