The best diet plan for a teenager takes into account adolescent weight goals, life-stage nutrition and physical activity level. A balanced diet addresses all these components, with choices made in each food group to provide nutrients for growth as well as energy for school and workout activities. Teens are still forming the eating habits that will carry them through life. The best diet plan should also incorporate guidelines on when, what and how much to eat.
Nutrients to Emphasize
Meals drawn from the protein, dairy, vegetable, grain and fruit food groups provide the balanced nutrition that includes certain elements that teenagers especially need. Protein, iron, calcium and vitamin D are important to normal musculoskeletal growth. Vitamins A, B, C and E support eyesight and immunity and help form healthy skin and red blood cells. Dietary fiber is important to food digestion and the absorption of all nutrients. Foods that you choose for your teen should emphasize protein, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals other than sodium.
Nutrients to Limit
Humans need some dietary fats, but many teens get too much fat from the protein foods and snacks in their diets. The same is true of sodium and sugar, which occur naturally in some foods but are added to many that are popular with teenagers. Overconsumption of these nutrients can lead to high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, high blood sugar and obesity, conditions that the Office of the Surgeon General notes are on the rise in teenage populations. Parents should help teens choose foods that limit fat, sodium and sugar.
Eating Habits
The best adolescent diet plan should include reasonable portions of foods from each food group in three daily meals, plus healthy snacks, when necessary. Regularly spaced meals are important to fulfilling teens' high mental and physical demands. Portion sizes will help to define calorie limits, which should be reduced in the event of weight increase. Simply cutting out food isn't the answer. Poor eating habits, such as skipping breakfast and compensating with snacks, are associated with weight gain, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Exercise
Along with food intake, exercise is part of the caloric energy balance that determines your teen's body weight. The best diet plan must include a means of expending any excess calories that would otherwise be stored as fat. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers 60 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per day enough to deplete calorie surpluses and to promote fitness in average adolescents.
References
- National Institutes of Health: Balanced Diet; January 2011
- USDA: Food Groups; February 2011
- National Institutes of Health: Milk Matters, Calcium is Critical
- USDA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans; December 2010
- Office of the Surgeon General: Overweight Consequences; January 2007
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans; 2008
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