Your boby
Did you know you grow faster during your teens than at any other time of life apart from when you were a baby? With all this growing and developing going on, is it any wonder that your body needs more food and nutrients at this time than you will ever need again?

Your body needs more protein, vitamins and minerals and it definitely needs more calories from the right foods. What you put into your body now can make a huge difference to your health both now and in the future. Eating the right foods is one of the things you can do to help you have more energy; stronger, healthier muscles; healthy skin, hair and nails and to look and feel your best.

Eating well can:

• Help you to reach your full height potential
• Help to make your bones strong and healthy
• Help your muscles to develop properly
• Help to keep your teeth strong and healthy
• Help to keep you at the right weight for your height
• Help to keep your skin healthy

Protein
Protein is the building blocks your body uses to grow. All kinds offish including cod, haddock, mackerel and herring are rich in protein.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A is needed for healthy eyes and skin. Lack of vitamin A can make skin dry and unhealthy. Oil-rich fish like salmon, trout, mackerel, and herring are a good source of vitamin A.

Vitamin D
If you don’t eat enough vitamin D, your body can’t absorb a lot of the calcium you eat and you might have bone problems when you get older. Oil-rich fish are a great source of vitamin D.

Zinc
Zinc helps you grow to your full height and to develop healthy muscles and skin. Zinc also helps to boost your immune system. Shellfish, especially oysters and crab, are rich in zinc, as are prawns and salmon.

Iodine
Iodine is needed to help your body grow and it also helps your brain to develop and stay healthy. Fish has more iodine than most other foods you can eat. Iodine is found in all kinds offish including cod, haddock, mackerel and mussels.

Iron
Iron is needed for healthy blood. Not eating enough iron will make you feel tired and irritable and may even affect your IQ level! Oil-rich fish and most shellfish are good sources of iron.

Calcium
Calcium helps to build strong bones and teeth. Up to one third of teenage girls don’t get enough calcium and this means they can have problems like osteoporosis when they are older. You need to eat 5 dairy foods a day like milk, cheese or yoghurt to get enough calcium; and you can get some calcium from sardines and from tinned salmon if you eat the bones as well as the fish.

• Eat a wide variety of healthy foods every day
• Eat fish at least twice a week
• Foods from the bread, cereals and potato group will give you energy - eat some foods from this group at every meal
• Fruit and vegetables are very important as they will give you vitamins, minerals and fibre. You need four or more portions of fruit and vegetables every day
• Keep high fat and high sugar foods for occasional treats. Try not to eat snack foods like sweets, crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks everyday - keep them to once or twice a week. If you are hungry in between meals, snack on yoghurt, fruit, bread or cheese
• Have regular meals - don ’t skip meals
• Get regular exercise. Exercise is needed to help build strong bones and to help keep a healthy weight and is also important for healthy skin and muscles
• Good, healthy food and regular exercise are especially important when you are studying for exams, to improve concentration.