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Diet for teenagers
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Read on to find out the right kind of food that would meet the nutrition needs of teeny boppers...
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TEENAGE IS a time when awareness regarding figure, weight, image and good looks is increased.
The teenage years are the time of rapid growth and development. A proper, balanced diet is vital. Given below are some nutrient intakes that are important for teenagers:
Calories: During puberty and teenage, there is a big demand for calories by the body due to increased physical activity and metabolic rate. Adolescent boys of 13-15 years of age need 2,500 calories and girls of 13-15 years need 2,200 calories. For boys of 16-18 years, 3,000 calories and for girls 2,200 calories are required.
You can make the following changes in your daily diet pattern:
— Increase the intake, and the amount of cereals and pulses too during lunch and dinner.
— Include nuts, dried fruits and peanuts in your diet.
* If you do not take the extra calories during meal time at home, you will tend to consume empty calorie foods such as soft drinks and ice cream.
Proteins: The need for additional protein and nitrogen during this age is high. If you do not take the required amount of proteins at this time, it could lead to lower growth spurt and lower resistance to infection. The daily recommended allowance of protein is 55 gm for boys and 50 gm for girls (13-15 years) and 60 gm for boys and 50 gm for girls (16-18 years).
The increased demand for proteins in the daily diet can be met in the following ways:
* If you are a vegetarian, eat at least one bowl of pulse/ dal/ legume everyday (chana, karamani, rajmah).
* Try to have a mixture of dals together.
* Drink at least 1 glass (250 ml) of milk daily.
* If you are a non-vegetarian, eat fish/ chicken/ mutton at least once a day, preferably without deep-frying.
* For vegetarians, soyabean/ tofu or nutri-nuggets should be included in the daily diet. Soyabean has 40 per cent protein compared to 18 per cent in meat and chicken.
* Groundnuts and nuts are good sources of protein.
Iron & calcium: These are the two most important minerals required during puberty, more so for girls, as the two will influence the health and well being throughout life. Deficiency of iron in the diet leads to nutritional anaemia. During puberty, the need for iron increases in girls, as there is loss of iron during menstruation. The normal level of haemoglobin for males 13 gm, females 11 gm and children 11-12 gm. The daily recommended iron allowance during teenage are 25 mg for boys and 35 mg for girls.
Intake of iron through the following sources:
* Include at least one dish (about 100 gm) of any green leafy vegetable (keerai) everyday.
* Among the cereals, ragi and bajra are very good sources of iron.
* Use jaggery instead of sugar to sweeten milk and desserts as jaggery has a high iron content.
* Raisins and dates are high in iron. Try to include this in your diet.
* If you are a non-vegetarian, include chicken or mutton liver in your diet. This is an excellent source of iron.
* Use an iron vessel such as a kadhai to cook vegetables. This increases the iron content of the food cooked in the vessel.
* Vitamin C helps in the absorption of iron. So eat foods rich in Vitamin C such as citrus fruits (sweet lime and orange), guava, gooseberry, etc.
* Sprouts are also a very good source of Vitamin C. Calcium:
It is another very important mineral required during the teen years. Low intake of calcium can lead to retarded calcification of bones and teeth; so include the following in your diet:
* A glass of milk i.e. 250 ml will meet your daily requirement.
* Include a leafy vegetable (keerai) at least 3 times a week in your diet.
* Ragi, sesame (til) seeds have a high content of calcium; so, if your grandmother makes ladoos out of these, just grab and eat.
* Too much fat in the diet reduces absorption of calcium; so, do not eat deep fried foods.
* Vitamin D and lysine promote the absorption of calcium; therefore, do not neglect taking a glass of milk. Milk is just not food for the children; it is a complete food for you too.
A word to the mother: Good health, in general, is too abstract an approach to interest the teenager to take a balanced nutritious diet; more so with junk foods such as pizzas being delivered at homes. You must deal with the situation with tact. This is the time when the adolescent becomes aware and concerned about his/her figure. So, the best approach is to plan a daily good nutritious menu and explain to the teenager that this diet will be beneficial for a good figure and improved complexion and glossy hair.
LILY MADHOK
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