While teens are known for their big appetites, you might feel like your teen is not receiving proper nutrition as fast food, sugary energy drinks, and empty-calorie snacks edge out well-balanced meals. This feeling usually ramps up during the school year as early morning schedules can lead to skipping breakfast. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans confirms this parental intuition, noting that adolescents usually fall short in meeting their nutritional needs due to not eating enough dairy, grains, fruits, and vegetables. Teens, for example, need three servings of dairy a day, but, oftentimes, do not meet this recommendation.

As your children navigate their teen years, evaluate your shopping patterns and make strategic changes to stock your refrigerator and pantry with more nutrient-dense foods to support their growing bodies. Adding dairy foods, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, to meals and snacks will elevate your family’s nutrition. These dairy foods, in particular, support bone health and development during the critical teen years.

Rely on yogurt to deliver key nutrients

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans reports female adolescents typically do not consume enough protein, iron, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, phosphorus, magnesium, choline, and fiber. Male adolescents also do not eat enough foods that are rich in phosphorus, magnesium, choline, and fiber. This all comes at a time of tremendous growth and development.

Offering and cooking with yogurt can help fill these nutritional gaps in teens’ meals and snacks. Yogurt is an excellent source of bone-building calcium, protein, iodine, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and selenium, as well as a reliable source of phosphorus, pantothenic acid, and zinc. One cup of traditional yogurt delivers 8 to 14 grams of protein, while one cup of Greek yogurt provides 23 grams of protein. In general, eating 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal or snack will support muscle repair and growth and promote a sense of fullness after eating. Yogurt is also a fermented food, offering a host of healthy bacteria that foster gut health and digestion.

The perfect complement to other nutrient-dense foods, yogurt provides a foundation for well-balanced meals and snacks that are both nutritious and flavorful. Research indicates that yogurt eaters have a higher intake of key nutrients, including potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, riboflavin, and fiber, compared to those who do not eat yogurt.

In addition to being a food rich in protein, calcium, and vitamin B12, yogurt pairs well with fruits and vegetables, both of which are excellent sources of fiber. Other simple additions to yogurt can bump up the nutritional offerings even more. Sprinkling roasted pumpkin seeds on a yogurt-and-fruit parfait will add magnesium. Adding 2 to 3 tablespoons of Greek yogurt to choline-rich scrambled eggs will result in a creamier texture and add more protein. Another option is to serve plain yogurt and chives on top of a baked potato, a good source of fiber and vitamin B6. These are all great ways to strategically add those missing nutrients to a teen’s plate.

Look to the dairy case to discover new varieties and flavors of yogurt. Involve your family in selecting new yogurt options and food pairings. The more you involve your family in shopping and cooking, the more invested they become in the food served.

Ultimately, yogurt’s nutrition, versatility, and portability make it an indispensable ingredient in the kitchen. Yogurt can be that go-to food in your refrigerator. You can grab a container of yogurt on your way out the door or you can swirl it into soup, blend it up in a smoothie, or stir it into batter for pancakes, muffins, or quick breads. Plain yogurt is also an excellent base for dips and marinades. The options are endless when it comes to eating and cooking with yogurt.