All You Need to Know

• Eating a balanced diet

  The following guidelines will help you make sure your diet is healthy:

  • Aim for five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
  • Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates and choose wholegrains where possible.
  • Eat or drink some dairy or dairy alternatives such as soy milk.
  • Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs and other protein. Aim for two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily fish (like salmon or sardines).
  • Choose unsaturated oils and spreads.
  • Don’t overdo portion sizes.
  • Cut down on foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar.
  • Drink plenty of fluids (about 6-8 glasses a day).

• Don't skip breakfast

  Some people think that not eating breakfast will help them to lose weight, but this meal is important for you. By the time you get up, it has been a long time since you last ate, so breakfast will boost energy levels.

  Here are some ideas for a healthy breakfast:

  • Wholegrain toast with low-fat spread, a glass of orange juice and a low-fat yogurt.
  • A bowl of cereal (low in fat, salt and sugars) with low-fat milk (including ‘green top’ semi-skimmed milk, ‘orange top’ 1% milk or ‘red top’ skimmed milk), and an apple or banana.
  • Porridge with chopped banana and a handful of blueberries or dried fruit.
  • Boiled egg and toast with a fruit smoothie.

• Eat enough fruit and veg

  You should eat three meals a day - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each meal should include at least one portion of fruit or vegetables (they contain lots of vitamins and minerals) and plenty of starchy foods such as wholewheat pasta, wholemeal bread or potatoes with their skins. Make sure that you eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day (fresh, frozen, canned and dried all count).

  Examples of what counts as one portion include two or more small fruits (such as plums, and satsumas); one piece of medium fruit (such as a banana or apple) and one heaped tablespoon of dried fruit.

• Boost your Iron levels

  It is important to eat plenty of foods containing iron, especially for those who lose iron when they have their period.

  Iron is important for making red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. Almost 50% of teenagers do not get enough iron in their diet. Sources of iron include:

  • Red meat and liver
  • Wholegrains (such as wholemeal bread)
  • Iron-fortified breakfast cereals
  • Dark green vegetables (such as kale, and watercress)
  • Beans (such as red kidney beans, chickpeas)
  • Dried fruits (such as figs, and raisins) and seeds (such as sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds).

• Build up your bones

  You need high amounts of calcium because your bones are still growing throughout adolescence.

  The best sources of calcium include:

  • Dairy products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese – try to choose low-fat versions if possible
  • White and brown bread (as in the UK, calcium is added to flour by law)
  • Calcium-fortified dairy alternatives, such as those made from soya (particularly important if you are vegan or do not eat dairy products)
  • Calcium-fortified breakfast cereals
  • Dark green vegetables (such as kale, rocket and watercress)
  • Fish that is eaten with the bones (such as whitebait, canned sardines or canned salmon).

• Drink plenty of fluids

  Keeping well hydrated is very important, especially when taking part in physical activity, as the body loses water as sweat.

  Aim for about six to eight glasses each day. The best sources of fluid include water and low-fat milk. Unsweetened fruit juice should be limited to a small 150ml glass a day. Try to avoid too many drinks containing sugar and energy drinks, especially between meals as they could harm your teeth.

  Do not drink more than the recommended amount of alcohol. It can have serious effects on your health, including liver problems, reduced fertility, high blood pressure, increased risk of various cancers and heart attack.