As a teenager, dinner sometimes ends up as a piece of day old pizza or a cold bowl of cereal right before bed. Busy schedules with homework, sports, or extra-curricular activities can make it hard for a teenager to eat a well-balanced dinner. However, a good dinner improves sleep and contributes to overall health. With these benefits in mind, what should a teenager eat for dinner?
A teenager should aim to make a nutrient full dinner with half the plate full of fruit and vegetables and the other half a balance of protein and grains/starchy vegetables. Some good examples of dinners include a taco salad, chili/soup with a whole wheat roll, fish with roasted vegetables and brown rice, or a baked potato with chicken and vegetables.
These are just a couple of possible meals that can provide a nutrient full dinner to a growing teen. Creating a balance of carbohydrate, protein, healthy fats and fiber at dinner will best support a healthy lifestyle as a teen. The following article will provide more information regarding how to create a balanced meal along with other tips to create a healthy dinner experience.
How to Create a Healthy and Satisfying Dinner for a Teenager
Following the basic structure of the Choose My Plate diagram will help a teenager create a healthy, well balanced dinner. This pattern provides a good mix of carbohydrate, protein, fat and fiber.
Carbohydrates found in grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and some dairy products provide a teenager with necessary energy.
Protein found in meat, seafood, eggs, legumes, nuts and dairy products is the building block of the body. Body tissue, hormones, cell communication, nutrient transport and the immune system all require protein.
This nutrient also helps regulate blood sugar, preventing energy crashes throughout the day. Protein also promotes satiety between eating occasions.
Fats found in foods like fatty fish, nuts, olives, avocados and plant oils are essential to brain, organ, skin and hair health. Like protein, fat also assists with blood sugar control and feeling full.
Fiber from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes increases feelings of fullness, slows the release of sugar in the blood and improves gut health and digestion. Fiber also decreases the risk of chronic disease such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
All these nutrients combined in appropriate proportions make a satisfying and health promoting dinner. The following graph will provide more information about the food groups that come together for a balanced, nutrient full meal.
Components of Choose My Plate Meal Pattern
| Food Group | Fruit | Vegetables | Protein | Grains |
| Tips | Fruit can provide a sweet finisher to a meal, or be incorporated into the meal through a fun recipe. Choose a variety and limit fruit choices with added sugars. | Roast, steam or air fry these nutrient full foods for a satisfying side or use them to add flavor and color to a recipe. Don’t be afraid to try new vegetables as they all provide unique benefits. Limit vegetables with high sodium and saturated fat content. | Protein doesn’t just have to be meat. In fact, other protein sources will provide benefits that meat does not have. Look to include more plant based protein, seafood, dairy and eggs along with meat options. | Whole grains offer far more nutrients than refined grains. They should make up at least half of the grains a teen consumes daily. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn can also be used to balance out a plate in place of grains. Try to limit highly processed versions of these foods with added sodium, saturated fat and sugars. |
| Benefits | Fruits boost health through the high content of nutrients and other healthful components. Fruit provides fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients. | Just like fruit, vegetables are full of health promoting components. Vegetables provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals | On top of the obvious benefit of providing protein, the varying protein food sources also boast of unique health benefits. Fatty fish contain omega 3, meat offers iron and zinc, legumes with fiber and antioxidants, eggs contain nutrients for brain health and nuts give heart healthy fats. | Grains and starchy vegetables add energizing carbohydrates to the plate along with many other important nutrients. These nutrients include B-vitamins, iron, fiber and more. Whole grains are shown to be an important part of a healthy meal pattern and should not be avoided. |
| Ideas | Banana smoothie, apple slices with peanut butter, fruit salad, grilled pineapple on a burger, chopped apricots instead of jam, heated frozen berries to replace syrups, avocado with sandwiches | Steamed broccoli, roasted carrots, air fried Brussels sprouts, spaghetti squash mixed with pasta dish, vegetable toppings on pizzas or sandwiches, black beans mixed with taco meat, garbanzo beans with soups, butternut squash curry, taco salad, salsa | Baked salmon, kidney beans with ground beef, cottage or ricotta cheese with pasta dishes, seeds as a salad topper, egg with sandwiches, chicken in soup | Spanish brown rice, cooked quinoa, 100% whole grain spaghetti noodles with sauce, whole grain tortilla for burrito, whole grain bread for sandwiches, oatmeal pancakes, overnight oats, baked potato, sweet potato fries, corn on the cob |
Meal Ideas for Teenagers
The cold cereal and pizza mentioned at the beginning of this article can still be a part of a good dinner. Simply use the principles discussed to create a more balanced meal.
