Feeding our teens: What actually matters?

If you've got a teenager at home, you'll know the drill, bottomless hunger one minute, "I'm not hungry" the next, and a fridge that empties faster than you can fill it.

Why these years matter so much

Ages 10 to 16 are one of the biggest growth windows of a person's life second only to infancy. Bones, muscles, and brains are all under construction. Getting the basics right now helps set kids up for life. Bones in particular build most of their lifelong strength during these years, so good nutrition now matters a lot, it's much harder to make up for lost ground later.

The building blocks

Nothing fancy here: Half the plate in vegetables and fruit (more veges than fruit).

Protein at every meal: meat, eggs, legumes, tofu, dairy, whatever works for the children.

Wholegrains over the white stuff.

Don't be scared of fat, avocado, nuts, and oily fish support a developing brain.

Keep deep-fried, heavily processed food occasional rather than everyday.

Water and plain milk should be the go-to drinks. Fizzy drinks, energy drinks, and even fruit juice are worth limiting. Juice especially catches people out, because "healthy" doesn't always mean low sugar.

The nutrients worth watching

Iron. This is the one that comes up short again and again in clinics, especially in girls who've started their period, and anyone eating little red meat. Low iron shows up as tiredness, poor concentration, and flat sports performance, which is easy to write off as "just being a teenager" when it isn't.

Calcium and vitamin D. These go hand in hand for bone health, and many teens don't get enough of either, vitamin D especially in winter, or for those who are mostly indoors or cover up for cultural reasons. Worth a chat with the doctor if that sounds like your teen.

Zinc, folate, and B12. These matter too, particularly for vegetarian or vegan teens. Very doable, but it takes a bit more planning, a check-in with the GP can help make sure the gaps are covered.

A few home truths

Skipping breakfast is common and worth gently pushing back on, it makes a real difference to concentration and energy at school. If a teen is active or playing sport, this is not the time to restrict food. They need more fuel, not less, something carb-based before training, protein afterwards, and water over sports drinks unless they're training hard for over an hour.

One thing that doesn't get said enough: eating together as a family, with screens off, makes a genuine difference. It's not just about nutrients, it's about connection, culture, and identity.

When to get it checked

Don't sit on concerns. Eating disorders can begin at any point through the teenage years, with risk rising through early-to-mid adolescence, so it's worth staying alert throughout this period rather than only at one age.

If there's food restriction, secretive eating, big changes in weight either way, or a teen who seems constantly tired or off-colour, book in with the GP. Early support makes a real difference to outcomes, don't wait to see if it sorts itself out.

Bottom line

None of this needs to be perfect. Aim for a generally healthy pattern over time, not a flawless one every day, that's what actually sticks.

This is general information, not a substitute for advice from your own doctor. If there's genuine concern about a teenager's eating or growth, please book in.