Adolescence is a complex period of rapid growth and development accompanied by changing bodies and minds. Proper nutrition is critical during this time in order to provide a foundation for strength both cognitively and physically. Specific concerns such as maximizing bone density, enhancing athletic endurance and performance, and achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight are often priorities to address within the context of a healthy balanced diet. Endocrine conditions such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), thyroid abnormalities, and menstrual irregularities often require attention during these teenage years as well. Above all else, instilling a healthy relationship with food—one that is characterized by balanced, inclusive eating and the development of a healthy body image is paramount during the adolescent years.

• Optimizing Growth and Development: We teach adolescents about the critical needs of their growing and developing bodies and minds and cater nutrition recommendations to achieve the best in their developing health.
• Achieving Peak Bone Mass: We help our teens and young adults with essential information and strategies to help them maximize bone density.
• Managing Social Eating and Dining Out Contexts: We work with teens and young adults to gain confidence eating in restaurants and other social settings, such as large parties like Bar/Bat Mitzvahs or sweet 16’s, as well as smaller, more intimate gatherings.
• Enhancing Athletic Endurance and Performance: We utilize targeted Nutrition strategies with our student athletes to increase strength and improve results in their competitive events.
• Achieving a Healthy Weight: Working from an inclusive, non-diet approach we assist adolescents in reaching their comfortable, set-point weight range.
• Developing a Healthy Relationship with Food: We encourage our teens to pay attention to their bodies needs, to identify authentic cues of hunger and fullness and to eat mindfully and responsibly without preoccupation.
• Fostering a Healthy Body Image: Emphasizing body-positivity, we empower our teens to treat their bodies with respect and develop a strong, confident body image.
• Encouraging Independent Eating: We educate our teens and young adults about how best to meet their individual needs as they leave their families of origin and assume the role of proper nourishment on their own.
• Expanding the Variety of Foods Eaten: We promote the expansion of the diet to include a wide variety of foods from all food groups in an effort to maximize the Nutrition density and overall potential of their intake.

Adolescence can be a very challenging time with so many changes to manage for both parents and teens. It’s paramount for teens and young adults to feel understood, especially when it comes to their changing and developing bodies and minds. They are often misinformed about Nutrition and dependent on information that has been distorted from unreliable internet and social media sources and contexts. The impact of such information can lead to unhealthy eating choices as well as destructive thoughts and behaviors. Thankfully, adolescents are typically eager to learn and they crave the information, support and skills that will clear up confusion about how, what and when to eat so that they may feel their strongest and best. Our adolescent specialists adore this age group.  We speak their specific language and we cater to their particular needs. And, no matter the explicit goals, in every conversation, our adolescent specialists pay exceptionally careful attention to the language used to discuss food, weight, shape and size with the intention of guiding teens to develop into strong, autonomous eaters.