Nutrition for Children and Teenagers : 270 Articles

Eating well and being physically active are keys to a child's well-being. A healthy diet not only supplies all the nutrients that growing children and teens need, it also lays the foundation for future health.  Scan this section for research findings and articles on how certain foods, vitamins, minerals, and physical activity impact a child's health.

Study: Subway food may not be much healthier than McDonald's

Subway may promote itself as the "healthy" fast food restaurant, but it might not be a much healthier alternative than McDonald's for adolescents, according to new UCLA research.…

Magnesium may be as important as calcium to kids' bone health

Parents are advised to make sure their children drink milk and eat other calcium-rich foods to build strong bones. Soon, they also may be urged to make sure their kids eat salmon, almonds,…

Vitamin D may lower diabetes risk in obese children and adolescents

Being obese puts individuals at greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes, a disease in which individuals have too much sugar in their blood. Now, University of Missouri researchers found…

High protein breakfast reduces evening snacking

According to a new study, eating a breakfast rich in protein significantly improves appetite control and reduces unhealthy snacking on high-fat or high-sugar foods in the evening. This is the…

Most pre-packaged meals, snacks for toddlers contain too much salt

Nearly 75 percent of commercial pre-packaged meals and savory snacks for toddlers are high in sodium, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and…

High glycemic index foods and dairy products linked to acne

New research has determined that there is increasing evidence of a connection between diet and acne, particularly from high glycemic load diets and dairy products, and that nutrition therapy…

Fast food diet linked to asthma and eczema severity in kids

Eating three or more weekly servings of fast food is linked to the severity of allergic asthma, eczema, and rhinitis among children in the developed world, indicates a large international…

Combo-snack of cheese and vegetables cut kids calories

Kids given a combination of cheese and vegetables will eat only about a quarter as many calories as those given potato chips, according to a new study from Cornell University. The findings may…

Occasional family meals enough to boost kids' fruit, vegetable intake

Eating meals together as a family, even if only once or twice a week, increases children's daily fruit and vegetable intake to near the recommended 5 servings per day, according to…

Iron, omega-3s have different effects on kids' brains

For children with low stores of two brain-power nutrients, supplements may have different, and complex, effects, a new clinical trial suggests. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional…

High exposure to food toxins: preschool kids particularly vulnerable

In a new study published in the journal Environmental Health, researchers at UC Davis and UCLA measured food-borne toxin exposure in children and adults by pinpointing foods with high levels…

Kids consume more calories, fewer nutrients when eating out

Children and teens consume more calories and soft drinks and fewer nutrients on days they eat at either fast-food or full-service restaurants, compared to days they eat home-prepared meals.…

American Academy of Pediatrics weighs in on organic foods for kids

Parents know it's important for children to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains. But it's less clear whether spending the extra money…

Older overweight children consume fewer calories than their healthy weight peers

A new study by University of North Carolina School of Medicine pediatrics researchers finds a surprising difference in the eating habits of overweight children between ages 9 and 17 years…

Obese youth at much greater risk of gallstones

Children who are overweight or obese face an increased risk for gallstones, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition.…

Children's healthy diets linked to higher IQ

Children fed healthy diets in early age may have a slightly higher IQ, while those on heavier junk food diets may have a slightly reduced IQ, according to new research from the University of…

Group program helps teens keep weight off

Four months of weekly group discussions and physical activity sessions helped overweight teens lose weight and keep some of it from coming back, finds a new study. The weight loss, about seven…

Families that eat together may be healthier

Growing evidence strongly suggests that fewer family meals translate to increased obesity risk and poor nutritional status, especially among kids. Studies have found that teens who…

Pediatricians advised to screen children for vitamin D deficiency

As studies continue to show the fundamental role vitamin D plays in disease and health, vitamin D deficiency should be on every parent's and pediatrician's radar, say physicians from…

Smaller servings mean more balanced meals for kids

Feeding preschoolers smaller portions of the main dish at lunchtime means they'll eat more fruit and vegetables on the side and fewer total calories, according to a new study. Researchers…