For young adult social information, please also refer to the Adults Social Section for Young Adults 18-29 years old.

In Part 1 of Teenager Nutrition, we examined the changes happening to teenagers and the need for iron and calcium.

In Part 2 of Teenager Nutrition (below) we examine the need for zinc, protein and how to incorporate healthy eating habits.

Z is for zinc

Important for immunity, cognitive function, appetite, growth, maturation, tissue development and much more, zinc can be overlooked. Zinc is commonly lost via the intestines when intestinal cells are replaced with new cells. Interestingly these losses, while quite normal in all ages, are greatest during childhood. Also, intense physical activity, increased urination and sweating can lead to an increased requirement. High doses of iron supplements may also contribute to lower zinc. Yes it makes things a little confusing when you start talking about nutrient interactions, but it does serve to highlight the importance of getting good advice when it comes to supplements.

Boys, and very active teens, are the most likely to need more zinc. The RDI for zinc for boys aged 14-18 is 13mg per day and for girls 7mg per day. Boys particularly require more zinc as sperm is concentrated in zinc, and zinc is essential for sexual maturation. Some 13 per cent of boys appear to be under-consuming foods rich in zinc.

Dietary sources of zinc

        Food                         Amount of zinc per 100g

• Oyster (raw)                        65.6mg
• Beef - chuck steak            11.7mg
• Lamb                                   10mg
• Cocoa powder                    8.2mg
• Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and plain yoghurt are also excellent sources of zinc.

Body mass

Along with all this increasing bone and iron, its not surprising that protein, which is essential for blood and bone production, is required in greater amounts too. Boys and girls both experience increases in muscle mass, boys gain more than girls, hence they require even more protein (see Figure 2). Adequate protein also plays an important role in immunity, hair and skin, mood, and even digestion. Figure 2 demonstrates the large increases in protein needs over the adolescent years.

Figure 2. Adolescent protein requirements (grams per day)

Food, frequency and fizz

It's common that a teenager will tend to head towards a junk food diet; it seems that nine out of every 10 teenagers eat junk food every day. Our bodies are amazing, they can seem so forgiving, but eating a diet high in excessive calories, particularly those coming from nutrient-poor foods such as chips, pies and fizzy drinks, can deprive the body of its essential building blocks.

When you make a building, the foundations are potentially the most important part of its structure; you can replace some other more superficial structures but if your foundations crumble the building becomes less stable. Our bodies are similar and our lifestyle during the stages of life where we are growing is critical. Encourage your teenager to get the best start to a long life of good health. Of course the thought of a long life tends to be outside the realms of a teenager's thoughts, so in teenage speak you might say, 'to get the best from what you are eating'.

So most of us know junk food tends to be:

• High in saturated fat
• High in sodium
• High in added sugar
• Low in fibre
• Low in nutrients
• Higher in additives

Relating this to health, a diet high in junk food may be linked to:

• Constipation (most teenagers would rue the thought of this)
• Feeling tired and fatigued
• Difficulty in focusing on tasks
• Weight gain
• Osteoporosis
• Heart disease

One of the areas of concern recently has been the huge increase in consumption of energy drinks by teenagers. In some cases such drinks contain as much caffeine as a shot of espresso. It appears that this affects their ability to stay awake and concentrate during the day, with feelings of drowsiness occurring over the day. It can be helpful to check in with your teen and, if they have these feelings, together you can look at this in order to improve their energy over the day. Remind them they aren't much fun when they are falling asleep mid-conversation.

The amount of soft drink drunk by children increases with age and peaks in adolescents. In Australia, confectionery and non-core drinks such as juice, energy drinks and flavoured milk represent 12 per cent of energy intake in adolescents. Interestingly, it is hypothesised that it would only take a 10 per cent drop in calories to reduce obesity in children. On average our 14-16 year olds consume 47mg of caffeine for boys and 36mg for girls each day. Is coffee/caffeine an essential part of adolescent nutrition? Not likely!

It's interesting to look at meal habits. Our boys faring better and eating more often than girls. Almost half of girls (about 44 per cent) commonly only consume two meals a day, and at this level it's pretty hard to cover all the nutritional requirements this stage of life demands. On top of this it also seems that our teens don't eat enough fruit, vegetables, cereals or dairy.

Create a healthy lifestyle that is holistic and not just about eating for body image. There is increasing research about the huge positive impact of eating at the table as a family on many aspects of health. In addition, if you make physical activity a family activity then you are going to be more inclined to eat and eat well.

Physical activity

According to the latest survey of Australian Children (CNPAS, 2007), boys are more active than girls. At a time when your son or daughter may be overly conscious of their body it may be challenging to get them active. Involve them in the plan: remember, being active doesn't mean getting into running shorts, it can mean walking the dog or riding a bike. Limit time spent in sedentary activities where possible and make activity fun and not about things like being skinny.

