FITeens Toolkit

55 A healthy diet contributes to well-being and health , and it is crucial for the full overall harmonious development of the young population, in addition to being an excellent ally in the prevention and defence of diseases (Romão & Pais, 2021). Although this is an unquestionable truth, there are still some barriers to the adoption of such an important habit and practice. Barrier examples are time constraints, daily stress, easy access to junk food, higher prices of healthier foods, as well as the social environments or socioeconomic status (Abdelhafez et al., 2020; Sogari et al., 2018; Zorbas et al., 2018). In this context, and in the midst of the 21st century, other questions arise such as "what are healthy foods today?" or "what should I consider in order to adopt a healthy diet?" (Azevedo, 2018). According to different academic and scientific contributions, the best option is to follow a diet which is Balanced from an energy point of view, with several meals throughout the day; Varied, seeking to diversify the intake of food and respecting its seasonality; Complete , providing the necessary daily amount of water and respecting the proportions suggested by the Healthy Eating Pyramid, as well as providing the necessary nutrients for the proper functioning of the body (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre, antioxidants), consumed with such texture and flavour that provide taste and pleasure.