Healthy Eating Tips for Your Teens to Study Effectively

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“What you eat not only feeds your body but is indeed fuel your hungry mind too. Unfold some effective healthy eating tips for your teens and turn them super genius.” 

Are your kids really ready for the GCSE?  

Famous Nutrition Consultant Claudine Ryan explains that a strong memory completely depends on the vitality and health o your brain. 

In the last blog, we discussed memorizing techniques but these techniques result in vain if your teen is not following good eating habits.  

While glucose is the main energy source for the body and brain, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients help in the optimal functioning of the brain.   

As your teenager steps into adolescence, good nutrition is equally important at this age as well. The body is rapidly changing and growing and requires good food to sustain its development. 

This blog throws light on the importance of good nutrition for teens, which nutrients and food are important and some healthy eating tips for your teen to study effectively.  

Role of Healthy Diet/Nutrition for Teens  

As teens are growing, it is very important to make them aware of good eating habits so that they can make more responsible decisions for their health and body.  

Importance of right nutrition in teens  

• More energy is required as the kids are stepping into puberty.  

• Healthy eating habits ensure proper nutrients are supplied to their growing needs and appetite.  
• Supports body growth and improves cognitive abilities.   
• A healthy breakfast ensures that they stay hydrated throughout the day. 
• Boosts mood, reduces absenteeism 
• A healthy brain leads to a great memory. Thereby, improving academic performance.  

Which nutrients are important? 

According to British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), some important nutrients that are important for improved brain functionality in teens are: 

• Proteins 

Proteins play a crucial role in building and repairing our tissues and cells. They are also known as bodybuilding foods and form a major component of the bone, hair, organs, nails and muscle.  

• Iron 

In today’s times of COVID, one needs to have strong immunity and what’s better than Iron. This mineral provides energy for body growth and is essential for focus and the strong immune system of the body. 

• Vitamin D 

Vitamin D is essential to keep bones and teeth healthy. It helps bind calcium to the bones and protects your teens against various infections and diseases. 

• Calcium  

This mineral works along with Vitamin D to ensure healthy teeth and bones. Calcium plays an important role in muscle movements, brain health and improves cardiovascular functionality.  

• Fibers 

Though not that nutritious, fibers are vital to your teens’ bowel movement and keeping the gut healthy.  

Apart from these, there are several vitamins and minerals that aid in better brain functioning as well as mental and physical health of your teens. 

• Riboflavin (vitamin B2) 
• Vitamin A 
• Vitamin C 
• Vitamin B6 & B12 
• Niacin 
• Thiamin  
• Copper, magnesium and iodine 
• Phosphorous 

Deficiency of any of these could lead to serious health problems.  

Healthy eating tips for the teens to study effectively 

1. Don’t skip breakfast 

Studies have proved that students who are well-fed and have had their breakfast tend to perform better than those who skip it. 

If you want your teen to have better concentration, memory and retention power, make sure to feed her with a healthy breakfast.  

2. Snack in between 

Global dietitians and nutritionists encourage the teens to refuel themselves after every 3-4 hours to ensure the right energy and blood sugar levels.  

Plan out a few small breaks in your timetable and grab a quick snack for instant energy.  

3. Low on sugar 

Foods containing a lot of sugar do provide you with instant energy levels but these are short-termed. After some time they will leave your teenager drained and fatigued. 

Rather than having soft drinks or other sugary stuff, prefer eating healthier options such as fruits, salads, nuts and low-fat yogurt to meet your energy needs. 

4. Stay Hydrated  

Dehydration is the biggest enemy of memory retention, concentration and brainpower.  

It’s very important to drink plenty of fluids every day and especially during exam times to ensure that your body is fully hydrated.  

A dehydrated body leads to a fatigued brain, constant headaches and lack of concentration. Make sure that your teen drinks at least 6-7 glasses of water every day.   

5. Avoid Caffeine 

Try going for decaffeinated coffee instead of a normal one.  

If you don’t have an option, then don’t drink more than 2 cups of coffee in a day.  

An excessive dosage of coffee results in irritability, sleeplessness, stress, anxiety and restlessness. These are the last things that you want for your teen while she is struggling to concentrate on her studies.    

6. Lose weight sensibly  

If your teenager is on diet, make sure that he/she is not starving or aiming for diets that offer quick solutions but are harmful.  

The best way to lose weight is by eating a healthy balanced diet and doing a regular physical workout.  

Which foods to eat and avoid? 

Foods to eat 

According to World Health Organization, teens need to consume a healthy diet that is rich in nutrient-dense food.  

