If you have a teenager, you're probably amazed at how much your child can eat. Parents of boys especially, but of girls too, routinely complain that they can't keep their children in food once they hit the growth spurt that typically signals puberty. But while sheer numbers of calories are important, it's also important for your teen to get the right amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat to stay healthy.
Teenage Health
Many teens become interested in nutrition because they want to look good or do better on the athletic playing field, according to the University of Georgia. Girls may want to lose weight, while boys probably want to build strength, height and muscle. But some of the tactics teens might take to achieve these goals--such as severe dieting or downing high-protein sports drinks constantly--don't improve health. Teens' best bet both for maintaining a healthy weight and building good habits for life is to consume a healthy diet.
Basics
Teen nutritional health centers on the three basic nutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fat, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Complex carbohydrates, in the form of healthy whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables, should be the foundation of teenage nutritional health. Protein isn't a concern, because most teens get far more protein than they need. Teens do need to keep an eye on their fat consumption, because cardiovascular disease can start in the teenage years.
Foods to Eat
Teenagers should focus on getting at least five or six servings of fruit and vegetables every day, according to the University of Georgia. These provide plenty of vitamins and minerals needed to grow and also tend to be low in calories, which can help teens who want to lose weight. Teens also should shoot for six to 10 servings of whole-grain products each day, such as whole-grain bread and pastas. And don't forget the milk: Teens continue to build bone, so they need three to four cups of reduced fat milk each day.
Foods to Avoid
Sugar-sweetened drinks may play a role in teen obesity and offer only empty calories even to teens who aren't overweight, according to the University of Georgia. Teens should substitute water and milk for those popular drinks. Also, junk foods such as chips and candy, plus unhealthy fast food, are full of calories and nearly empty of nutritional value. Teens should make these a special treat, rather than eating them every day.
Considerations
Most teenage girls probably aren't getting enough calcium and iron to meet their nutritional needs, so they and their parents should keep that in mind as they plan meals, according to Baylor College of Medicine. In addition, teens who want to watch their weight can use the nutritional information on food packages to determine how many calories, fat grams and carbohydrates each food contains in order to control the number of calories they eat.
