Introduction

Today, as the media is booming with information, we, the teenagers might get lost in the path for accurate information. Many magazines and websites portrayed different diets to be skinny or strong. Without accurate sources of information, a lot of us will make wrong decisions that will impact our lives forever.

Many parts of the food industry want to save money and give us cheap foods that are not only high in calories, but also in saturated fats, additives, cholesterol and other things that are detrimental to your health. Many teens start not to care about eating healthy, because they have been deceived countless times by the false information around them. Also, teens might follow trends among them. For example, if fast food is in, then a lot of teens will eat fast food to fit in.

Finally, teens see images of models and believe that they are the healthy standard we must follow. However, a lot of people don't know that the pictures you will find about models have been edited. Even they can't achieve the looks without technology changing the way they look. Although you might think that engaging in bad eating habits won't affect you because you are young, they will come back and haunt you for the rest of your life. Eating unhealthy now can lead to health problems, such as diabetes, kidney failure, and heart problems. That is why we, as teenagers, must stop these unhealthy eating habits and change to a healthier lifestyle. By changing to a healthy lifestyle, we can train ourselves to retain this lifestyle in our adult life. You never know- changing your own lifestyle can lead someone else to make a decision that has the potential to impact the rest of their life.

Macronutrients

Nutrients are substances that are essential for growth, metabolism, and other functions of the body. Macronutrients are nutrients that provide and/or supply energy to the body. They are essential in a teen's everyday diet. The root of the word macro comes from the Greek word makros, which means large. Therefore, Macronutrients are nutrients that are needed in large amounts. There are three classes of macronutrients. They are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Carbohydrates

Out of the three types of macronutrients, weight for weight carbohydrates contain the least amount of energy. However, carbohydrates ae he main source of fuel for your body. They are composed of sugars, starch, and fiber. Though they do not contain much energy, carbohydrates are important when engaging in short, vigorous periods of exercise. Also, carbohydrates play a large role in the central nervous system. The brain uses glucose, a specific carbohydrate, as its primary source of fuel. The average teen stores about 2000 calories of carbohydrates, but can store up to 4800 calories. The nutritional value of carbohydrates is four calories per one gram of carbohydrates. According to the Mayo Clinic, the recommended intake of carbohydrates for teens is 45%-65% of his/her daily caloric intake. There are different types of carbohydrates, whose functions are different. It is essential to know what their functions are in order to understand good nutrition.

The most basic type of carbohydrates is monosaccharides. Some examples of monosaccharides are fructose, which is found in fruit, and glucose, a type of sugar. This type of carbohydrate is mainly used for energy. Two monosaccharides combined together is a disaccharide. For example, when glucose is combined with fructose, the result is sucrose, or table sugar. Lactose, a sugar found in milk, is also a dissacharide. Monosaccharides and dissacharides are part of the set of simple sugars. Simple sugars are absorbed quickly by the body, which allows them to be a rapid source of energy. Simple sugars are a good source of energy after a workout, when the body's energy storage is low.

The combination of many monosaccharides is called polysaccharides. Nutritionists often times refer to polysaccharides as complex carbohydrates. Starch and fiber are examples of polysaccharides. Because they release their energy over a long period of time, polysaccharides are good to consume before physical activity. Some examples of carbohydrate rich foods are bread, cereal, rice, milk, pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables.

Protein

The second type of macronutrients is protein. It is responsible for the growth and repair of hair, skin, tendons, bones, nails, muscles, and ligaments. They are composed of amino acids. Proteins also produce enzymes, which speed up chemical reactions, some of which are responsible for the digestion of food. The nutritional value of protein is four calories per one gram of protein consumed. According to the Mayo Clinic, the recommended intake of protein for an average teen is 10%-30% of his/her daily caloric intake. For the average teen, this is about 58 grams or 232 calories of protein per day. This is because the body will only metabolize protein as a source of energy when there is an inadequate amount of carbohydrates. Some good sources of protein are low fat milk, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, lean red meat, beans, and soy.

Fats

The last type of carbohydrate is fat. It is composed of cholesterol and fatty acids. The nutritional value of fat is more than twice the amount of both carbohydrates and proteins. It is nine calories per gram of protein consumed. According to the Mayo Clinic, the recommended intake of fat for an average teen is 25%-35% of his/her daily caloric intake. Because fat cannot supply energy quickly like carbohydrates, it is not ideal for vigorous activity. However, it is good to power low intensity activities, such as walking and jogging. Fat also insulates and protects vital organs such as the heart, liver, and lungs. Finally, it transports vitamins throughout the body.

Fats can be broken down into two subsets: saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are bad for the body. This is because they are a major cause of coronary heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases. Saturated fat is found in red meat, egg yolks, cheese, butter, milk, and commercially prepared desserts. Unsaturated fats can be good for the body, depending on the type of unsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fats can lower the risk of coronary heart disease. This type of fat is found in olive oil, avocados, almonds, and pecans. Polyunsaturated fats contribute to coronary heart disease. This type of fat is found in sunflower oil.

