Diets For Teenagers

Diets For Teenagers

Teenage is the time, when young boys and girls are most conscious about themselves. They are very concerned about how they look, what is their height and do they have the perfect figure or not? While thinking about all these stuff, they forget the main aspect that they require a healthy diet for growth. It is during your adolescence that you require a proper healthy balanced diet and nutrition intake. Dieting has harmful effects on teenagers as it makes them gain more weight rather than losing it. Therefore, teens should indulge in healthy food habits to increase their physical endurance and to tackle with the upcoming pressures of life. Read below to find healthy diets for teen years.

Healthy Diets for Teens

• Increased Calories Intake - It is during adolescence that your body requires increase in the calorie intake due to additional physical activities. During the early teens, i.e. 13 - 15 years, adolescent boys require 2500 calories while girls require 2200 calories. In the late teens, i.e. 16 - 18 years, boys require 3000 calories and girls require 2200. You can achieve this by increasing the consumption of cereals and pulses, start taking in nuts, dried fruits and peanuts in your diet and make a habit to have a fruit per day. Do not take in junk food as it may result in problems of overweight and obesity.
• Increased Proteins Intake - Optimum intake of proteins will make you far more resistant to infection and would increase your growth. The daily intake of protein should be 55 grams for boys and 50 grams for girls during 13 - 15 years of age and 60 grams for boys and 50 grams for girls during 16 - 18 years of age. Vegetarians can increase their protein intake by having a bowl of pulses, dal, legume, soya beans or nutri-nuggets. Include 250 ml of milk per day in consumption. For non-vegetarians, have fish or chicken or mutton at least once a day but take notice that you do not deep fry it.
• Increased Iron Intake - Consumption of iron is more necessary for females rather than males. Deficiency of iron in the regular intake may lead to problems of nutritional anemia. The regular dose of iron intake should be 25 grams for teenage boys and 35 grams for teenage girls. Have lots of green vegetables, sprouts, fruits, raisins and dates. Ragi and bajra are good source of iron and so is jaggery. For non vegetarians, chicken or mutton liver are good source of iron.
• Increased Calcium Intake - Calcium is also very necessary for proper growth and development. Your bones and teeth need to be strong and calcium provides the required strength. In effect, a glass of milk is a must in the diet for teenagers as it helps in the growth and development of the teenager. Leafy vegetables, ragi and sesame seeds are high in calcium content..