Eating well as a teenager

4 min read

The teenage years are one of the fastest periods of growth in your whole life. Your body is building bone, muscle and a developing brain, and that takes a lot of energy and nutrients. This is why teenagers usually need to eat more, not less, than adults — and why dieting or skipping meals can hold back your growth, energy, mood and concentration.

Aim for regular meals and snacks built around variety: plenty of carbohydrates for energy (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, cereals), protein for growth (eggs, dairy, beans, meat, fish, nuts), fruit and vegetables, and enough calcium and iron, which matter a lot in the teenage years. Breakfast really does help focus at school. There's room for treats too — no single food is 'bad', and balance over the week is what counts.

Bodies change a lot, and at different times, during puberty, and comparing yourself to friends or to images online rarely helps — many of those images are edited. Your weight naturally changes as you grow, and that's healthy. If you play sport, you may need even more fuel. Focus on feeling strong, energetic and well, rather than on a number on a scale.

Sometimes worries about food, weight or body image become bigger — skipping meals, feeling out of control around food, exercising to 'earn' food, or feeling very distressed about your body. These are common and treatable, and they are not your fault. Please talk to a parent or carer, your doctor, or a school nurse or counsellor — reaching out early really helps.

This is general wellbeing information, not medical advice. If you have questions about your growth, weight or diet — or you're worried about your relationship with food — please talk to a trusted adult and your doctor, who can give advice that's right for you.