If you're an overweight teenager, step up your eating plan instead of falling for crash diets. A balanced diet that features a variety of healthy foods will help you naturally get to the right weight without drastic or impossible measures. Rigid food and calorie limits only make it harder for you to stick with a weight-loss program that may not provide adequate nutrition. To lose fat and body weight, follow a safe diet that is low in fat and sugar and high in vitamins and minerals.
Whole Grains
Fill up on less food with whole, rather than refined grains. A whole-wheat bagel, a serving of low-sugar cereal and a 1/2-cup of brown rice all supply protein, iron, vitamin B and dietary fiber, the teenage dieter's friend. The National Institutes of Health notes that fiber makes you feel full and satisfied, which helps you stay committed to managing your weight.
Fruits
High-fiber fruits such as strawberries and Asian pears help you shed pounds by satisfying your sweet tooth as well as your hunger. In addition to their fiber benefits, low calories and high vitamin C make kiwis, apples, oranges, plums, grapes and peaches valuable additions to a balanced diet. Add fruits to cereal or dip them in peanut butter or fat-free yogurt for a quick breakfast before school.
Vegetables
The strong fiber contents of vegetables provide more weapons for fat teenagers to combat weight gain and expand their nutritional intakes at the same time. The USDA reports that a good balance of vitamins and minerals comes from a selection of red, orange and green vegetables, such as tomatoes, carrots and broccoli. Vegetables also have some of the lowest calorie counts among foods, so eating more of them will actually help you trim calories by leaving less room in your diet for higher-calorie items.
Dairy
Fat-free dairy foods offer another powerful defense for overweight teens by eliminating fat while preserving important calcium in the diet. If you're still consuming full-fat milk, yogurt and cheese, cut the fat to 2 percent, then 1 percent and then to fat-free for a painless way to reduce calories.
Protein
Protein foods tend to lend the most calories and fat to teenage diets, so stick to lean selections during weight loss. Fish such as canned tuna, meat such as beef sirloin, and poultry such as chicken or turkey without skin have fewer calories than hamburgers, chicken, breaded and fried fish. Other healthy foods that balance your diet with low-fat protein, iron and B vitamins include bean burritos and hummus.
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