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Nutrition.gov
U.S. Department of Agriculture

For Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers

Find tips and resources for helping your tweens and teens stay healthy as they grow.

  • Fueling My Healthy Life

    Use project-based learning and technology to engage 6th graders in nutrition education while meeting educational standards for English and Health.

    • USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Team Nutrition

  • Team Nutrition Cooks (TNC)

    Use these Team Nutrition Cooks (TNC) resources for children ages 8 to 12 years old for cooking-based nutrition activities at out-of-school or after-school programs. 

    • USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Team Nutrition

  • Child and Team BMI Calculator

     Use this calculator for children and teens, aged 2 through 19 years old, to determine Body Mass Index (BMI) and the corresponding BMI-for-age percentile on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) BMI-for-age growth chart. 

    • HHS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  • Science and Our Food Supply - Free Supplementary Curriculum for Middle Level and High School Classrooms

    Read the Science and Our Food Supply Teacher Guides for hands-on, minds-on activities that link food safety and nutrition to everyday lives. They are crafted in a teacher-friendly modular format that easily fits into science, health, and other classes. 

    • HHS, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

  • We Can! Parent Program Leader’s Guide [NIH.gov; PDF | 4.3 MB]

    Read We Can!'s Parent Program Leader’s Guide for engaging family activities that encourage maintaining a healthy weight by teaching “energy balance” in a fun, hands-on way. 

    • HHS, National Institutes of Health

  • 10 Things to Know About Dietary Supplements for Children and Teens

    Read about which dietary supplements have, and which dietary supplements have not, been tested in children.

    • HHS, National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

  • Kids and Their Bones: A Guide for Parents

    Parents, find out what you can do now to keep your kids' bones strong as they get older.

    • HHS, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

  • WAVE Sport Nutrition Curriculum

    Discover how WAVE Sport Nutrition Curriculum uses youth's interest in sports to teach them about healthy eating and hydration to fuel a healthy, active body for life.

    • Oregon State University Extension

  • Everyone Loves Rewards - Fun Alternatives to Food: A Guide for Parents and Teachers

    Get ideas for non-food rewards to help children and teens celebrate special achievements.

    • Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Cooperative Extension

  • Teen Vegetarians: Facts for Parents

    Find information to help your vegetarian teen get the nutrients they need to grow.

    • University of Maine Cooperative Extension