As your kids begin to hit puberty they will start to feel hungrier and eat more. That’s because their bodies are going through major growth spurts through these years. This extra food will give your child extra energy and nutrients to support their growth and development. 

You might also see your child start changing their eating habits. The most common habit that pre-teens and teenagers start is that they eat fewer fruits and vegetables and more fatty and sugary foods, and this could mean that they have picked up this habit from a friend, or because they have their own money to spend on food or because they want to explore their own ways of eating. 

How can you encourage healthy eating habits in your pre-teen and teen? 

As you child gets more independence and they can make their own food choices, you can encourage their healthy habits by: 

• Being a healthy eating role model
• Creating a healthy food environment at home 
• Talking about healthy eating in a positive way 

Risks of unhealthy eating habits 

There are many unhealthy eating habits such as, eating too much, not eating enough or having restricted eating can have a negative affect on your child’s health and wellbeing. But with positive and healthy eating habits in adolescence this risk will be reduced.