Eating and Drinking: Teenage Zone

Neurodiversity Hub Wirral

Teenage Zone

(Suggested alternative: Healthy Eating Tips for Teenagers)

The teenage years are a key time for growth and change. Teenagers become more independent and start making their own food choices. Wherever possible, they should be encouraged to be active and eat a varied diet.

A healthy, varied diet gives your body the energy and nutrients it needs. This helps you concentrate at school, take part in sports and feel well.

Below are some simple tips.

Try to have breakfast

(Suggested alternative: Start Your Day With Breakfast)

Some people think skipping breakfast helps with weight loss. This is not true.
Breakfast gives you energy after a long time without food.

Here are some ideas:

  • wholegrain toast with low‑fat spread, a glass of orange juice and low‑fat yoghurt

  • a bowl of cereal (low in fat, salt and sugar) with low‑fat milk (green, orange or red‑cap milk), plus an apple or banana

  • porridge with chopped banana and blueberries or dried fruit

  • boiled, poached or scrambled egg on toast, with a fruit smoothie

Eat three meals a day

(Suggested alternative: Keep a Simple Meal Routine)

Try to have breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.

At each meal, include:

  • at least one portion of fruit or vegetables

  • a starchy food such as wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta or potatoes with the skin on

Aim for five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Fresh, frozen, canned and dried all count.

Examples of one portion:

  • two small fruits (plums or satsumas)

  • one medium fruit (banana or apple)

  • one heaped tablespoon of dried fruit

Boost your iron

(Suggested alternative: Getting Enough Iron)

Iron is important, especially for teenage girls, who lose iron during their period.
Iron helps make red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body.

Nearly half of teenage girls do not get enough iron.

Good sources include:

  • red meat and liver

  • wholegrains (such as wholemeal bread)

  • iron‑fortified cereals (such as cornflakes or Weetabix)

  • dark green vegetables (spinach, broccoli, peas)

  • beans (kidney beans, chickpeas, baked beans)

  • dried fruits (raisins, apricots, figs)

  • seeds (sesame or pumpkin seeds)

Build up your bones

(Suggested alternative: Getting Enough Calcium for Strong Bones)

During your teenage years, your bones grow quickly.
They get bigger, stronger and denser. Most of your “bone mass” (the amount of bone tissue in your body) is built between ages 18 and 25.
By the end of your teenage years, you will have built at least 90% of your adult bone strength.

This makes your teenage years the best time to look after your bone health.

Good sources of calcium include:

  • dairy foods such as milk, yoghurt and cheese (choose low‑fat versions if you can)

  • white and brown bread (calcium is added to flour in the UK)

  • calcium‑fortified dairy alternatives, such as soya drinks and yoghurts

  • calcium‑fortified breakfast cereals

  • dark green vegetables such as spinach, peas and cabbage

  • fish you can eat with the bones, such as canned sardines, canned salmon or whitebait

Drink plenty of fluids

(Suggested alternative: Staying Hydrated)

Your body loses water when you exercise, especially through sweat.
It is important to drink enough every day.

Try to have 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day.

Good choices include:

  • water

  • low‑fat milk

A small 150ml glass of unsweetened fruit juice is fine, but keep it to once a day.

Try to avoid having lots of sugary drinks or energy drinks.
These can harm your teeth, especially between meals.

Limit how much fast food you eat

(Suggested alternative: Keeping Takeaways as an Occasional Treat)

Fast food often contains a lot of saturated fat, salt and sugar.
Eating too much of these foods can affect your health.
It is best to have them only sometimes.

Snack sensibly

(Suggested alternative: Healthy Snack Ideas)

If you get hungry between meals, choose healthier snacks such as:

  • fresh or dried fruit

  • a small handful of unsalted nuts and/or seeds

  • yoghurt

  • wholemeal pitta bread with dips such as houmous, cream cheese or salsa

You can find more ideas here:
https://www.what0-18.nhs.uk/health-for-young-people

Eating disorders

(Suggested alternative: Understanding Eating Disorders)

Everyone has their own eating style, and many ways of eating are healthy.
But some eating patterns are linked to strong worries about body weight or body shape.
For example, a person may fear being a healthy weight or fear becoming fat.

These thoughts can affect the body and daily life.
These eating patterns are called eating disorders.
Eating disorders are often a way of coping with stress or difficult feelings.

Below are some common eating disorders.

Anorexia nervosa

(Suggested alternative: What Anorexia Nervosa Looks Like)

A person with anorexia is underweight and has a strong fear of gaining weight.
They may:

  • limit or restrict what they eat

  • avoid foods they think will make them gain weight

  • make themselves sick (purge)

  • exercise too much to lose weight

Treatment for under 18s:
Children and young people should be offered:

  • family therapy

  • another talking therapy such as CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) or adolescent‑focused psychotherapy

More information:
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/anorexia/overview/

Bulimia nervosa

(Suggested alternative: What Bulimia Nervosa Looks Like)

A person with bulimia is usually a healthy weight.
They often binge‑eat large amounts of food in a short time and feel out of control.
They then try to “undo” the eating by:

  • making themselves sick

  • using laxatives or diuretics

  • fasting

  • exercising too much

These behaviours can be very secretive and hard to spot.

