Diet Plan For Teenagers

Nutrition during the growing years

Childhood nutrition has a significant influence on health and development through out one’s life. As children grow, their nutritional needs are greater than those of adults and the consequence of poor diets will be long lasting. A good diet will protect against everyday illness and ensure development of strong bones, teeth, firm muscles and healthy tissues.

Although the nutritional requirements of children between the age of 2 and 10 do not change drastically from year to year, this period is characterized by pronounced behavioral changes. This is the time to prepare your child for a long and healthy life, to instill a handful of beliefs about food that will withstand peer pressure, television advertisements and temptation of fast food consumption. A sensible goal, during this period, is to develop in your children, a basic attitude towards sound nutrition that in time will enable them to make proper decisions about food.

At 2 – 3 years of age, a child’s stomach is still very small and is not capable of holding too much food from meal to meal. Sensible and planned snacking should be used to fill up the gaps. These snacks should be treated as part of the day’s food planned not as forbidden treats. If your child is eating its food with the rest of the family, us this time to teach table manners and personal food control. Meal times should be quite and pleasant. Eat slowly yourself and encourage your child to do so as well. Do not overload his plate Teach him variety by offering it. Good eating habits should begin now as likes and dislikes will be influenced by what is offered in these early years. The emphasis should be on family eating habits that are healthy.

Children between the ages of 4 – 6 are prone to refuse foods, especially healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. It is best not to make an issue of it while trying to make sure that it gets the basic nutrients that it needs. Studies have shown that aversion and phobia are learned at home from siblings and should be tackled in a subtle manner before these aversions become phobia for life.

Growth is influenced by nutrition. Frequent attacks of infectious diseases affect their growth and increase their requirements of various nutrients. Repeated illnesses, especially common illnesses like diarrhoea, measles and other respiratory infections are usually seen as the major causes of poor nutrition in children during these years. Because of loss of appetite caused by repeated illnesses, frequent weight loss is also seen.

Overall need for nutrients increases throughout the growth period, but there will be periods when growth is slow and the need for certain nutrients will be reduced. Children reflect these changes by fluctuations in appetite. This may cause anxiety to parents.

The following tips will be helpful while planning a diet for pre-school and school children:

• The diet should be attractive with special emphasis on variety. A child who is exposed to good healthy eating will enjoy optimal health.
• A child should never be forced to eat more than what it can stomach.
• Food preferences of the child must be considered.
• There should be emphasis on mealtime regularity.
• The diet should be sufficient more in quality and in quantity.
• For good bowel movement, ensure that your child is given fruits, vegetables and whole grain products.
• Beverages like tea, coffee and soft drinks should be discouraged, as they tend to be addictive and over stimulate their tender systems.
• Discourage them from having fat laden snacks like burgers, pizzas, samosas and other fried foods on a regular basis.
• Have only low fat milk and low fat yoghurt.
• If you are non vegetarian, use only white meat like chicken and fish and avoid red meats like ham, bacon, etc.

The nutritional requirements of both boys and girls are more less the same for the first 9-10 years. After this, between 10-12 years of age, girls require more protein than the boys to prepare them for the onset of menarche. Emphasis should be on a diet rich in calcium and iron to meet the daily requirement for the development of strong bones and production of blood. Peanuts, nuts, seeds, spinach, other greens, peas, whole grain, raisins, low fat milk, and eggs are good sources of both calcium and iron.

Although many parents thing that it is unhealthy for children to be on a vegetarian diet, a well-planned vegetarian diet can provide all the nutrients that your child needs to be healthy. In addition, since vegetarian diets are generally high in fiber, low in cholesterol and saturated fats, they may be spared of childhood obesity. This will also reduce the risk of heart ailments and type II diabetes. So feel reassured that you could safely raise your children to be vegetarians.

Below are some suggestions that can be incorporated to a vegetarian diet to ensure that your child has a balanced and healthy diet.

