Nutrition and Healthy Eatingĭeveloping good eating habits for children and adolescents is important for their long-term nutritional well-being. The reduced physical activity and the changes in eating and dieting habits have long-lasting health consequences on the general health of the public, particularly the children and adolescents. Regular physical activity is essential for healthy living as it reduces the chances of developing coronary heart disease. Healthy eating habits involve the inclusion of fruits, vegetables, and important minerals in the diet and the reduction of saturated fat intake. could be attributed to poor eating habits and physical inactivity with sedentary lifestyles, a contributor to 23% of disease-related deaths. Have your teen replace TV and computer time with physical activities he or she enjoys like swimming, running, or basketball, have your teen walk or bike to school, and include yard work and walking the dog in their repertoire of chores.The findings of a study conducted in 1990 established that 14% of all deaths in the U.S. Teens should be active for 60 minutes or more on most or all days of the week. It can also reduce your teen’s risk for chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Like good nutrition, physical activity can build muscles, bones, and lift your teen’s spirits. They may be tasty but they are full of empty calories. Think of soda and artificially sweetened fruit juices as desserts or treats and reserve them for special occasions. Your teen should drink mainly water and low-fat or fat-free milk. Healthier, unsaturated fats include olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, and soybean oils fatty, coldwater fish like salmon, trout, tuna, and whitefish and nuts and seeds. Teens should limit their fat intake to 25 to 35 percent of their total calories every day and they should choose unsaturated fats over saturated fats whenever possible. Good sources of iron include lean beef, iron-fortified cereals and breads, dried beans and peas, or spinach. Girls need iron for growth too, and to replace blood they lose through menstruation. Boys double their lean body mass between the ages of 10 and 17, needing iron to support their growth. One-ounce equivalents include one slice of whole grain bread, ½ cup of whole grain pasta or brown rice, 1 cup of bulgur, or 1 cup of whole grain breakfast cereal. Teens should get 6 ounces of grains every day. One-ounce equivalents of other protein sources include ½ cup of beans or tofu, one egg, a tablespoon of peanut butter, and ½ ounce of nuts or seeds. Good sources include lean meat, poultry, or fish. Your teen should eat 5½ ounces of protein-rich foods every day. One-cup equivalents include 1½ ounces of low-fat cheddar cheese or 2 ounces of fat-free American cheese. Your teen should eat three 1-cup servings of low-fat or fat-free calcium-rich foods every day. Your teen should eat 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables every day (for a 2,000 calorie diet).ġ,300 milligrams (mg) of calcium daily. In general your teen should eat a varied diet, including:įruits and vegetables every day. How much a teen should eat depends on their individual needs. As your teen grows, he or she will require more calories and an increase of key nutrients including protein, calcium, and iron. The best way your teen can maintain a healthy weight is to eat a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, no-fat or low-fat milk products, beans, eggs, fish, nuts, and lean meats.Įating healthfully means getting the right balance of nutrients. Whether your teen feels too gangly or too fat, it’s important to take the focus off your teen’s body and instead aim your teen’s attention on the joy of eating well and eating healthy. Girls go through a growth spurt around the age of 12 and boys around the age of 14. Helping your teen develop a positive relationship with food will go a long way in guiding him to become the healthy, self-reliant adult you want him to be. Your teen will also grow physically, increasing their need for calories and nutrients. Your teen will grow emotionally, functionally, and intellectually, developing a sense of independence, identity, and self-esteem. With the teen years come a tremendous amount of changes.
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