Treatment for children and young people:
Young people are usually offered:

  • family therapy

  • CBT if family therapy is not suitable

More information:
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/bulimia/overview/

Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS)

(Suggested alternative: When Eating Difficulties Do Not Fit One Diagnosis)

EDNOS is when a person shows most, but not all, signs of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.
They still need support and treatment.

If you are aged 8 to 18, you can be referred to the Children and Young People’s Eating Disorder Service:
https://www.cornwallft.nhs.uk/children-and-young-people-eating-disorder-service

What happens if you are referred to the service?

(Suggested alternative: What to Expect When You Come to the Service)

We understand that meeting new people and talking about personal things can feel worrying.
Your first appointment will be a new patient assessment.
This is a chance for us to get to know you and understand what you need.

What we will ask about

(Suggested alternative: What We Talk About in the Assessment)

We will ask questions about different areas of your life.
This helps us understand your strengths, challenges and what support may help you.

You can have some time on your own during the assessment if you prefer.

We encourage you to think about what you want to share before the appointment.
You can write notes and bring them with you.
This can help you remember the things that are important to say.

Understanding your needs

(Suggested alternative: Finding the Right Support for You)

Our aim is to learn what support you need.
Sometimes another service may be more helpful for you.
If so, we will explain this and help plan the next steps.

Your choice to attend

(Suggested alternative: You Are in Control of Your Care)

You do not have to attend appointments.
It is your choice to work with us, and your care will be led by you.

If you do not feel ready to work with us, or if you want to stop after starting, we will respect your decision.
We will help you make a safety plan if needed.

If we feel you are at high risk of harm and not able to work with us, we will talk with you and your parent or carers about other options.

Confidentiality

(Suggested alternative: How We Keep Your Information Safe)

Anything you tell us is kept confidential within the team.

However, if you tell us something that suggests you or someone else is at risk of harm, we must share this with the right services to keep you safe.

If we need to share information, we will always explain:

  • why we are sharing it

  • who we are sharing it with

Useful videos

(Suggested alternative: Stories and Information About Eating Disorders)

  • Anorexia: Katie’s story – NHS
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOouAmEEnlc

  • It happens to boys too – Freddie Flintoff shares his experience (BBC)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7qYccObggc

  • What it means to have an eating disorder – NHS
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRQe8NcqvVY

More information:
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/eating-disorders/overview/

Resources for young people

(Suggested alternative: Where to Get Support)

If you are a young person struggling with an eating disorder, these resources may help:

  • Beat Eating Disorders
    https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/

  • Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI)
    https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/
    Provides self‑help modules you can use on your own or with a parent or carer.

Alcohol and drugs

(Suggested alternative: How Alcohol and Drugs Affect Teenagers)

Drinking alcohol before the age of 18 can be harmful.
The younger you are when you start drinking, the more harm it can cause.
The effects can also last a long time.

Some drugs, including alcohol, can make you feel relaxed or more confident.
This may seem helpful for anxiety in the moment.
But the effects do not last, and they can cause bigger problems later on.

For example:

  • you may feel like you need alcohol or drugs to cope

  • your anxiety or low mood may feel worse when the effects wear off

  • you may feel physically unwell

The risks of taking drugs

(Suggested alternative: Why Drugs Can Be Dangerous)

There is always a risk when taking drugs.
Drugs can affect people in different ways.
It is also hard to know what is in a drug or where it came from.

If you use drugs often, you may reach a point where:

  • the drug starts to control you

  • you hide your use from friends or family

  • getting more of the drug becomes the most important thing

  • you think about drugs or alcohol all the time

These are signs of addiction.
Addiction is closely linked to mental health problems.

How alcohol affects the teenage brain

(Suggested alternative: Why Alcohol Is Risky for Teenagers)

Teenage years are an important time for learning and development.
Your brain is still growing, and alcohol can cause lasting changes.

Drinking alcohol as a teenager can lead to:

  • memory problems

  • difficulty learning

  • problems with verbal skills

  • higher risk of alcohol dependence as an adult

  • higher risk of depression and other mental health illnesses later in life

How alcohol affects teenage life

(Suggested alternative: Alcohol and Your Daily Life)

Drinking at a young age can affect your social life and opportunities.
For example, you may:

  • spend time drinking instead of taking part in sports or hobbies

  • use alcohol to cope with worries or stress

  • be more likely to try other harmful substances

  • struggle at school if alcohol affects your memory or learning

  • lose confidence around friends

  • be more likely to develop anxiety, depression or self‑harming behaviours

  • have more suicidal thoughts

More information can be found here:

  • YoungMinds: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/drugs-and-alcohol/

  • GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/alcohol-young-people-law