This balanced diet involves replacing high-starchy foods with other healthy options such as fruits, vegetables and other fat-free or low-fat dairy products.   

According to a study, the recommended calorie intake for a normal teen should be around 45-65% carbohydrates, 25-35% of fats and 10-30% protein intake.  

Have a look at some healthy options for: 

Carbohydrate Rich food: Brown rice, whole-grain pasta and bread, fruits & vegetables.  

Proteins-rich food: seafood, beans, nuts, poultry, seeds, soy, meat etc. 

Fat rich foods:   Olives, seeds, nuts, yogurt, avocados, fatty fish  

Foods to avoid 

The nutritionists recommended not to avoid some particular foods completely but it important to limit their intakes such as fast & processed food, foods with excess salt or added sugars etc.  

Limit your intake for candies, cookies, chips & fries, cheeseburgers, fried chicken etc.   

Some additional tips for healthy eating for study and sports   

Eating Tips for studying   

Our brain definitely needs extra energy to cope with the growing demands of exam pressure, studies and body development needs.  

Check some additional tips that will help you manage your energy in a better way: 

• Eat-in small and frequent intervals. 
• Some quick-to-eat nutritious meals include peanut-butter sandwiches, frozen dinners, tuna/chicken salad sandwiches, breakfast cereal, baked beans, boiled eggs etc. 
• Replace your chips, lollies with some healthier snack options such as nuts, fresh fruits, veggie sticks, yogurt etc.  
• Don’t use caffeine to make your teen feel more awake. It may harm sleeping patterns. Rather, prefer for green tea or herbal tea. 
• Water is essential. Drink that in plenty. 
•  Alongside healthy eating, the physical workout is also essential as it improves your blood circulation and maintains the level of nutrients and oxygen flowing in the brain.    

Eating Tips for Sports & playing  

Along with eating healthy for studying, it’s important to eat well for your sporting needs as well.   

Here are a few food options that help boost your teen’s endurance and stamina. 

• Yogurt and fruits 
• Peanut butter sandwich and banana 
• Fruits and low-fat custard 
• English muffin with honey and peanut butter 
• Sushi rolls
• Oats muffins
• Low-fat muesli bar 

Top 8 foods for your brain  

Staying healthy helps your teen to perform exceptionally well in academics as well as to attain their educational goals. A healthy diet is important for the growth and development of the body but some foods work like magic for brain health. 

Let’s have a look at the top 8 of them.  

1. Citrus Fruits  

Citrus fruits such as grapes and oranges are rich in flavonoids that have the ability to promote learning and boost memory. In addition, they protect nerve cells from injury and mitigate the chances of any mental decline. 

2. Berries  

Berries such as strawberries, blackberries and blueberries are rich in compounds called anthocyanins. These compounds aid blood circulation towards the brain.  

Apart from protecting against inflammation, berries improve the signaling pathways and help in better neurotransmission and enhance mental performance.  

3. Cocoa & Dark chocolate  

Cocoa products especially dark chocolates are also loaded with flavonoids that boost memory and reaction time. 

4. Nuts  

Nuts contain Vitamin E, zinc, etc and other nutrients that improve your brain health and overall mental status. They are concentrated sources of proteins, healthy fats and fiber. 

Nuts keep your teen fuelled for many hours and are an excellent replacement for snacks. 

5. Eggs 

Eggs, nature’s multivitamins are rich in nutrients that are important for brain function.  

They have vitamin B12, selenium and choline that have proven to offer positive results for memory, cognition, coordination and boost your synapses.  

6. Avocados  

Avocados are a rich source of carotenoids that positively impacts your brain’s functionality as well as improve mental accuracy.   

7. Fish 

Fatty fish contain Omega-3S that contain brain-promoting nutrients like selenium and vitamin B-12.  

Regular intake of fish improves your memory, recalling power and better mental growth.  

8. Green, Orange and red vegetables 

Vegetables such as peppers, green leaves, carrots, etc have carotenoid pigments that boost mental performance.  

It deeply influences your teen’s cognitive power and mental abilities.  

Bottom Line  

Nutrition plays a key role in every stage of life, whether it’s a toddler or a kid stepping into adolescence.  

Having a great diet along with great eating habits is important when you’re studying exams or doing regular classes.  

Add the foods listed above to your teen’s diet to ace the mental power, overall health and excellent memory.  

Encourage your child to a balanced diet and healthy eating habits as that help him reinforce positive behaviors which will continue with him/her for life.   

Stay tuned with us to uncover more interesting insights on your teen’s education and upbringing.  

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