As teen girls reach puberty their bodies begin to change, their hips widen and their chest develops and they may no longer look like the girls they see on television. These body changes may trigger a teen girl's desire to go on a diet, but dieting can be dangerous for teens, according to the Nemours Foundation website Teens Health. A healthy diet for teen girls should not be overly restrictive and should include foods from all of the food groups. Teen girls should consult with their physician before starting a diet.
Shapedown
Shapedown is not just a diet but a lifestyle program. It is a group-based weight-management program developed by the faculty at the University of California San Francisco Medical School. The Shapedown program works with teen girls and their parents on how to get to a healthier weight by living a healthier lifestyle. The 10-week program teaches teens and their parents how to be more active and make healthier food choices. The Shapedown diet is not overly restrictive, according to the website, and teens do not feel deprived. Shapedown also works on improving the teen's self-esteem and body image. Most girls who follow the program lose 1 to 2 lbs. a week and keep it off, according to the Shapedown website.
USDA MyPyramid Plan
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid Plan is an interactive tool teen girls and their parents can use to learn about healthy eating. The diet is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and includes the most up-to-date scientific recommendations linking health and nutrition. The MyPyramid Plan provides teen girls with a balanced personalized diet plan that includes calorie needs and serving suggestions from each food group. It also includes information on serving sizes, healthiest food choices and healthy methods of food preparation. Teen girls also have access to information on how to increase physical activity.
Go, Slow and Whoa
The Go, Slow and Whoa program is not a diet but a healthy-eating tool developed by the National Lung, Heart and Blood Institute. It divides foods into three categories based on how frequently teen girls should eat them. Go foods are low in calorie and the girls can eat as much of them as they want, according to Kids Health website. Examples of Go foods include fruits, vegetables, whole-wheat bread and skim milk. Slow foods contain more calories than Go foods and should only be eaten a few times a week. Examples of Slow foods include pancakes, juice and low-fat hot dogs. Teen girls who eat too many Whoa foods may be more likely to gain weight. Whoa foods should be rarely consumed, says Kids Health. Examples of Whoa foods include bacon, chicken nuggets, whole milk and sugar-sweetened cereal.
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