Getting the message across

Fear not for your teen, somehow or another they seem to come out the other end just fine. But what can you do to get them through this stage in the best way possible? If you find your teen is diverging from a healthy diet and feel it is time to have a chat about healthy eating, you may want to consider a few pointers. If all else fails try to recall when you were an adolescent. The prevailing feeling is that of wanting to take more control, be respected for it and if not you will do it anyway. You may also find consulting a nutritionist or dietitian very helpful, independent professionals can seem to be heard more than parents. Let's take a look at a few tips that might help with getting your message across.

You get more done with honey than you do with vinegar

Try to approach things from the positive, seeing the cup half full rather than half empty. It's safe to say that most of us, young and old, prefer a conversation that is free of guilt, shame, blame and other negative forms of communication.

Here's a great approach called the kiss, kick, kiss approach. It goes something like this, "that's so great that you are opting for a vegetarian diet, it's very socially aware, but don't forget you do need to ensure you are getting all your nutrients because your body is growing rapidly at the moment. A vegetarian diet, if it is a well-constructed one, is more closely aligned with health, so you have a great opportunity to do right by yourself and animals." So you have wrapped the 'kick' message with positives, making it easier to, well, digest!

Relate to their life experience

Children and teenagers are more likely to take on board information if it has personal relevance and relates to their experience of the world. How often do your teenagers eyes glaze over when you start off with "when I was your age.". That tends not to tell their brain 'here comes something of great interest to me'.

Get them onboard

Most of us, teenagers or otherwise, like to feel that we have been part of any plan of action plan created for us. Encourage your teen to come up with options and solutions; you are likely to find that they are more motivated to stick to a plan if they have been part of it. Ask them to give you a list of healthy food options that you can have in the fridge or cupboard. Likewise ask them for an alternative to fizzy or energy drinks. Remember provide clear goals and reasoning, so that they can problem-solve logically.

Trust with clear boundaries

Giving adolescents a degree of leeway can be helpful. Most teens are desperate to exert control over their lives and in many ways it's an essential part of growing up and being able to eventually cope with the world independently. Of course there needs to be a balance; a teen is still short on experience and many of their skills are still developing. Provide clear lines, for example, if you are going to be vegetarian then we expect to see you maintain your health, or not get sick more often because you are low in iron and protein. Ideally, jointly come up with an easy to assess 'line in the sand'.

Dieting

Now there is dieting and there is dieting! Where a teen opts to go on some form of restrictive diet to alter their body shape you need to assess this very carefully. A healthcare professional will alter a diet very carefully, evaluating, balancing and taking great care over how this is related to a teen. Extreme, regular dieting or physical activity to alter body shape may need to be tracked carefully. Early dieting is certainly something that most children with eating issues have in common.

Creating eating plans

If you are asked to create an eating plan, use a big picture approach rather than focusing on small details. For example, use the food groups - this is a food-focused approach rather than a calorie-focused one. There are lots of guides to how many servings of food groups each age group should have and they are certainly an easy measure. Don't forget that the dietary guidelines also include regular physical activity.

Replace foods rather than restrict foods, so for example if you take out a sausage roll, use ideas from you and your teen to add a better option in, don't just restrict the junk food. Again, adopt a healthy food-focused approach, and one that relates to your teen.

Make it easy

• Keep the food you have at home healthy.
• Have lots of food handy. This may include; fresh fruit, healthy snack bars, unsalted nuts such as almonds and cashews, healthy yoghurt, gourmet fruit and yoghurt, ingredients for smoothies, unsweetened juice or even better cold water.
• Suggest your teen doesn't walk on the side of the road where the fish and chip shop if the smell is too much of a temptation, walk on the other side.
• Encourage them to avoid getting hungry; we make our worst eating decisions when hungry.
• Be selective with fast foods, which don't have to be junk food as many companies now offer healthier options.
• Deli'ise your tastes: opt for gourmet pizza with less sources of fat or choose a low-fat fruit and yoghurt smoothie over a cola for example.
• On that, smoothies are a fantastic option, ideal for teens rushing out the door five minutes before the bus comes, or hungry after school or sport.
• Cook with olive oil and not fat or butter.
• Don't go cold turkey; have a free-choice day once a week, it makes the transition easier.

Created by Leanne Cooper © 2010, www.sneakys.com.au. This fact sheet may be reproduced in whole or in part for education and non-profit purposes with acknowledgment of the source. It may not be reproduced for commercial use or sale. The information provided is not meant to replace medical advice.

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