Teen-agers often run from school to athletic practices to part-time jobs, leaving little time for balanced meals. In general, teens are more interested in their body image or performance in sports than disease prevention; however, teens need extra nutrients for proper growth and development.* 

Between the ages of 10 and 19, the human body has its final growth spurt and undergoes hormonal changes that affect every organ. Girls add some fat and begin to menstruate; boys add muscle and increase blood volume.

  Iron is one of the most important minerals for adolescents. Girls need about 15 mg a day because of blood loss during menstruation.** Boys need about 12 mg a day because of increased lean body mass.** The best sources of iron are lean meats, poultry and fish. Iron from plant sources is not as easily absorbed; however, vitamin C such as in fruits and juices improves iron absorption.***

  Lack of iron can lead to decreased school performance, according to research by the United Kingdom Department of Health. With less iron, the blood has a more difficult time delivering oxygen to body tissue, which means teens are less able to concentrate, remember and pay attention in class.**** Also, enzymes that transmit information in the brain don't work as well with decreased iron.****

  Teens also need plenty of calcium. Both girls and boys need about 1200 mg a day. On average, American girls consume 800 mg a day, or about 2.5 glasses of milk.*** 

  Calcium is important to build strong bones. About half of adult bone structure is developed during your teen years. Sufficient calcium is also needed after you have stopped growing, because the body continues to deposit calcium into bones for 10 years.* Adequate calcium intake during younger years may delay the onset of osteoporosis, a disease that generally occurs in the elderly and causes bones with reduced mass to break easily.

  Proper nutrition includes limiting fat intake. Dieticians recommend having no more than 30% of total calories come from fat, and no more than 10% from saturated fat.** Unfortunately, more than 85% of American children and adolescents eat too much fat, and more than 91% eat too much saturated fat.*** Many times teens count French fries, which are high in saturated fat, as vegetable servings.***

  In order to keep a healthful diet and get enough of the nutrients teens need, follow a balanced diet of a variety of foods, keeping high-fat foods and sugars to a minimum. See the chart for the number of daily servings from each food group teens should eat. Vegetarians may want to meet with a dietician to make sure they get enough nutrients during these growing years.

  The following daily diet is recommended:

• Vegetables - 3-5 servings
• Fruits - 2-4 servings
• Whole grains, breads, cereal, rice, pasta - 6-11 servings
• Low-fat dairy - 3-4 servings
• Meat, poultry, fish, dried beans, eggs, nuts - 2-3 servings

*Source: International Food Information Council.
** Source: Food and Drug Administration, "On the Teen Scene: Good News about Good Nutrition."
*** Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov.
****Source: CBS, www.cbshealthwatch.medscape.com