If your teenager has expressed interest in losing weight, you may feel nervous she won't make healthy choices. Instead of relying on fad diets in order to lose weight quickly, encourage your teen to eat a variety of healthy foods that are also satisfying, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. Consult your teen's doctor before making changes in her diet.
Significance
Whether your teen's doctor recommended he lose weight or your teen is making the initiative on his own, a healthy, plentiful diet of healthy foods over a long period of time must be the focus, not the day-to-day weight loss. Otherwise, your teen may get caught up in eating small portions of unhealthy foods to lose weight quickly, which is not maintainable.
Sample Meals
Eating a nutritious breakfast every day will help teens manage their hunger better than waiting until lunch, according to MayoClinic.com in the article "Teen Weight Loss: Healthy Habits Count." If your teen does not like traditional breakfast foods, a handful of nuts and an apple or an orange will do the trick. For lunch and dinner, focus on fresh fruits and vegetables that are boiled or cooked with olive oil, broiled or baked lean proteins like fish or chicken, and whole grains like whole-wheat spaghetti.
Snacks
Encourage your teenager to snack on healthy foods throughout the day so she does not feel deprived or end up binging on candy after dinner. Keep a variety of ready-to-eat snacks in the refrigerator that your teen can grab on the way to school or after she gets home. Healthy snacks include sliced bell peppers, baby carrots, pretzels, low-fat yogurt, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, string cheese and graham crackers, according to MayoClinic.com.
Considerations
Although eating healthy will help promote weight loss, it is more effective when matched with an exercise routine, according to KidsHealth.org in the article "How Can I Lose Weight Safely?" Encourage your teen to exercise every day, eventually working up to 60 full minutes of exercise per day. Exercise doesn't have to be a solitary activity in the gym. Instead, go running or biking with the whole family.
Fiber
Fiber, found in oatmeal, bran and brown rice, will help teens stay full for longer than simple carbohydrates like white bread. Teenage girls should get 26 g of fiber a day to stay satisfied throughout the day and maintain a healthy diet, while teenage boys should get 38 g of fiber, notes MayoClinic.com.
Expert Insight
According to MayoClinic.com, teenage boys should eat between 2,200 to 3,200 calories per day in order to stay healthy, depending on the size and age of the teen. Between 10 and 30 percent of these calories should be from protein, 45 to 65 percent should be from carbohydrates and 25 to 35 percent from fat. Teenage girls should eat between 1,800 to 2,400 calories per day. Between 10 to 30 percent of these calories should be from protein, 45 to 65 percent from carbohydrates and 25 to 35 percent from fat, notes MayoClinic.com.
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