Nutritional Advice For Parents Of Teenagers

Parent of teenagers sometimes worry about the food that their children are eating

. We all strive to feed our children well balanced meals and to encourage daily exercise and physical activity. However, because of work, school and other time consuming commitments, we are forced to rely on our children to make the right decisions regarding what food to eat. This is certainly the case when our children eat at fast food joints and restaurants. Below is a basic outline of a healthy and nutritious diet that we should encourage our teenage kids to follow.

Depending on their activity levels, teenage boys should consume roughly around 2,000 to 3,200 calories per day. The more sports and physical activities your child partakes in, the more calories he burns. If your child is inactive, its best for him to consume less calories. Otherwise, the calories that do not get burned during exercise will turn into fat and lead eventually to weight gain.

An important part of every growing boy's diet is protein. Either from meat, chicken, nuts, beans, fish, eggs or other milk products, teenage boys should eat about 150 grams of protein per every 2,000 of their daily calories. Therefore, 10 to 30 percent of their calorie intake should be comprised of protein.

Though we think of fat as a bad thing in terms of its nutritional value, fat is an vital part of our children's diet. The fats they eat are forms of energy reserves that can be burned to create energy when they do not have enough in their diet. Of their daily total calorie intake, 25 to 35 percent should consist of fat (that equals approximately 55 to 75 grams of fat per 2,000 calories). Teenagers should stick to the "good fats", such as Omega-3 and Omega-6, which can be found in salmon, fresh tuna, walnuts, olive oil, avocados and grape seed oil. "Bad fats", found in animal and dairy products, should be consumed in limited amounts only.

Carbohydrates are another necessary part of any nutritional diet for teens. 45 to 65 percent of our daily calories should be comprised of carbs, which are the main source of our body's energy. Carbohydrates can be found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Products combined with both high levels of sugars, which are essentially carbs, should be eaten in small amounts.

Sodium, fiber and vitamin D are other important components of a balanced meal for teenagers. Teenage boys should consume about 1,500 milligrams of sodium, 25 to 40 grams of fiber (depending on their physical activity levels) and 600 units of vitamin D a day. Additionally, 1,200 milligrams of calcium should be consumed a day as well.

Parents should use this guideline to encourage their teenage boys to eat healthy and nutritious meals daily. Moreover, parents need to insist on regular physical activity and healthy lifestyle that excludes smoking drinking and drugs.

by: Maria Gonzales

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