Eating Healthy / Question
Published: September 30, 2002
Dear TeenHealthFX,
At my house my babysitter makes my brother and I dinner around 5:45 PM or 6. However, everything she makes seems to be one food group. For example, today we just had ravioli and yesterday I had chicken salad. She doesn't make vegetables or fruits and I think this is why I have a low amount of iron in my blood (I'm not quite anemic, though). I am almost 14 and my brother is almost 17 so should we be eating more for dinner every night? I am 5'7" and weigh around 140.
Signed: Only Eating One Food Group
Dear Only Eating One Food Group,
Good for you to be concerned about your eating habits. It is true that you should try to eat a variety of food groups at every meal and the food pyramid (insert link to Eat Healthy here) is a good resource to help figure out how to eat a more balanced diet.
Fruits and vegetables are not a very significant source of iron in the diet; so not eating them at dinner is probably not causing you to have low levels of iron in your blood. However, they are an important part of a balanced diet and contain many vitamins and minerals, so you should definitely be trying to eat the recommended 5 servings daily. But, since you know you have a low level of iron in your blood, you should also try to eat more iron-rich foods throughout the day, both at meals and as snacks. Male teenagers should get about 12 mg of iron per day and females need at least 15 mg daily. Here is a list of foods that contain a significant amount of iron in them, and it is important to remember that the iron in meat products is the best source of iron for your body. If you are a vegetarian or do not eat a lot of red meat, and have to get your iron from non-meat sources, you may need to eat more than 15 mg of iron daily.
Food -- Amount -- Iron (mg)
Breads and Cereals:
Total cereal -- cup -- 18.0
Cream of Wheat (quick or instant) -- cup -- 7.8
Smart Start cereal -- cup -- 5.0
Cheerios cereal -- 1 cup -- 4.5
All Bran cereal -- cup -- 2.9
Wheat germ -- 3 T. -- 2.6
Meat, Poultry and Fish*:
Beef liver, cooked* -- 2 oz. -- 5.8
Beef, cooked -- 2 oz. -- 2-3
Pork, cooked -- 2 oz. -- 2-3
Clams -- 3 medium -- 2.1
Veal, cooked -- 2 oz. -- 2.0
Egg, large --1 -- 1.2
Dried Beans and Peas:
White beans, dry -- cup -- 3.9
Red beans, dry -- cup -- 3.6
Chick peas, dry -- cup -- 3.5
Lentils, dry -- cup -- 3.4
Baked beans, no pork -- cup -- 1.5
Dried Fruit:
Peaches -- cup -- 2.4
Apricots -- 4 large halves -- 1.4
Raisins -- cup -- 1.2
Other:
Prune juice -- cup -- 5.1
Almonds, dried unblanched -- cup -- 3.0
Spinach -- cup -- 1.3
*Heme source of iron- better absorbed by the body.
TeenHealthFX recommends that you talk with your babysitter and your parents about your concerns about what you and your brother are eating for dinner. You are both at an age where you can help plan nutritious meals, do the grocery shopping and prepare your meals. By participating in all aspects of meal preparation, you have a greater say in what you eat and how it is prepared. And do not forget that healthy eating is not only important at dinnertime - make sure that your breakfasts and lunches have a variety of foods in them as well.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
A sexually active teenager who does not use contraceptives has a 90% chance of becoming pregnant within one year. 
