Surrounded at school, work and home with unhealthy food choices, it can be quite difficult for a teenage girl to eat healthy. There are ways; however, for teen girls to quickly and easily break this unhealthy cycle. Weight loss all starts with a healthy diet, and this is no different when it comes to teens. Another important aspect of losing weight is consistent, daily exercise in the form of running, walking, swimming, rollerblading, biking and other related activities.
Reducing Sugar Intake
One of the worst offenders when it comes to weight gain is sugar and sugar substitutes, such as high fructose corn syrup. Sugar contains a relatively high number of calories---more than 16 calories per teaspoon, according to CalorieKing.com---and worst of all, these are empty calories containing little nutritional value. In other words, these calories do not contain any of the vitamins and nutrients that a teenage girl needs to grow and develop properly.
Simply watching the amount of sugar you consume each day can help you lose weight over the long term. Eliminate things like soda, sugary snacks and anything containing high fructose corn syrup. Be especially aware of the sugar content of foods and drinks when dining out because something like a large chocolate shake at Burger King can pack more than 900 calories and 153 g of sugar in each cup, according to BK.com.
Portion Control
Teens nowadays seem to have a distorted view of what a healthy portion of food actually is, and this is in large part due to the seemingly every-growing portion sizes found at fast-food restaurants and other food establishments. KidsHealth.org offers some quick and easy advice for teens who may be confused about healthy portion sizes. It recommends using your clenched fist to visualize the approximate size of 1 cup of food, such as rice, vegetables, fruits and pasta. When it comes to meat, one portion is approximately the size of your palm. This may seem like too small of an amount, but in actuality, it's how your meal should be portioned out.
Depending upon how active the teenager is and her current size, the amount of food per meal will vary slightly. However, teenage girls should aim for approximately 2,000 calories per day. These calories should come from nutritious sources, such as vegetables, whole grains, fruits, lean meats and low-fat dairy products.
MyPyramid Plan for Teens
One of the fastest and easiest ways for teenage girls to start eating healthier is by taking advantage of the free online tool called the MyPyramid Plan found at MyPyramid.gov. This tool is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, and it is based on a comprehensive healthy eating report updated every five years called the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This easy-to-use online tool works by entering your age, weight, height, gender and current physical activity level. MyPyramid then determines a personalized diet plan specifically for you based on the current USDA recommendations.
The USDA also strongly encourages daily exercise for teens, which can help speed up weight loss much faster than diet alone.
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