7 Best Vitamins for Teenage Girl (What She Needs Daily)

If you’re uncertain about what foods to feed your teenage girl, start with the basics. Shoot for 3 balanced meals and 1-2 snacks a day. Watch out for added sugars and too much salt.

Stay away from fried foods and choose broiled, baked, or steamed foods instead. The Instant Pot, slow cooker, air fryer, and blender can all come in handy when making foods for your teenager that actually taste good. My clean eating recipe index has hundreds of options. You might also like my list of the best healthy appliances you’ll need.

Check this article from Stanford Children’s Health for more ideas on foods to include daily. And, of course, always be sure to check with your doctor about the best diet or vitamins for your children.

1. Calcium (with vitamin K and vitamin D)

Girls go through a significant growth spurt in their teenage years and establish more than half of their bone mass at this time.

It’s very important that they get enough calcium throughout this period, as it ensures they enter adulthood with strong and healthy bones, which also helps protect them against osteoporosis later on. 

The recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics is that young people aged from 9 to 18 consume around 1300 milligrams of calcium every day. This can be obtained from calcium-rich foods like dairy products, milk, cheese, yogurt, and canned fish (with the bones), or from supplements if needed.

But it is also important that teenage girls receive plenty of vitamin D alongside calcium, as this helps the body to absorb it better. Experts also recommend including vitamin K2, as studies have shown that it prevents calcium from building up in the arteries, which – if left unchecked – could potentially lead to heart disease in later life.

Another factor that can affect how much calcium a teenage girl gets from her diet is the amount of salt she consumes. A high-salt diet can increase the amount of calcium excreted in the urine, depriving her body of what it needs. 

Often known as the “sunshine vitamin” because it is made in our skin when exposed to sunlight, vitamin D helps with bone growth and keeps the immune system functioning properly.

Additionally, it supports muscle growth, making it especially important for teenage girls at a time when they are often participating in more sports and training.

Unfortunately, many teenage girls are lacking in vitamin D, particularly if they live in areas that receive little sunlight. While it can be obtained via the diet from foods like oily fish and vitamin-D fortified bread and milk, more often than not supplements are needed to keep levels where they should be. 

Be sure to have your daughter’s vitamin D levels checked at least annually, and then supplement appropriately.

Magnesium is a mineral that supports lots of important functions throughout the body. It helps form strong bones, regulates the rhythm of the heart, and prevents the inflammation that can lead to disease.

It can be obtained from foods like green, leafy vegetables, grains, nuts, milk, and meat, but many people including children don’t get enough.

Research carried out in 2006 showed that teenagers could benefit significantly from magnesium mineral supplements and that the bone health of the 120 teenage girls included in the study was boosted as a result of supplementation. This will have benefits in the long term, too, helping to protect against osteoporosis in later life. 

Magnesium can also help reduce anxiety, improve symptoms of PMS, and help with mood overall. You can read another article on my site that talks about which are the best magnesium supplements and the signs of deficiency.

The eight members of the vitamin B family are needed for a wide range of functions throughout the body. These include supporting the immune system, maintaining energy levels, and promoting a healthy appetite.

They help turn food into energy and also help keep the skin healthy and clear. B vitamins can be obtained from lots of different foods, particularly milk, cheese, offal (organ meats), meat, and fish.

Sometimes supplements are required, but most contain synthetic B vitamins. These are not well absorbed by people with MTHFR – a common gene mutation that prevents the liver from successfully metabolizing them. See my article on the best diet for MTHFR.

The answer is methylated B vitamins, which support methylation – a continuous process that keeps all your body’s systems working as they should. 

Both male and female teenagers, as well as adults, would likely benefit from taking a vitamin B complex.

Iron is responsible for helping the blood carry oxygen around the body, supporting the immune system, and helping with brain function.

As teenagers grow, so do their muscle mass and blood volume. This means that their need for iron becomes greater. In addition, this is the time when girls start their periods, increasing their need for iron further still.

Your teenage girl may also experience heavy periods as her hormonal pattern becomes established. It is probably a good idea to have her ferritin levels checked if she experiences heavy monthly bleeding or has symptoms of deficiency.

A deficiency in iron can have a real impact on health, causing breathlessness, fatigue, and even fainting.

The main source of iron is red meat, but it can also be found in poultry, fish, beans, and even green leafy vegetables. Yet studies show that low iron levels are common amongst teenage girls, a problem that can eventually lead to iron deficiency anemia. This means that iron supplementation is often recommended, and even more so if she trying a vegan diet or if she doesn’t routinely consume animal products.

Omega-3 fatty acids are known as “essential fatty acids” because your body can’t produce them. Instead, they need to be obtained through the diet.

Omega 3’s have been shown to have particular benefits for teens, supporting brain development and promoting better sleep. Studies have even shown that they can be helpful in reducing the rick of asthma.

Omega 3 fatty acids can be obtained from oily fish like mackerel, salmon, and sardines, plus nuts and some plant oils. Purified fish oil is another good choice and might be a better option for some teenage girls who don’t enjoy eating seafood.

You’ve probably heard that carrots are good for your eyesight, and that’s because they are rich in beta-carotene – a plant compound that the body converts to vitamin A. 

Beta-carotene is a nutrient that is also found as “preformed” vitamin A in foods like meat, fish, and dairy, along with fortified breakfast cereals. In addition to supporting vision, this vitamin helps support the immune system, plus the maintenance and development of the body’s major organs. 

Fortunately, vitamin A deficiency is rare in the United States, but it is important to make sure that your teenage girl is receiving an adequate amount of this all-important nutrient through her diet.

Another nutrient that supports both vision and the immune system is vitamin E. It also helps keep skin looking clear and healthy.

Teenagers need about the same amount of vitamin E as adults and can obtain it from nuts, seafood, and some oils. 

Usually, they do manage to get enough through their diets and vitamin E deficiency is pretty rare in the United States. But for teens who don’t get enough, a supplement may be recommended.

A quality multivitamin will more than likely contain some vitamin A and vitamin E, along with all of the other essential nutrients.