• Whole wheat bread sandwiches with peanut butter.
• Whole wheat spaghetti with tomato sauce.
• Soy protein nuggets.
• Burgers can be made with tofu fillings.
• Grilled soy cheese sandwiches.
• Vegetarian pizza with soy sauce.
• Omelets or oatmeal muffin and cookies for breakfast.
• Waffles with fruit and honey.
• Rice with beans.
• Stuffed parathas.
• Fruits and juices.
• Nuts and dry fruits.

You as a parent can promote good nutrition by setting a good example. Healthy eating habits and exercise should be a regular part of your family’s daily routine. It is much easier if every one in the house follows these guidelines, to ensure that your child grows physically and psychologically to its full potential.

Adolescence is a period of extremes and contradictions. It is marked by psychological, mental, biological and sexual changes. This intense growth period usually occurs between the 10th and 15th years in girls and between the 12th and 16th year s in boys. Every adolescent matures according to his/her own inner clock.

Adolescents of both sexes should be eating a balanced diet that includes foods from the five major food groups. The food pyramid was designed to promote healthy nutrition for children and adults of all ages. It is meant to be a general guide to daily food choices.

Your child’s nutrition is important to its overall health. Proper nutrition can also prevent many medical problems including obesity, developing weak bones, heart ailments and diabetes. It also ensures that your child grows to its full potential. The most serious nutrition deficiencies among teenagers are calcium and iron. This nutritional shortage is often due to over consumption of soft drinks and fast foods, which are devoid of any nourishment. Iron shortages are high due to an increased demand for the manufacture of blood and tissues in both sexes and the onset of menstruation in girls.

Another concern is teenage obesity. This is the period during which the body can accelerate its addition and deposition of fat cells. An increasing number of teenagers are over weight and are at risk of many medical problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and diabetes. Obesity can also affect their self-esteem. Combined approach of a sensible diet and regular exercise is recommended to tackle this problem. The best nutrition advice to keep your adolescent children healthy is to encourage them to follow these tips:

• Eat a wide variety of foods which include plenty of vegetables, sprouts and pulses, fruits and whole grain cereals.
• Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fats and cholesterol.
• Allow sugar and salt in moderation.
• Avoid two or more servings of main dish or dessert.
• Encourage cooking methods like baking, steaming and grilling.
• Promote good nutrition by setting a good example. Healthy eating habits and regular exercise should be part of your family life. It is easier if everyone in the house follows these guidelines.
• Encourage your children to have low calorie/low fat snacks, desserts and low fat skim milk.

A very serious problem, especially among girls is a psychologically based pre-occupation with thinness, which could lead to a condition called ‘anorexia nervosa’. This is an eating disorder, which usually begins at the age of 14 – 18 years. This is due to an overwhelming fear of being over weight and a desire to be thin leading to restriction of calories. Some teenagers may experience a condition called ‘bulimia’, characterized by loss of control on food (binge eating) followed by purging. Risk factors include having slow self-esteem and being dissatisfied with their body. Complications of this disorder include fainting spells, due to low blood pressure, electrolyte imbalance, constipation, reduced energy, mood changes, anemia, kidney failure, ‘amenorrhea’ (absence of menstrual cycle), suicidal tendencies and withdrawal from family and friends.

The treatment is slow, difficult and requires psychotherapy and counseling. They will also require nutritional and medical guidance to ensure steady and slow weight gain and to tackle medical complications. Weight management:

An increasing number of teenagers are over weight and are at risk of many medical problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. Obesity can also affect their self-esteem. A combined approach of sensible diet and regular exercise is recommended. It is not necessary to count calories but you and your child should become educated on the food you eat and how many calories they contain. So begin by checking the nutrition labels of the foods you consume and checking the serving size. Some eating habits to encourage:

• Healthy meals. Your child should eat 3 – 4 well-balanced meals of average serving size per day. Serve less fatty foods and include vegetables, fruits and grains. Prepare foods as baked, steamed or grilled.
• Avoid two or more servings of the main course and desserts.
• Serve more fruits as desserts.
• Eat at the table.
• Avoid fast foods.
• Encourage regular exercise.

A complete vegetarian diet for teenagers to promote and maintain good health and weight: