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Healthy Eating

Eating a healthy and varied diet is really important to help you grow and develop. What we eat can also affect our mood and how we feel. It can be tempting to binge on junk or processed foods but these will be high in fat, sugar and salt and affect our mood in a negative way.

Making sure your diet includes all the key food groups will give you the energy and nutrients you need.

Maintaining a healthy weight for your height means that there is a balance between what you eat and the energy you use in your daily life. Sometimes this can be difficult to get right. If the majority of what you eat is whole, fresh foods and processed foods are kept to a minimum or as a treat, you will start to find the right balance.

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Do you know all the different food groups?

  • Fruit and vegetables 
  • Bread, rice and pasta 
  • Meat, fish and eggs 
  • Milk and butter 
  • Oil, salt and sugar 
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Which of these count as your five a day?
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Nuts square Yes or No?

No but they are a great source of protein

Frozen fruit and veg, like berries, peas or spinach square Yes or No?

Yes fresh, frozen or tinned all count 

Mushrooms square Yes or No?

Yes of course, fresh vegetables count

Baked beans or spaghetti hoops in tomato sauce square Yes or No?

Yes but choose versions lower in salt and sugar  

Yam, Cassava, Plantain square Yes or No?

No, these don’t count but they are great sources of fibre 

Unsweetened 100% fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies square Yes or No?

Yes but a maximum 150ml, once a day  

For further support and information... 

These links take you to other websites or services that are not provided by Teen Health. The pages have been selected to give you more information on this topic area. They will open another tab in your browser.   

British Nutrition Foundation

Top Healthy Eating Tips for Teenagers

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British Nutrition Foundation

FAQs on Common Concerns for Teenagers

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Health for Teens

Health for Teens

Nutrition and diet

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NHS

The Eatwell Guide

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NHS

Healthier recipes

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tellmi

Tellmi is a safe, anonymous app where you can talk about absolutely anything. 

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Teen Health

Use the link on this page to contact Teen Health 

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