Hand in Hand for Better Foods; A call to Uganda’s adolescents to eat for life

By Kamara Daniel

This World Food Day, the global theme to join “hand in hand for better foods” must focus squarely on a group too often overlooked in nutrition planning: adolescents. In Uganda, adolescents sit at the crossroads of two dangerous trends: lingering undernutrition and a rapid rise in overweight and diet-related risks. If we want a healthier generation, we must speak directly to young people about what, how and why they eat. 

Recent research and national data show this double burden clearly. Local studies report that adolescent girls in parts of Uganda face both stunting and overweight at concerning levels, reflecting a complex mix of inadequate diets and increasing consumption of cheap, ultra-processed foods. Blood-test studies among school-aged adolescents have found anaemia rates in the mid-teens percent (with girls worse than boys), signalling ongoing micronutrient gaps that undermine school performance, growth and future maternal health. Other community surveys have also found sizeable shares of youth classified as over-nourished (overweight or obese), especially in urban and peri-urban settings.

Why should adolescents care? Because nutrition during teenage years shapes energy, concentration, school success, long-term metabolic health and for girls the health of their future children. Diets high in sugar, salt and industrial trans-fats today increase the risk of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease tomorrow. Conversely, diets that include vegetables, fruits, legumes, animal-source foods (in moderation), and minimally processed staples build resilience, concentration and long life. Uganda’s broader child-nutrition context remains a challenge national data still show substantial childhood stunting, underlining why better diets across the life course matter. 

So what practical steps can you, the youth of Uganda, take right now?

Choose whole foods over packaged snacks. Swap sugary sodas, chips and “fast” snacks for fruits, boiled groundnuts, roasted maize, boiled eggs or a small portion of grilled fish. These choices cost little but make a big nutritional difference.

Make every meal count for iron and protein. Pair plant foods (beans, peas, dark leafy greens) with vitamin C sources (tomato, orange, guava) to boost iron absorption. Young women especially should seek iron-rich meals or check local adolescent supplementation programs.

Start a small home or school garden. Even a few pots of Sukuma wiki (collard greens), tomatoes and beans improve diet diversity and save money. Gardening also builds agency and pride.

Prioritise breakfast and regular meals. Skipping breakfast lowers concentration and encourages overeating later. A simple porridge with groundnuts or milk is a strong start.

Move more -sit less. Combine healthy eating with daily activity: walking, community sports, dancing or cycling. Physical activity helps regulate weight and mood.

Ask for Nutrition health checks. Visit your nearest health facility or school health day for screening BMI, blood pressure,hip waist ratio, haemoglobin. Early detection of anaemia or high blood sugar makes treatment simpler and cheaper.

Use your voice. Demand healthier food options at school canteens, push for limits on junk-food advertising aimed at young people, and organise peer groups for healthy cooking and exercise.

Young people are also changemakers. When adolescents model healthy eating, they create social pressure that shifts norms and markets follow demand. Parents, teachers and community leaders can help by making nutritious options visible and affordable, protecting school mealtimes from sugary marketing, and supporting youth-led nutrition clubs.

Policymakers must act in parallel: adolescents need nutrition education in schools, youth-friendly screening and iron/folate programs for girls, and stricter regulation of junk-food marketing. But policy alone is incomplete without the daily choices made by millions of Ugandan adolescents.

World Food Day is a moment to join hands government, schools, families, civil society and youth themselves. My message to every young Ugandan reader is simple: your food choices are investments in the life you want. Small, consistent changes choosing whole foods, eating regularly, staying active and checking your health add up. Eat to learn, eat to grow, eat to protect your future. Hand in hand, let’s make healthy eating a youth movement across Uganda

Kamara Daniel is a Nutritionist at Bwindi Community Hospital