University of Wisconsin - Extension

Parents can help by serving milk and eating regular family meals

Madison, Wis.--A recently published five-year study from the University of Minnesota reveals effective ways to help teens establish healthy eating habits that will last as they grow into young adults. The Minnesota study looked at food and beverage intakes of over 1500 teens when they were in high school, and again five years later when they were young adults.

According to Mallory Koenings, a graduate student in Nutritional Sciences at UW-Madison, the study’s calcium findings are particularly important because two-thirds of young adult females and more than half of young adult males are not getting enough calcium in their diets. That means their calcium intakes are lower than national recommendations (DRIs).

The Minnesota study identified behavioral factors that are related to nutrition for young people, including calcium in their diets. For example, young women had higher calcium intakes if they were concerned about their health and were confident in their own abilities to eat a well-balanced diet. Young adult males’ calcium intakes were higher if they liked the taste of milk, maintained a healthy weight, and received support from friends and other peers.

The researchers also reported factors that may explain some of the changes in teens’ calcium intakes as they mature into adulthood. Behaviors that predicted higher calcium intake in females as young adults were watching less TV, liking the taste of milk, and eating regular family meals as teens. Young men had higher calcium intakes if they ate breakfast and were health conscious when they were teens.

There were also negative behavioral factors that were associated with lower calcium intakes. For females, the negative behaviors included frequent snacking, consuming fast food, and drinking soft drinks. Similarly, males who did not believe that they could eat a well-balanced diet and frequently ate fast food consumed lower amounts of calcium than their peers.

“This study tells us that parents can instill healthy eating practices in teens by serving milk at meals and eating as many meals as possible together as a family,” says Koenings. She adds that it’s also important to give teens the skills and knowledge to develop healthy eating habits and build confidence in their ability to maintain a healthful lifestyle as they grow into adults.

For more information on healthy eating for teens and young adults, contact your local UW-Extension office.

Contact: Mallory Koenings, koenings@wisc.edu or Susan Nitzke, nitzke@nutri.wisc.edu