Teenagers need to follow a healthy diet so they can meet their nutrient needs for normal growth and development. It will also provide them with the the energy they need to get through the day. A healthy diet should be balanced and include a variety of foods from all of the food groups. Parents should consult a physician if they are concerned about their teenager's diet.
Slimkids
Slimkids is an at home weight-management program designed to help overweight teens reach a healthier weight. The diet program is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and is balanced to provide teens with the appropriate number of calories, vitamins and minerals to support normal growth and development. The program works by teaching teens and their parents how to control portions and make better food choices. Parents who order the program have access to professional online support to help answer any questions about their teens and diet. The program includes diet guidelines, sample menus, a food diary, healthy after school eating tips and a holiday food guide.
USDA MyPyramid Plan
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid Plan is an interactive tool specifically designed to teach all Americans about healthy eating. The MyPyramid Plan includes a personalized diet for teenagers based on their weight, height, age, sex and activity level. The diet includes calorie needs to maintain current weight and serving suggestions from each food group. MyPyramid also provides information on healthy food choices from each food group and healthiest methods of food preparation. MyPyramid also includes an online food diary called the MyPyramid Food Tracker. It assesses the quality of the teen's diet and can help them stay on track.
Go, Slow and Whoa
The Go, Slow and Whoa is a simple diet tool teens can use to help them make better food choices. It divides foods into three groups based on how often teens should eat them. Go foods can be eaten as often as teens want, according to the Nemours Foundation Kids Health website. Go foods are low in calorie and high in vitamins and minerals and include fruits, vegetables and skim milk. Slow foods should only be consumed a few times a week. Slow foods contain more calories than Go foods and include foods such as pancakes, vegetables in cheese sauce and fruit juice. Whoa foods are very high in calorie and teens should rarely consume these foods. Too many Whoa foods in the diet can lead to weight gain. Whoa foods include French fries, whole milk and bacon.
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