Nutrition & Healthy Eating

As a growing preteen, taking care of your body is especially important. Growing strong involves making healthy choices in what you eat all the time – both at meals and for snacks. Learning healthy eating habits is something that you can continue for the rest of your life.

A balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, fats, and dairy products will give you the best start for your body's development.

Junk foods such as potato chips, candy, sodas, and fast food are high in fat and calories that provide little or temporary energy. Sodas are full of "empty calories" – meaning that you don't feel full after drinking a soda, but one soda can have as many calories as a few apples or three servings of carrots.

One fast food meal of a double patty burger, a large soda (24 ounces), and extra-large fries can contain all the calories necessary for the body in one day (1,500 for a moderately active person). However, it doesn't nourish you as much as a well-balanced meal.

This section provides information about why it is important to eat healthy and what that means – including useful information for preteens thinking about becoming a vegetarian.

Follow the links on the left of the page under "Nutrition" for more related articles about Preteens & Eating Healthy.

Additionally, related content for Teens & Nutrition can also be found to the right of the page under "For More Information".

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