The cold cereal could receive a boost of nutrients, fiber, protein and healthy fats by simply adding slivered almonds and fruit to the bowl. Additionally, a teen could add an avocado toast with the cereal.
Replacing the cold cereal with a warm bowl of oatmeal will also transform the meal. Add in some pumpkin purée, Greek yogurt, cinnamon and a couple dark chocolate chips for a pumpkin cookie inspired bowl.
The pizza could be rounded out by adding some of your favorite vegetable toppings with a side of fruit. If cheese pizza is your jam, add a simple side salad with a fruit vinaigrette or a green smoothie.
Take a look at some typical dinners and see how easy adding fruits, vegetables, whole grains or protein can be. These additions will turn a low nutrient meal into a satiating, health promoting dinner to fuel the continued growth and development of a teen.
Other dinner ideas:
- Bean and chicken taco salad with corn, brown rice, mango salsa, cheese and avocado.
- 100% Whole wheat pita with hummus, veggies, cooked pineapple and a chickpea patty
- Bean and meat chili with baked potato and a side of fruit/favorite vegetables
- Salmon with roasted vegetables and quinoa along with a small fruit smoothie
On-the-go meals
Sometimes teenagers do not have the time to prepare or sit down and eat dinner. Instead, they may need something easy to grab and eat along the way to their next activity. A little extra thought or preparation at an earlier time can go a long way.
Leftovers from the night before make a great, fast option. Simply stick the food in a microwaveable container, heat it up until 165 F, and the meal is ready to go in under five minutes.
Sandwiches and wraps also make easy meals. With foreknowledge of a busy evening, a teen can prep these foods the day before. Add a bag of veggies and a piece of fruit and a balanced meal is ready to go.
Another easy prep meal comes in the form of a salad. This salad should be more than greens in order to fuel a teen well. Make sure to add a source of protein such as eggs and cheese along with some carbohydrates like quinoa or whole grain rice. A little bit of dressing or avocado will add some fat to assist with absorption of all those good nutrients.
Finally, when cooking meals, make a little extra and place in a freezer safe container. On days when cooking just seems like too much, grab one of these homemade freezer meals. Make sure to heat up food to 165 F and to date containers.
Best dinner tips for teens
- Try to eat dinner with the family. Studies find an association with higher academic performance, less risky behaviors, lowered risk of depression and better health with teenagers who participate in consistent family dinners.
- Avoid eating a heavy dinner right before bed. Choose a lighter meal if eating dinner less than an hour before bed, or make time to eat dinner a few hours earlier in the day. A heavy meal disrupts sleep and can make a teenager feel tired the next day.
- Limit caffeine, high fat and high sugar foods before bed. Just like with a heavy meal, these foods eaten too close to bed time will negatively affect sleep quality.
- Along with favorites, try new foods. Variety in the diet provides the most health benefits to a teenager. Teenagers may find themselves liking a previously disliked food due to taste preferences changing.
- Make dinner an enjoyable experience. Turn off distractions and choose to eat mindfully. Pay attention to taste, smell and texture. Slowing down and taking pleasure in the meal experience will increase satisfaction and improve eating habits.
Practicing these tips along with the information regarding how to create a balanced meal will help teenagers enjoy a healthy and satisfying dinner.
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