Nutrition

Adolescence is the second-fastest growth period of your entire life. Your bones, muscles, and brain are still being built and they need a steady supply of protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals to do it well. The food choices you make in your teens and early twenties influence how well you focus in class, how stable your mood feels, how easily you fall asleep, and your risk of chronic illness decades from now.

Limited access to fresh food, tight family budgets, food insecurity, and being pulled between two food cultures can all make "eating well" feel out of reach. The goal here isn't a perfect diet. Instead, it's small, realistic shifts that work with your life, your culture, and your budget.

• Iron

  Carries oxygen in your blood. Low iron causes tiredness and trouble focusing. Find it in beans, lentils, lean meat, spinach, and fortified cereals.

• Calcium

  Builds strong bones during your peak bone-growth years. Get it from dairy, fortified plant milks, leafy greens, and tofu.

• Vitamin D

  Helps your body absorb calcium and supports your mood. Comes from sunlight, eggs, fatty fish, and fortified foods.

• Fiber

  Keeps digestion healthy and helps you feel full. Found in whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables.

• Protein

  Builds muscle, hormones, and brain tissue. Eggs, beans, lentils, peanut butter, yogurt, chicken, fish, and tofu all count.

• Omega-3 fats

  Critical for brain development and mood. Find them in walnuts, flax and chia seeds, salmon, sardines, and canned tuna.

A simple way to picture a meal: about half the plate vegetables and fruit, a quarter whole grains (rice, pasta, bread, tortillas), and a quarter protein (beans, fish, chicken, tofu, eggs). Add water on the side. Cultural foods absolutely count, in fact, most traditional meals are already built this way.

For visual references in multiple languages, see myplate.gov.

Mindful eating means paying attention to what you're eating, how it tastes, and how it makes you feel. It can help you enjoy food more, notice hunger and fullness cues, and avoid overeating without strict rules.

Cooking at home doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming. These free recipe collections focus on simple, budget-friendly meals that use whole ingredients and can be adapted to many cultural tastes.

• Buy beans and lentils dry

  A $2 bag of dried beans makes 6–8 servings of protein, cheaper than almost any meat.

• Frozen is just as nutritious

  Frozen fruit and vegetables are picked at peak ripeness, cost less, and don't go bad in a week.

• Cook once, eat three times

  A pot of rice, beans, or soup on Sunday becomes lunch Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

• Use SNAP / EBT and school meals

  Free and reduced-price school breakfast, lunch, and summer meal programs exist for a reason. They're yours to use.

• Shop the edges of the store

  Produce, dairy, and bulk grains tend to live on the perimeter. The center aisles are mostly ultra-processed.

There is no single "healthy" cuisine. Traditional Mexican, Salvadoran, Syrian, Afghan, Somali, Vietnamese, and Caribbean meals are typically built around vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and modest portions of meat, exactly what nutrition science recommends. You don't need to abandon your family's cooking to be healthy. The goal is to lean into the most nourishing version of the foods you already love.

• Eat breakfast

  Even something small, yogurt, fruit, toast with peanut butter, helps you focus all morning.

• Drink water

  Carry a water bottle. Aim for 6–8 cups a day. Thirst often feels like tiredness.

• Limit sugary drinks

  Soda and energy drinks spike and crash your energy. Try sparkling water with lime or unsweetened tea.

• Don't skip meals

  Skipping leads to overeating later and makes mood swings worse. Three meals + snacks is normal.

• Eat with people when you can

  Family or shared meals are linked to lower rates of disordered eating and better mental health.

• Notice how food makes you feel

  Energized after lunch? Sluggish after a soda? Your body is the most honest data source you have.

If you're skipping meals to control your weight, feeling out of control around food, using food to cope with hard feelings, or feeling unwell after most meals, those are signals worth taking seriously. A school nurse, doctor, or counselor can help. The National Alliance for Eating Disorders also runs a free helpline.

• MyPlate ↗

  Free meal planning tools and printable resources in English and Spanish.

• USDA SNAP-Ed ↗

  Recipes and shopping tips designed around tight grocery budgets.

• National Alliance for Eating Disorders ↗

  Free, confidential helpline and therapist referrals for disordered eating.

• Feeding America Food Bank Finder ↗

  Locate a free local food bank in your zip code.