First scientific dietary recommendations for Irish adolescents
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) recently published the first scientific report to set out specific food-based dietary recommendations for adolescents aged 9–18 in Ireland.
Nutritional needs during adolescence can vary considerably, depending not only on age and sex, but also on body size, physical activity and the timing of puberty. Developed by the FSAI Scientific Committee, the recommendations take account of these differences to provide a scientific basis for supporting healthy growth and development during this important stage of life.
Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive of FSAI said the recommendations are an important step in ensuring that dietary guidance reflects the particular nutritional needs of adolescents.
“This report is the first to set out specific food-based dietary recommendations for adolescents living in Ireland. The dramatic transition from childhood to adulthood requires very high nutrient intakes to ensure that adolescents reach their full potential as adults, both physically, for example in terms of height, and cognitively.
“These food-based recommendations from our Scientific Committee reflect the most current scientific understanding of nutritional issues affecting this age group. Based on recent dietary surveys, the recommendations align with current adolescent food habits in Ireland and also consider environmental sustainability.”
According to Professor Kevin Cashman, who was Chair of the FSAI Public Health Nutrition Subcommittee when this report was developed, adolescence is a life stage when nutritional requirements are particularly high.
“Adolescence is a key developmental window of opportunity for nutrition. During this time, children lay down 40% of their bone mass, protecting them from osteoporosis in later life. In addition, they gain 50% of their adult weight and 20% of their adult height.
“It is important to note that there is a significant variation in nutritional needs among adolescents, including those of the same age. These differences relate to body size, for example tall versus small; physical activity levels, from sedentary to very active; and maturational timing, such as adolescents who are early versus late developers,” Dr Cashman added.
The food-based recommendations in the scientific report are designed to be flexible and to show how food choices can be adjusted to meet these different nutritional needs. In this way, the food-based dietary guidelines support optimal growth and development across the full spectrum of adolescent requirements.
Key recommendations include:
Adolescents have high energy requirements: Food requirements can be substantial during adolescence, with 15% of the dietary patterns modelled exceeding 3,000 kilocalories per day.
Carbohydrate foods are the most important food group for fuelling physical activity.
Plant-based dairy replacement foods and beverages are not recommended due to their nutritional composition.
Including oily fish once a week is recommended.
All adolescents should take a vitamin D food supplement.
A minimal intake of foods high in sugar, saturated fat and salt may be included to meet higher energy requirements of some adolescents.
The report Scientific Recommendations for Food-Based Dietary Guidelines for Adolescents in Ireland is available on the FSAI website at fsai.ie.