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Plant Power

Teens: Fill Your Plate with Veggies & Fruits

Eat food, not too much, mostly  plants.

—Michael Pollan

Vegetables and fruits provide nutrients that nourish and protect your body and brain, you just need to eat enough of them.

Think essential vitamins, minerals and other health-promoting plant compounds known as phytonutrients. 

Continue this habit into adulthood, and you’ll increase your odds of staying healthy, year after year. 

It’s no surprise that a healthful diet is a plant-based diet. After all, the amazing ways phytonutrients impact health is an active area of research with scientists regularly publishing new findings. Yet, a nationwide survey1 of more than 13,300 high school students reveals a troubling reality: only 7% eat enough fruit and, worse, only 2% eat enough veggies. 

You can buck this dismal trend by following one simple rule: Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits (mostly veggies) throughout your day (including at breakfast and snack time). 

An easy way to fill your plate

You may be surprised to learn you only need a few servings of vegetables and fruit every day to help fully nourish your body. 

In fact, it could be as little as four cups, according to the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans.2

Here’s the minimum intake recommended for teens: 

  • Teen Girls
    Vegetables: At least 2½ cups per day
    Fruits: At least 1½ cups per day 
  • Teen Boys
    Vegetables: At least 3 cups per day
    Fruits: At least 2 cups per day

These guidelines are for moderately active teens (those who get about 30 minutes of exercise beyond normal daily activities). If you’re more active, you’ll want to eat more, especially more veggies.

For more inspiration on how to boost your intake of vegetables and fruits, check out the tips at www.myplate.gov.

For now, eat 4 to 5 cups of veggies and fruits every day. Your body (and brain) will thank you for it.

You’ve Got This!

Lorna & Kathleen (The EatingFor Team)

P.S. Like this tip? For more, check out You’ve Got This! 45 Doable Tips for Teens to Feel Good, Look Good & Succeed. Available at IngramSpark, Amazon.com and other online retailers.  

References

1. Lange SJ, Moore LV, Harris DM, et al. Percentage of adolescents meeting federal fruit and vegetable intake recommendations: youth risk behavior surveillance system, United States, 2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70(3):69-74. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7003a1

2. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th ed. December 2020. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/