Some fats (more specifically fatty acids) are essential to the body. They are Omega 3, Omega 6, and Omega 9. These fatty acids are believed to be protective to the heart and may help to prevent some illnesses. Omega 3 and Omega 6 must be consumed, but the body produces Omega 9. The average Western diet is usually deficient of these essential fatty acids.

To learn more about macronutrients, Click Here.

Micronutrients

When people hear the word cholesterol, they think that it is bad or unhealthy. This is partially true, because having a high amount of certain cholesterols can clog up arteries. However, people fail to realize that cholesterol is actually a macronutrient, meaning that its essential to the overall health of a normal teenage body. There are two different kinds of cholesterol: HDL and LDL. HDL, the better cholesterol, is responsible for keeping the LDL, or bad cholesterol from clotting your arteries. HDL stands for High-Density Lipoprotein, which means that it is both a lipid (fat) and a protein. LDL cholesterol is the cause of clots in arteries, and causes strokes and heart attacks. 75% of the cholesterol you need is made from your body. The rest is from the food that you eat. It is important that you get the cholesterol you need, but it is just as important that you keep it under control and do not eat too much.

A micronutrient is exactly like a macronutrient, except that it isn't needed in large amounts. Micronutrients are essential to a teen's health and it is important that they get these. Some examples of micronutrients are vitamins and minerals.

Calcium is an essential mineral that every growing teen needs in their younger years. When children are younger, their bones are at the age where they are the most able to develop. In order for your bones to become stronger, you need calcium. Some foods you can find calcium in are cheese, dairy products (milk), seafood (especially salmon), and soy products.
Iron is another mineral that is needed in for a healthy body. Iron enhances the efficiency of enzymes in the body and works to enhance the metabolism of protein. It also enhances the functions of calcium for bone strength. Iron can be found in eggs, leafy vegetables, beef, cocoa and whole grains.
Potassium is a mineral that can be found in a lot of the things that you eat. Potassium is very important for maintaining water balance and blood pressure. It also helps the adrenal glands function. Most importantly, it is responsible for maintaining the body's growth. It is found in beef, bananas, milk, fish, and green vegetables.

Vitamin A is the one vitamin that every teen needs. It acts like calcium, strengthening bones and teeth. It also strengthens soft tissues and skin. Most importantly, it is important to get because it is responsible to maintaining a strong immune system to keep you healthy. Vitamin A can be found in milk, eggs and cheese.

To learn more about micronutrients,
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Health Risks & Specific Foods to Avoid

About 25% of the people in America are considered obese, or overweight. However, this problem starts when they are young, and these health risks can be avoided. When you are your teens, it is important to get exercise everyday for about sixty minutes. Also, you should eat healthier, and choose the right foods. Even the simple changes will make a huge difference in the outcome. Switch to brown rice, wheat bread or whole grain foods. If possible, choose to shop for groceries at local markets where produce is local. This could all reduce the chances of being overweight when an adult.

High blood pressure is something that can be avoided when in your teen years. Although the cause of blood pressure isn't known, many factors play a role in having a high blood pressure. One way is to watch your diet. Salty foods and sodium is the major cause of high blood pressure when it comes to a diet and what you eat. There are ways of preventing high blood pressure. One ways is to visit your doctor regularly to check for this. Another is to get potassium into your system. It will help to control it and make sure it doesn't get too high.

Bones are an important part of a healthy body. When you get older, the disease osteoporosis can affect you if your bones are not strong or developed. In order to prevent this, you need to start in your childhood and teenage years. Calcium is the primary mineral that strengthens your growing bones. When you lack in calcium, your bones are weak and fragile. It also helps you keep your teeth healthy and blood flow clear. Many people lack calcium in their diets, and therefore have a higher chance of developing osteoporosis in the future. To add calcium to your diet, look towards eating more beans and dairy products. More importantly, try to drink milk at least twice a day in order to ensure your immunity from this disease.

Hemoglobin, a pigment that carries oxygen to tissues in the body, are crucial to a teen's overall health. It is produced by iron, a mineral that can be found in many of the foods that you eat. However, if you lack iron in your diet, or don't get enough, you have a high chance of getting iron-deficiency anemia, which is one of the world's most common nutritional deficiencies. When you lack iron, you lack hemoglobin, which is responsible of creating red blood cells for the body. When you lack these blood cells, cells and tissues don't get the required amount of oxygen needed thus, affecting their function. Adding iron to you diet (seafood and beans) bring the risk of getting iron-deficiency anemia down.

