Good Diets for a Teenager

Teenagers need a balanced diet to give them the energy they need for vigorous, regular exercise. Adolescence is a period of important bodily changes. It is also a time when many habits regarding diet and exercise are set for a lifetime. Selecting a healthy, sustainable diet as a teenager can lead to significantly better health later in life.

Significance

Teenage obesity can lead to lifelong health deficiencies. It increases the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes later in life, and also leads to persistent fatigue. Anemia is another serious health issue faced by many teens who maintain an unhealthy diet. Teenagers will have varied dietary requirements depending on their level of development, size, gender and body type. Individuals should develop their own healthy diets that are both enjoyable and sustainable with reference to experts in the field.

Features

When dieting is perceived as a short-term project, it will almost certainly fail. The body prefers to maintain its weight, which makes it difficult for all but the severely obese to lose large amounts of weight rapidly. Weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week maintained over a long period of time is typically more than enough to meet any dieting goal, especially for teenagers with developing bodies.

Considerations

Active teenagers should eat significantly more food than those not consistently involved in athletic activities. Teenagers with more adult builds have higher caloric requirements than those that are still developing, so they should adjust their dietary intake accordingly. Most teenagers can meet their nutritional requirements by taking a daily multivitamin branded for teenagers, but older teens can safely take one meant for adults.

Potential

Most teenagers don't get enough calcium and iron. These can be provided either through supplements or meals. Calcium is found in most dairy products as well as vitamin-enriched orange juice. There are high levels of iron in red meat and green leafy vegetables such as spinach. Calcium builds bone strength and iron wards off anemia, one of the most common chronic conditions in teenage girls. Ann Bruner, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, states that approximately 10 percent of teenage girls are anemic.

Function

Teens can use a calorie calculator like the one provided in this article's references to find their proper calorie intake based on their height, weight and body mass index. This number can vary widely depending on these bodily factors and the amount of regular athletic activity. The commonly cited number of 2,000 calories per day is often much less than most teens need to fuel their active lives. Teens should develop a diet that fits within those caloric boundaries. Most teenagers don't want to obsess over exact daily calorie counts, but having guidelines makes it easier to make intelligent diet choices. Teens, like everyone else, should avoid foods that are high in calories but low in nutritional value.