Girls must juggle many things during their teenage years with friends, family, hobbies, school and extracurricular activities. At times, a teenage girl may find herself missing meals or snacks as she rushes to the next activity. This hectic schedule may bring up the question, how often should a teenage girl eat?
In most cases, a teenage girl will find eating every 3-4 hours makes her feel her best. This frequency of eating translates into about 3 meals with 1-3 snacks throughout the day. A teenage girl should find a frequency of eating that allows her to meet her energy needs along with feeling satisfied and energized throughout the day.
Appropriate eating patterns for a teenage girl can be confusing at times with all the different diet tips promoted on social media. Continue reading to find more science based information regarding healthy eating as a teenage girl.
What happens if a teenager does not eat enough?
One main reason frequency plays a role in appropriate eating patterns is that infrequent eating can lead to insufficient calorie intake.
During such a crucial period of growth and development, not eating enough food can have serious and long term negative health effects. The following list outlines various consequences of under-eating.
- Irritability
- Lack of energy
- Brittle hair and nails
- Intolerance to cold
- Stunted growth
- Constipation
- Poor cognition
- Delayed puberty
- Decreased immunity
- Dry skin
- Intolerance to cold
- Increased risk of poor heart health
- Lower bone mineral density
Overall, not eating enough will lead to decreased well-being. A teenage girl should avoid skipping meals and aim for consistent, well balanced meals and snacks to help ensure adequate intake.
Other consequences of not eating often enough throughout the day
Long hours between eating occasions will lead to extreme hunger. This hunger promotes overeating at the next eating occasion and possible binging.
Also, teenagers may find it more difficult to eat balanced meals and snacks. When extremely hungry, teens will grab quick and easy foods, which usually means highly processed snacks. Eating these types of foods too often can decrease health and are rarely satisfying.
Infrequent eating can also lead to blood sugar spikes and crashes. These crashes will cause tiredness and brain fog, which affects academic and athletic performance. A teenager may find themselves feeling more irritable throughout the day when they do not eat frequently enough.
On top of the usual stress of a teenage girl’s life, skipping meals can also increase body stress. The fall in blood sugar stimulates the release of cortisol, a stress hormone, to help regulate blood sugars. Chronically elevated levels of cortisol can harm both mental and physical health.
Disordered eating
There are many reasons a teenage girl may skip meals and snacks during the day. Reasons range from a busy schedule to a lack of access to food. During this time of life, teenage girls are also highly susceptible to developing disordered eating and eating disorders.
Skipping meals can indicate the development of an eating disorder. Some other signs to look for include:
- Weight or food becomes main focus
- Food restrictions and rules
- Uncomfortable eating with others
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- Weight changes both up or down
- Excessive exercise
- Brittle nails and hair
- Intolerance to cold
- Menstrual irregularities
- Irritable
- Sleeping problems
- Fine hair on skin
- Laxative use
If an eating disorder is suspected, reach out to a healthcare professional or call the NEDA helpline for support. This website provides an eating disorder screening tool and resources for help. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline.
Tips for not skipping meals
- Set an alarm
When meals and snacks are simply forgotten due to the fast-paced life of a teenage girl, setting an alarm to eat may be helpful. This alarm gives the teen a chance to check in, assess and respond to hunger cues.
- Make eating a priority
Set aside time for eating. When creating a schedule for the day, try to arrange times for three meals and necessary snacks. Sitting down to eat increases satisfaction and good eating habits. This may mean waking up a few minutes earlier to eat breakfast before school or other activities.
- Try some new recipes
When faced with the same old ramen or pizza every night, teenagers may find themselves less likely to sit down and eat. When time permits, teens can try new recipes. These recipes will increase culinary skills, provide time for friends and family and increase desire to sit down and eat.
- Make it fun with friends or family
If teenagers feels too busy, they can incorporate eating meals into family and social life. They can sit down with family or friends and enjoy a good mealtime conversation. Try potluck or make a meal together as an activity.