Another important aspect to being a healthy teen is knowing what is healthy to eat, but also what you need to try to avoid. All foods have something different about them, some are healthy and some aren't. Nutritious foods keep you very healthy, but limiting the unhealthy foods can help you to succeed. There are many foods that are considered to be unhealthy and each have their own reasons as to why they are. The main unhealthy food to avoid is ones that are fried. When your favorite foods like French fries, chicken and potato chips are fried, they soak up the grease, which turns into trans fats when it enters your body. Excess amounts of trans fats lead to heart disease. Fried foods also add lots of calories to the food. According to MindfulEats.com, French fries contain twice the amount of calories and fifty times the amount of (trans) fat than a baked potato does.

High fructose corn syrup. You heard it, but do you know what it is? High fructose corn syrup is found in most of the soft drinks on the market. They act as a substitute for sugar, which makes the drink taste so refreshing and sweet. An average person is said to "drink" 63 pounds of this brown goo every year through soft drinks and other foods and it ultimately ends up being the leading cause for obesity. It is also found in hamburger buns, some breads and muffins. In order to avoid this, check the nutrition label and read the ingredient list before eating or drinking. Keep this in mind and remember to think before you eat.

Another unhealthy eating habit is eating foods that are high in cholesterol. Almost all of the foods you eat during your meals probably contain cholesterol which is can be very dangerous if eaten in large quantities. Cholesterol can be found specifically in eggs, which we all know we love to eat. A lot of it can be found in fast food, because of the high amounts of sodium that fast food companies use to cook foods. Many of the top foods with cholesterol come from fast food joints like the McDonalds breakfast platter or even just a Dunkin Donuts Bagel. You should watch out for these foods, because these foods can influence how you end up looking and feeling in a healthy body.

To learn more about teen health risks, Click Here.
To learn more about specific foods to avoid, Click Here.

Daily Caloric Intake for the Average Teen

The daily caloric intake for a teenager varies different depends on the amount of active activities you do. For example, a all year-round swimmer might need different amount of energy in comparison with a once a week jogger. But according to dietitians and physicians, it is not healthy to a teenager to have a diet since they are still growing. Even a sedentary teenager needs around 1800-2200 calorie intake per day. For Active teenagers, their daily calorie intake might vary from 2100 to 3200 depending on their fitness, and the intensity and time of their workout.

For a healthy meal, grain is very important so it is recommended to have 5-7 servings per day; even at the minimum should be 3-4 servings per day. Vegetables are another important part of your meal and it is recommended to have 2.5-3 servings per day since a lot of micronutrients come from vegetable. Around 3-6 servings of protein are required depends on your activity level. It is best for a teen to not eat a lot of junk food, sweets, and dessert. Since most them have high sugar level, high trans fat and a huge portion of your daily calorie intake. But having a healthy meal doesn't mean you have to cut your favorite food, just have a balanced meal everyday. With the correct amount of each nutrients, you can live a happy life without the worries of future diseases that will haunt your later years.

To learn more, determine your personal caloric intake, and create a personalized food guide, Click Here.

A 3-Day Meal Plan

Now you're probably wondering, "How do I put this all together?" Well, we have put together a 3-day meal plan, including all of the required food groups, portion sizes, and calorie amount. Our hope is that you use this information to create your own tasty, healthy meal plan.

Day 1:

Breakfast:
1.One small bowl of Corn Flakes with Milk
2.One Apple Banana
3.One glass of Orange Juice

Snack 1:
1.One Granola Bar

Lunch:
1.One Turkey Sandwich with Tomato and Lettuce, Low-Fat Mayonnaise
2.Veggie Sticks
3.One Bottle of Water

Snack 2:
1.One Orange

Dinner:
1.One filet of Grilled Salmon
2.One Small Bowl of Garden Salad
3.One medium scoop of Brown Rice
4.Water



Day 2:

Breakfast:
1.One Bowl of Strawberries, Blueberries, and Raspberries topped with low-fat vanilla yogurt

2.One handful of Granola
3.One glass of Milk

Snack 1:
1.One Apple Banana

Lunch:
1.One bowl of Chicken Caesar Salad (One and one half sliced grilled chicken breasts with low-fat Caesar dressing)
2.One bottle of Water

Snack 2:
1.(Approximately 7) Baby Carrot Sticks (Optional: with low-fat Ranch Dressing)

Dinner:
1.One small cup of Minestrone Soup
2.One Small (Approximately 6 oz) Lean Grilled Steak
3.Herb Roasted Baby Red Potatoes (Approximately 5 halves)
4.One bottle of Water


Day 3:

Breakfast:
1.Half of One Papaya
2.One Glass of Orange Juice

Snack 1:
1.One handful of Trail Mix

Lunch:
1.One Lean Ham Sandwich with Low-fat Mayo
2.One serving (One snack size Ziploc bag) of Taro Chips
3.One Bottle of Water
Snack 2:
1.(Approximately 4 Pieces) Broccoli (Optional: with low-fat Ranch Dressing)

Dinner:
1.One Grilled Chicken Breast
2.One and one half scoops of Risotto
3.One serving Steamed Broccoli and Carrots
4.One Glass of Water

To make your own personalized meal plan, Click Here.