Is Eating A Healthy Diet Important For Teenagers?

Eating a diet of healthy foods during the teen years satisfies immediate and future nutritional needs. Teenagers are busy building bone and muscle mass, and healthy blood counts can set the course for their future health. A good diet plan can address their busy schedules with steady caloric intakes, and a basic knowledge of the food groups can offset the temptation to eat unhealthy snacks. Teenagers who follow a healthy diet can naturally control their weight and form positive eating habits for life.

To Meet Nutritional Requirements

Teenagers need adequate protein, iron, calcium and potassium for growth, complex carbohydrates for energy and additional vitamins and minerals to sustain their metabolisms. Eating different foods from each of the five food groups -- fruits, vegetables, dairy products, grains and proteins -- at every meal will provide this broad range of nutrition. Reading the food label facts will help you compare and choose foods with the greatest protein, vitamin, fiber and mineral content in relatively few calories. This lets you optimize nutrition and minimize unhealthy ingredients such as saturated fat and sodium that can cause weight gain or health problems.

To Meet Energy Needs

Teenagers grow at different rates, so the average healthy caloric intake may fall anywhere between 1,400 and 3,200 calories. When you expend as many calories as you eat by choosing nutrient-dense foods, you maintain a healthy body weight. This is important because adolescents who are overweight have a 70 percent chance of being overweight as adults, according to the Office of the Surgeon General. Regular mealtimes are part of a healthy diet, which keeps teens alert and active for school and extracurricular activities. The calorie boundaries of a healthy diet should be able to accommodate three reasonable meals each day plus a healthy snack.

To Prepare for Future Needs

Teens form muscle and bone mass until about age 20. The strength and density of this core tissue must carry you through adulthood. To avoid muscle tears and bone fractures now and later, get adequate protein, iron, potassium, calcium and vitamin D. Foods such as fish, beans, low-fat milk and whole grains are good sources. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables provides the fiber and dozens of vitamins and minerals necessary to digest food well, fight infection and stay healthy. Choosing foods with less saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium as a teenager will pay off with better cardiovascular health later.

To Avert Disease

Teenagers aren't immune to chronic diseases that were once considered the domain of adults. The surgeon general reports that obesity in adolescents has contributed to the rise in high cholesterol, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. A balanced diet that controls your weight can help you avoid these diseases now and reduce your risk for related heart disease and kidney disease as you age.