Adolescence is the period when a growing child experiences a linear growth ‘spurt’ to attain his or her fullest potential of adult height, shape, body composition, physical and sexual function. The age of 10 to 18 years is the period of adolescence.  The adolescents need more nutrition to support their growth spurt. They also need energy for school, work and play. As such adolescents must:

• Eat three meals per day with healthy snacks (fruits and vegetables) in between meals
• Eat foods from all the six food groups
• Avoid too much salt/sugar
• Adolescent boys experience rapid muscular growth and engage in more physical activities than girls so they need more energy foods
• Adolescent girls, because of menstruation, need more iron than boys
• Girls should eat more foods high in iron such as liver, egg yolk, lean meat, green leafy and yellow vegetables, dried beans, dried fruits and vegetables and unpolished rice
• Adolescents have to eat foods rich in minerals like
  • Calcium for strong bone: e.g. small fish like: usipa, matemba, utaka ndi zina za mugulu la nyama.
  • Zinc; e.g. meat, fish, legumes, groundnuts, eggs, e.t.c
  • Vitamin C; green leafy vegetables, pepper, cabbages, fruits, tomatoes