Food pyramid for teenagers

Looking into the futureThe lifestyle that is portrayed in advertisements and magazines for young people conveys a fast way of living, overloaded with studying and harmful eating suggestions. They are doing more harm to the young body, to its proper development and function. What’s more, bad eating habits, learned at this stage of life, will be the cause of health risks in adult life.

Teenagers should find a balance between eating and active time. Being active only at PE is not enough. It is good to exchange passive time in front of a computer and TV into 60 active minutes on most of the days of the week. You do not have to have heavy exercise then – it is enough to ride a bike, dance, walk your dog etc...

Avoiding fast foodsTeens are mainly hamburger fans. It is recommended to limit fast foods to maximum once a week. Instead they should eat lean meat, rich in proteins, with lower fat content. It’s best to choose roast, cooked or grilled meats. Nuts, grains, peas and beans are a valuable source of proteins, good kind of fat and vitamins easily dissolved in fats.

Fruit instead of chipsFruit is a perfect snack when studying. It is good to reach for them instead of unhealthy chips or sweets that are loved by so many teenagers. Fruit is a valuable source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, but it’s also good to remember they contain a lot of sugars, which in larger amounts can be harmful to the body.

Veggies for healthIt is recommended to have more than 5 portions of vegetables a day. You can eat them fresh, orange or green. They taste great and are a basic source of vitamins and minerals. The more intensive the colour of vegetables, the richer they are in nutrients. A good solution for teenagers is frozen vegetables – they are easy to prepare and may encourage them to be more active in the kitchen.

Milk and dairy productsMilk is a rich source of calcium. Calcium is an essential for the bones therefore it is important to eat a lot of milky product when young. It is good to check the labels on milky products to make sure milk, yoghurt and cheeses are low fat.

Grains on the plateHalf the bread teenagers eat should be whole meal. It is good to know that not every dark bread is whole meal. Therefore it is best to check the label first. Whole meal bread is a better solution than light or white bread, it contains more of dietary fibre. When eating dark bread make sure that what you put on it is not high in calories.

Be careful when choosing cereals, so famed by all sorts of advertisements. The most valuable are those containing barley, wheat and rye. You can make your own colourful and healthy muesli for breakfast by adding some fresh or dried fruit.

Water instead of soda drinksWe recommend an exchange of fizzy, sweet drinks to water – it will be more beneficial for the whole body. Less calories and food colour too.