How to Choose a Good Vitamin for a Teenager

Teenagers undergo a growth spurt around the start of their adolescent years. At this time the nutritional and energy needs for boys are higher than at any other times of their lives, while a girl's highest nutrition and energy needs come when she's pregnant or breastfeeding. A good multivitamin can help your teenager to be more active and to lead a happier lifestyle, according to Science Daily.

Instructions

• 1

  Understand your teenager's dietary needs. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a total intake of 2,200 calories for girls aged 11 to 24. Their nutrition should consist of nine portions of bread, cereal, rice and pasta, four or five portions of milk, yogurt or cheese, four portions of vegetables, three portions of fruit, two or three milk products and a total of six ounces of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts daily. They should not consume more than 73 grams of fat and 12 teaspoons of added sugar. Boys aged between 11 to 14 should have a calorie total intake of 2,500, rising to 3,000 when they are 15 to 18 and dropping to 2,900 when they are 19 to 24. All age groups should consume 11 portions of bread, cereal, rice and pasta, five portions of vegetables, four portions of fruit and a total of seven ounces of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts daily. Boys age 11 to 18 should eat four or five servings of milk, yogurt and cheese, those aged 19 to 24 should drop to two or three servings. 11 to 14 year old should only consume 83 grams of total fat, which rises to 100 grams for 15 to 18 year teenagers. Total added sugar should not exceed 18 teaspoons. Coinciding with their increased nutritional needs, this is the stage when your children may develop poor eating habits and bow to peer pressure. The chance of your teens eating such a healthy diet is slim, especially when they eat at school or at their friends' homes, resulting in you having little idea of what they have consumed. A good multivitamin is vital during this period.

• 2

  Recognize that their changing bodies have increased needs for vitamins and minerals. Physical and biochemical changes are taking place, so they need nutrients to assist these changes. Folic acid and vitamin B12 aids with the rapid tissue synthesis, and vitamins B6 and D are required in higher amounts for tissue and skeletal growth. The need for vitamins B1, B2 and B3 also increases as their calorie intakes increases. Vitamins A, C and E help with the structure and function of newly formed cells. The presence of calcium, zinc and magnesium is required during the growing years to increase bone density.

• 3

  Enlist the aid of your teenager in choosing a good multivitamin. Impress on him the importance of a good diet and the need to eat regularly at this crucial stage of his life. You can appeal to his vanity, show him how a good diet can lead to looking attractive and will help him to lead a more active lifestyle. If you can, bring him to a nutritionist, but if not, go shopping together. The more involved he is, the more likely he will be to take his supplements. Look for one that includes vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D, E d-Alpha, biotin, calcium panthothenate, choline, bioflavinoids, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, beta-carotene, iodine, calcium, chromium, iron, magnesium, selenium and zinc.