Why do you need to eat well?
During the teenage years, your body experiences rapid bone growth, organ, tissues and brain development and hormonal changes and therefore requires the support of a healthy, well balanced diet.
In order to achieve high energy levels and optimum physical fitness, it is essential to eat a varied and balanced diet, including important nutrients such as Iron, Vitamin D and Calcium.
Teenage girls are particularly prone to iron deficiency anaemia, which can be due to iron loss during menstruation (periods).
Healthy eating should not stop you from enjoying your favourite foods but make you more mindful of eating a variety of foods and limiting the amount of fat and sugar they contain.
To achieve a healthy, well-balanced diet, the “Eatwell Guide” has been recommended to provide the ideal balance from each food group.
Eatwell Guide
A variety of food is needed in our diets to keep us healthy. It is important to have a varied diet as the different food groups provide us with the different nutrients and substances that are needed for our health.
There are 5 main food groups, fruit and vegetables, high fibre starchy foods, proteins, dairy and alternatives, and unsaturated oils and spreads. Alongside the Eatwell plate it is important you drink plenty of fluid – the recommended daily allowance is 6-8 glasses of water a day.
The Eatwell Guide is based on the Government’s eight tips for healthy eating, which are:
1. Base your meals on starchy foods.
2. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables – 5 portions a day
3. Eat more fish – including a portion of oily fish each week.
4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar.
5. Try to eat less salt – no more than 6g a day for adults.
6. Get active and be a healthy weight.
7. Don’t get thirsty
8. Don’t skip breakfast.
Vegetarian or Vegan
If you are vegetarian or vegan it is still important that your diet is varied and follow the Eatwell plate.
- Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day.
- Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates (choose wholegrain where possible).
- Have some dairy alternatives, such as soya drinks and yogurts (choose lower-fat and lower-sugar options)
- Eat beans, pulses and other proteins.
- Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and eat in small amounts.
- Drink plenty of fluids (the government recommends 6 to 8 cups or glasses a day).
For more information the NHS Vegan link will help.
How college can help
Support is available on both campuses to address all your nutritional enquiries or concerns.
You can discuss this further with your personal tutors, progress coaches, wellbeing mentors or college nurses.
Student Finance is also available to discuss any financial issues you may have and can provide additional support, such as lunch vouchers, to identified students who meet certain criteria.
Useful Links
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/healthy-eating-teenagers
https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/healthydiet/healthybalanceddiet.html
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/support/healthy-living/healthy-eating
Healthy Eating Documentaries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7psynBdrZnA Jamie Oliver – Sugar Rush Documentary
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000qq41/marcus-rashford-feeding-britains-children Marcus Rashford’s Feeding Britain’s Children