Introduction

Active teens today are constantly trying to find ways to stay energized and eager for the next sport. They run, condition, and weight train for the gain of muscles that would be able to support their body's needs. In order to stay up and at it continuously, we must diet by making healthy choices on what we decide to consume through our daily routines. Here are some helpful tips to making your active diet a success. 

Recommended calorie intake for active teens

 TEENAGERS              Boys: 15-18yrs: 2,755

Girls: 15-18yrs: 2,110           

 

Calorie Needs For Teenagers are determined by gender as well as age. Boys typically need more calories than girls. Other relevant factors in calculating energy needs include a child's size, body composition and level of activity. An active teen at the top of the pediatric growth chart typically requires more calories than a smaller or less active child.

 

An adequate amount of calories must be consumed to provide energy for exercise. The allowance of calories varies from athlete to athlete. This variation is due to age, sex, weight, mass, and height. A paucity of calories can adversely affect workout performance in addition to the depletion of muscle and bone. Choosing highly nutritious foods such as whole grain bread, dairy, fruits and vegetables allow for the necessary hunger management.

 

Understanding teen calorie intake can be very confusing as much of the information and calculators available on the web are geared for adults. The reason for this is that determining an adult’s calorie intake need is straight forward as our growing is over. For teens, however, you are still growing and your calorie intake needs and nutrient needs will vary based on age, activity level, current weight and your growing needs. Between the ages of 12 to 18, you will experience several growing spurts during this time. Some of these growth spurts are in areas you cannot see, like muscle tissue, organs, etc. So even if you think you are done growing, the fact is your body is still developing and growing somewhere. Therefore it is important to understand your teen calorie intake needs and overall nutritional needs. Your body needs more nutrients to help the growing process.  Nutrients are found in the foods you eat and include calories, vitamins, protein, fats and minerals. The best person to help you determine the proper teen calorie intake is your doctor.  Before starting any weight loss program, as a teen you should talk with your parents and doctor to ensure you are approaching your teen weight loss in a healthy way.

 

Information found on  http://www.weight-loss-center.net/calorie-needs-teens.htm. You may click this site to read the entire article. 

Why is it important for teenagers to eat healthy?

Since teenagers are still growing, they need extra nutrients and have a bigger amount of calories needed for them daily. For example, they need more nutrients for their bone growth and hormonal changes. A couple of important nutrients are calcium and iron. Although teens need all this food, they also need to balance it. It helps to keep your body strong and energized, along with, of course, well nourished.

 

"There's a lot more to eating for sports than chowing down on carbs or chugging sports drinks. The good news is that eating to reach your peak performance level likely doesn't require a special diet or supplements. It's all about working the right foods into your fitness plan in the right amounts. Teen athletes have unique nutrition needs. Because athletes work out more than their less-active peers, they generally need extra calories to fuel both their sports performance and their growth. Depending on how active they are, teen athletes may need anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 total calories per day to meet their energy needs."

You can read more on this article at: http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/sports/eatnrun.html

The importance of macronutrients

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates provide the main bulk of energy in the body. Carbohydrates are stored in the body as glycogen and help with stamina and endurance. When your body lacks glycogen, it endues fatigue. The majority of an athletes diet should contain carbohydrates. Bad carbs can be found in processed foods like white rice, white flour, and white pasta. Bad carbs are also in candy and soda. The carbohydrates that aren't good for you usually have additives in them. It is important to eat good carbohydrates over bad ones because too much bad carbs in a diet can lead to weight gain, heart disease, diabetes and other health problems.

 

Recommended intake: 50%-60%

 

Protein:

Proteins help to build and repair damaged muscle tissue. They allow your muscles to get bigger and stronger, however excess amounts of proteins end up being stored as fat instead of being used to assist muscle growth. Nuts and beans are good sources of protein, but can be bad if they are refried or salted. Other sources of protein include eggs, fish, chicken, turkey, and red meat like cow, pig, and lamb. These foods normally have a lot of protein in it. When eating meat, it is healthy if it is antibiotic and hormone free.

 

Recommended intake: 10%-20%

 

Fats:

Fats help to protect tissues and organs in the body. Fats also help with the absorption of vitamins. Although most people perceive fats to be bad for you, when it's consumed in moderation from good sources such as nuts and natural oils, fats can provide a steady source of energy for the body.

 

Recommended intake: 20%-30%

Foods teens should limit or avoid

         The main type of food that teens should definitely avoid is sugar. Sugar contains unneeded energy and it doesn’t contain vitamins, minerals, or protein. Things like donuts, soda, and other sweets are examples of foods with lots of sugar. Also, oily and fried foods are other types of food you should avoid. Things like fried chicken and oily pizza contain lots of oil and fat. Processed meats, especially spam and hot dogs also contain a lot of oils and fats.

3 day diet

Active teens have vigorous workout schedules and need energy to sustain them. We need to be consuming a lot of calories, but we have to make sure that they're smart, nutritious, and beneficial choices. The USDA suggests eating 6-11 servings of grains, 2-4 servings of fruit, 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-3 servings of meat, and 2 servings of dairy

Day 1

Breakfast:

Yogurt

100% fruit juice

 

Mid morning snack:

Trail mix

 

Lunch:

Tuna sandwich with tomatoes and lettuce

Carrot sticks

Cornbread muffin

 

Afternoon snack:

Protein bar

 

Dinner:

Spaghetti

Bread

Salad

Milk

 

Day 2

Breakfast:

Oatmeal

Milk

 

Mid morning snack:

Grapes

 

Lunch:

BLT sandwich

Orange

Almonds

 

Afternoon snack:

Granola bar

 

Dinner:

Chicken

Rice

Corn

Salad

 

Day 3

Breakfast:

Toast

Scrambled eggs

 

Mid morning snack:

Pretzels

 

Lunch:

Egg salad sandwich

Apple

Corn chowder

 

Afternoon snack:

Fruit cup

 

Dinner:

Salmon

Rice

Salad

Blog Works Cited

American Dietetic Association website. Retrieved from: http://www.eatright.org

 

Beef Information Centre. Food Habits of Canadians: Changing Nutrition Issues. Retrieved from: http://www.beefinfo.org/OrderCentre_files/public/150128-EN.PDF

 

Canadian Paediatric Society. Caring for Kids. Retrieved from: http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/

 

Dietitians of Canada website. Retrieved from: http://www.dietitian.ca

 

Health Canada. Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Retrieved from: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/onpp-bppn/index_e.html

 

KeepKidsHealthy.Com website. Retrieved from: http://www.keepkidshealthy.com

 

Public Health Agency of Canada. The Canadian Health Network. Retrieved from: http://www.canadian-health-network.ca

 

Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse: Best Start. Promoting Healthy Body Image: A Guide for Program Planners. Retrieved from: http://www.beststart.org

 

TeensHealth website. Retrieved from: http://www.teenshealth.com

 

United States National Aricultural Library. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Retrieved from: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

 

UK Department of Health (London)

 

Rhonda Callow. http://www.brighthub.com/health/diet-nutrition/articles/57916.aspx

 

Author Unknown. http://www.healthassist.net/conditions/food-avoid.shtml