- Meal prep
Find a time or day to create several meals or snacks. Then, when life feels a little more chaotic, teens can grab and eat meals without the time and hassle required by preparation. This meal prep also promotes a healthier meal pattern by replacing ultra-processed snacks and meals with more balanced alternatives.
- Pack a meal
When a schedule leaves little time for eating, much less traveling to access food, pack a meal the day before. Packed meals can be easy and fun, while providing a teen with necessary nutrition.
- Use the freezer
When cooking a meal, make extra to put in the freezer. These freezer meals make an easy, no hassle homemade meal. Also, frozen vegetables, fruit and protein options give a teenager fast access to nutrient dense foods.
- Have balanced snacks available and accessible
Hunger can hit a teenage girl at surprising times. When a teen needs to head out the door, the most accessible food will be grabbed first. If the most accessible food is a candy bar, that’s probably what a teen will grab. Try to place balanced snacks in accessible areas.
Tips for on-the-go meals and snacks
Effective meals and snacks keep a teenage girl feeling energized and satisfied throughout the day. A good meal or snack will include a balance of protein, carbohydrate and fat. Including a variety of foods will also help meet fiber and other nutrient needs.
Carbohydrates provide the body and brain with energy. Inadequate carbohydrate intake will cause fatigue and brain fog in a teenager. Great sources of carbohydrates include grains, fruit, vegetables, legumes and some dairy products.
When possible, a teenager should choose whole grains such as 100% whole grain pastas, breads and tortillas, oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice and popcorn. Whole grains contain a higher amount of nutrients and fiber than their refined grain counterparts (think white flour, white rice, etc.).
Along with whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes boast of high nutrient and fiber content. Dairy gives adolescents nutrients crucial to good bone and body health.
Protein is the primary building block of the body. This nutrient assists with tissue building, maintenance and repair, hormone production, cell communication, nutrient transportation and healthy blood.
The body utilizes protein best when eaten frequently instead of all at once. The body works best with 15-30g protein every 3-4 hours. This frequency works well with eating 3 meals along with 1-3 snacks.
Good protein sources include lean meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, legumes, seeds and dairy products
Dietary fat is vital to health as well. Fat plays a key role in healthy cells, skin, hair and organs, nutrient absorption, brain health, energy use and storage, and food taste and quality.
Some fats benefit the body more than others. Unsaturated fats promote brain and heart health and can be found in plant oils, avocados, olives, nuts, seeds and fatty fish. Excess saturated fats are associated with poorer health outcomes and should be limited. Butter, lard, coconut/palm oils, meat and highly processed foods contain this type of fat.
Hunger satisfying meals and snacks will combine carbohydrates with a source of protein, fat and fiber. The protein, fat and fiber help slow down digestion as well as the release of sugar into the blood. This slow down means an apple with peanut butter will create a more satisfying, filling and longer lasting energy snack than just an apple alone.
Quality on the go snack and meal ideas
Snacks:
- Fruit with nut butter
- Trail mix
- Vegetables with hummus
- Protein energy balls (see recipe below)
- Cheese with whole grain crackers
- Yogurt with granola and fruit
- Popcorn
- Avocado on toast
- Banana peanut butter smoothie
- Cottage cheese with fruit
Meals:
- Whole grain peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- Bean and cheese quesadilla
- Oatmeal with nut butter and fruit
- Tuna fish sandwich
- Taco salad (lettuce, salsa, cheese, protein source)
- Pre-made scrambled eggs with vegetables, avocado and toast
- Bean burritos
- Omelet
Protein Energy Ball Recipe
- 3/4 cup Peanut Butter
- 1.5-2 Tbsp. Honey
- 1.5 Cups Oatmeal
- 1/2-3/4 Cup mix-in (dried fruit, choco. chips, nuts, etc.)
Heat peanut butter and honey in pot on stove, stir constantly until melted. Turn off heat and mix in oatmeal and mix-ins. Form balls with hands. If necessary, add more peanut butter or water to get it to stick together.
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