Australian teens don’t eat enough nutritious food. But we can change that

Teenagers lead busy lives.

And to get through everything from school exams to softball games, they need nutritious food.

But research suggests Australian teens aren’t getting the nutrients they need, because their diets often revolve around sugary, salty and processed foods.

So what’s behind this? And how can we help our teens eat better?

The teenage years

Adolescence is a crucial time of growth and development.

During this time, teenagers go through various physical changes. They generally double their body weight and go through a growth spurt. They also experience rapid hormonal changes, as the adolescent brain pumps out more hormones related to growth, stress and sexual development.

At the same time, they are dealing with various social and emotional pressures. This includes their growing desire to be independent which may involve distancing themselves from – or in some cases actively rebelling against – their family values. They may also develop new friendships, juggling these with other commitments such as schoolwork and sport.

Good nutrition helps teens navigate all these changes. However, research suggests teenagers aren’t eating enough healthy foods.

What teens are eating

Australian teenagers get, on average, around 35% of their daily energy from nutrient-poor, energy-dense foods. These include confectionery, processed meats and salty snacks. Young Australians also consume a lot of sweetened drinks, such as soft drinks and energy drinks. On average, teens have sugary drinks at least once a week.

Compared to other age groups, adolescents are the least likely to eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables – two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables each day. Worryingly, only 4% of teenagers meet that recommendation.

Worse still, globally roughly one-third of teenagers can’t access enough food. This may be because they live in regions affected by poverty, conflict or climate change.

One 2022 study examined the eating habits of students aged between 11 and 18, across 95 countries. It found up to 30% had experienced food insecurity – meaning they couldn’t access enough safe and nutritious food – in the last month. This study also suggested a link between food insecurity and reduced school attendance and physical activity, as well as poorer mental health.

Not just ‘bad choices’

So why are teenagers choosing unhealthy foods over healthy ones?

They are not simply making bad choices. So criticising their eating habits will only harm their relationship with food, and may contribute to feelings of shame and low self-esteem.

Research suggests teenagers make food choices based on various factors.

One is relationships. As teenagers grow and mature, they spend less time with their family and more time with their peers. As a result, their food choices are increasingly shaped by what their friends eat. Research suggests teenagers’ food choices are also influenced by where they socialise, such as fast food restaurants. The price of food also matters, with teenagers more likely to eat unhealthy foods because they are cheaper.

Another factor is social trends. Research suggests targeted advertising and celebrity endorsements have a disproportionate impact on adolescent food choices. And they mainly promote convenient, nutrient-poor options such as fast food and confectionery. Food trends, many of which are driven by social media, may also influence what teenagers eat. Recent examples include microwave-friendly mug cakes and the TikTok-famous “girl dinner”, both of which generally have little nutritional value.

Teenagers also care about taste. It goes without saying, junk food is delicious. That’s because food companies design it in a way that taps into our cravings, making us eat more. Research suggests teenagers may struggle to resist or stop eating unhealthy foods because they haven’t fully learnt to control their appetites. Advertising exacerbates this by framing unhealthy food as the most delicious and convenient option.

Raising healthier teens

The good news is, we can help our teens eat more nutritious foods. But that requires action on both a policy and household level.

In policy

Unfortunately, we tend to overlook teenagers in nutrition research and policy. Our new global framework for adolescent nutrition aims to change that. With help from young people and international nutrition experts, we developed several key recommendations:

• boost nutrition education in schools, by establishing a national school curriculum to safely promote healthy eating and combat nutrition misinformation from social media
• increase access to healthy, affordable foods by providing or subsidising healthy school meals, expanding community food programs in places where teenagers hang out such as sporting clubs and supporting local produce markets
• regulate how companies market unhealthy foods to young people, by restricting teen-directed advertising in apps and gaming platforms and banning unhealthy food marketing near schools, sporting fields and on public transport.

At home

There are also practical ways parents and families can help teenagers eat more healthily.

Here are some ideas:

• make your teen the “cook of the day”, assigning them one day each week where they choose and/or cook a nutritious meal that helps build their cooking skills
• involve your teen in meal planning, encouraging them to brainstorm healthy meals that are also tasty and affordable
• eat shared meals, ideally as a family and without any devices.

As policymakers, we must make healthy foods more visible, convenient and affordable for teenagers. And as parents, we shouldn’t shame teens for their eating habits, but instead show them how fun and achievable healthy eating can be. Together, these actions will help our teenagers grow into healthy, active adults.