Teenagers grow and develop at such a high rate that their diet and nutrition becomes extremely important. The best way to protect their wellness and well-being is through their diet, and so as a parent it is very important to know if your child is adequately nourished. To do that you need to know what it is that their bodies require.
For a start, teens require around 50 percent more calories per pound of their body weight than adults to facilitate their growth and development. Boys in particular need to have a high calorie intake because they grow faster and gain more lean muscle than girls.
Boys begin their growth spurt at around the age of 14, whilst girls begin at the age of 12, but peak sooner than boys. When determining calorie requirements it is also important to work out what kind of activity level your teen has – either low activity, moderate activity or high activity level.
Teenagers also have special nutritional needs and require more nutrients, especially iron and calcium. Girls in particular need increased iron due to the onset of menstruation. They require an increase of around 50 percent iron at this time, which equates to around 15 milligrams of iron per day. Some teenage girls may struggle to get enough iron in their diet, and this can lead to them becoming anaemic.
Boys tend to consume more calories than girls, and they usually have no trouble meeting their iron requirements, which increases by 20 percent during puberty, due to the amount that they eat.
Teenagers also require 25 percent more calcium than anyone else. The recommended daily allowance for calcium is usually 1,200 milligrams, and the RDA is recommended to be increased to 1,500 milligrams for teenagers. According to research, a very low percentage of boys and girls actually take enough calcium in their diet each day.