Healthy Diets For 15 Year Olds

Your 15-year-old child needs involvement with the food you shop for on your grocery list. Getting her involved with decision making and stressing the healthy choices as opposed to the unhealthy ones can help her eat better. Have your teenager read the food labels and share ideas about the healthiness of the products. Point out the unhealthy ingredients such as added caffeine to soft drinks as well as high amounts of salt in canned items. Make her aware of the preservatives in processed foods. Work on weekly menus with your teenager and stress a healthy diet.

Calories

The government's nutritional standards as reported by Health.gov recommends that your 15- to 18-year-old boy take in 2,800 calories each day. Children of that age of early adolescence have high energetic needs and face changes in their hormonal levels. This maturing process needs proper nutrition. Girls at the age of early adolescence need 2,200 calories daily for their needs.

Protein and Calcium

Protein and calcium needs differ for 15-year-old boys and girls. Boys and girls both require 1,300 mg of calcium daily to promote strong teeth and bones. A 15-year-old boy needs 55 g of protein per day, while a girl the same age needs 46 g. You can provide your teen with sufficient protein and calcium with red meat, fish, poultry and fowl. Dairy products have a high source of calcium. Eggs, milk and cheese should be encouraged on a healthy diet.

Preparing Meals

A breakfast for a 15 year old should consists of two eggs, toast, cereal, fruit and milk. For lunch a sandwich, milk, whole fruit and a vegetable snack will do as a healthy meal. Supper should consist of meat or fish, a vegetable, carbohydrates such as potato or rice, whole fruit and milk. Encourage your teenager to drink water between meals as maintaining hydration remains important for kidneys and a clear complexion. Snacks should consist of nuts and seeds the teenagers have selected themselves. Raisins also provide a good mid-morning snack for a teenager because of their iron content.

Fats and Iron

Fats and iron needs increase as your child becomes older. His body becomes bigger and he needs increased nutrition as his bones and muscles continue to mature. The recommended iron intake for boys is 11 mg and 15 mg daily for girls, according to Baylor College of Medicine. Your teenager can get iron from organ meats, beets, spinach and certain fruits such as grapes. Boys need 61 to 95 g of fat while girls need 55 to 78 g of fat daily. They can get their daily healthy fats from fish, red meats and poultry. Stress the need for healthy sources of fat intake to your child. Avoiding potato chips high in fat and chocolate, which is also high in caffeine, should be part of your child's education about food health.

Vitamins and Minerals

Your 15-year-old child can get sufficient vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables as well as fish and meats. Encourage your child to tell you what vitamins are in each food when grocery shopping. Knowing what each vitamin is for remains important for a healthy diet.