Sources

http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/healthy_snacks.html#cat20132
http://parentingteens.about.com/od/nutrition/a/badfood_habits.htm
http://fit.webmd.com/teen/food/slideshow/slideshow-teens-sugar
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/food_labels.html#

Why is it Important for Teens to Have a Healthy Diet?

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We often find it hard to eat healthy, because we enjoy the taste of the unhealthy, and more processed foods and we forget the importance of eating healthy. Having an unhealthy diet can lead to terrible things, such as diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Keeping a balanced diet is extremely helpful, as well as beneficial to all teens. Having healthy habits such as eating a healthy breakfast, is proven to help overall health and brain activity. Don't you usually do better on a test if you had breakfast that morning? Also, it helps your mental state, helping you to feel better about yourself. As well as mental benefits, eating healthy also, obviously has physical benefits. It helps to keep your weight in a healthy zone and also, helps your skin, as eating greasy, oily foods in excessive amounts sometimes contribute to acne. Eating excessive amounts of sugar can lead to a sugar rush. This causes you to have a large increase in energy for a short amount of time, however, shortly afterward, you crash and feel very lethargic. Therefore, it is important to keep sugars to a minimum, because in moderation, they reall are just fine. Eating healthy feels good, and even though sometimes it can be really hard to keep a healthy diet, it really is quite important to all states of being: mental, physical, and emotional.

Specific Foods To Limit or Avoid and Why

Knowing which foods to limit or avoid is hard. The important thing is not necessarily the number of calories in something, but often times, it is the amount of sugar. Sugary drinks such as Coca Cola and other sodas are easy enough to spot, from their fizzy bubbles and super sugary taste. However, there are many other drinks with a very high sugar content as well, such as those tasty coffee drinks from Starbucks. A 16 oz. White Creme Frappuccino has 79 grams of sugar, which is almost 19 teaspoons. Even drinks that seem healthy and are full of vitamins, like Vitamin Water, have a high sugar content. The label on the Power-C Vitamin water says there are 13 grams of sugar, per serving. However, there are 2.5 servings, which means you're getting almost getting 7 teaspoons of sugar, which is like drinking a 12 oz. Coke.
Teens tend to like to eat foods that come from the smallest section of the food pyramid. Foods that have lots of fat and sugar. Generally speaking, they aren't very good for you at all, of course, in moderation, they are just fine. Foods like, potato chips, ice cream, pizza, french fries, etc. All the food that would be categorized as "junk food."
Snacking is a common habit that isn't necessarily bad, if you snack healthily. To keep energy levels going and to avoid excessive weight gain, steer clear of foods with lots of simple carbohydrates (sugars) like candy bars or soda. Look for foods that contain complex carbohydrates like whole-grain breads and cereals and combine them with protein-rich snacks such as peanut butter or low-fat yogurt or cheese. This should make for a healthy snack that will keep you going until the next meal.
Overall, avoid junk food, things with excessive amounts of sugar, and try to stick to the healthy stuff, with low levels of sugar and fat. And don't forget to read the label, because you never know what's in something!

Sources

Sources: 

http://kidshealth.org/kid/nutrition/food/carb.html

http://www.chem4kids.com/files/bio_carbos.html

http://www.healthcalculators.org/index.html

http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?mid=61

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein-full-story/index.html

http://www.elitefts.com/images/PICTURES/carbs3.jpg

http://ldenicola.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/proteins.jpg

http://tamshealthycorner.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/unsaturated-fats1.jpg

3-Day Meal Plan

Day 1:

Breakfast: 

Honey Nut Cheerios (or similar cereal) with low-fat or skim milk

Fresh Fruit

Orange Juice (not from concentrate)

Lunch:

Turkey sandwich on whole wheat or whole grain bread (Low-fat cheese, vegetables, and light mayo if desired)

Water

Apple Chips

Snack (Only if hungry):

Vegetable sticks

Dinner:

Grilled chicken breast

Salad with light dressing

Brown rice

Milk or Water

Dessert: Fruit Smoothie made with yogurt and frozen/fresh fruit (no ice cream or sherbet)

Day 2:

Breakfast:

Toast (Whole Grain or Whole Wheat)

Spinach omlette (Small amount of low-fat cheese if desired)

Orange Juice or Skim Milk

Lunch:

Grilled chicken salad with light dressing

Low-sugar yogurt w/ fresh fruit (add granola or honey if desired)

Water

Snack (Only if hungry):

Granola bar or Trail mix

Dinner:

Grilled or Broiled Salmon

Roasted asparagus

Brown rice

Skim Milk or Water

Dessert: Fresh Fruit

Day 3:

Breakfast:

Oatmeal

Fresh fruit

Orange Juice or Skim Milk

Lunch:

Leftover salmon

Brown rice

Vegetable sticks

Water

Snack (Only If Hungry): Low-Sugar Yogurt with fruit and granola

Dinner:

Homemade burger (using lean meat) on whole grain or whole wheat bread (low-fat cheese if desired)

Vegetable Sticks

Water or Milk

Dessert: Frozen Grapes

How Do You Determine the Recommended Daily Caloric Requirement For a Teenager?

There is recommended daily caloric requirement of 1,600 to 2,400 calories for girls and 2,200 to 3,200 for boys.  This is helpful to know, but there is a big difference between if a girl consumes 1,600 calories a day or 2,400 calories a day.  There are many different factors that can affect how many calories a teen should consume.  Some factors include age, gender, height, and others.

One factor of how many calories that should be consumed by a teenager is growth.  During teen years is when many people grow the most.  It's important for teens to get enough calories to support their growth.  If a teen is still growing a lot they need more calories than a teen who isn't growing as much or has stopped growing.  If a teen stops growing they don't need as many calories as someone who is because they don't need extra calories for growth. 

Another factor is activity level.  If a teen is more active then they are burning more calories and need to consume more calories because they need to replace calories they burned.  If a teen is less active then they need less calories because they aren't burning as many and if they eat too many calories it causes an excess of unneeded calories.  This could cause many things, one of which is weight gain, and in most cases that isn't not a good thing.  This is why and athlete like a football player or a dancer needs more calories than someone who doesn't get a lot of activity.

            For everyone, caloric intake is different.  Just because something works for a friend it doesn't mean it works for you.  Daily caloric intake is something that you have to figure out for yourself.  Talking to your doctor about it is also a good way to find out how many calories you should be eating.  Everyone is unique and everyone has different needs and circumstances that can affect the recommended daily caloric intake but it's important that people know how many calories they need for their health and wellbeing.





Sources:  http://www.livestrong.com/article/306057-how-many-calories-do-teenagers-need-a-day/


http://www.ehow.com/how_6061999_calculate-daily-calorie-intake-teens.html

Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that form sugars. Humans break down carbohydrates through a process called metabolism. The roles of carbs are for energy, to fuel the brain, and to maintain the digestive track. During anaerobic exercise carbs are the only things able to provide energy fast enough. This  makes carbohydrates the most important unit of fuel for the human body. Carbohydrates can be found in foods like milk, energy drinks, fruits, bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, sweets, grains, cereal, and vegetables. Although all are carbohydrates the best ones for you would be whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans. The recommended intake depends on your activity level and the amount of calories eaten in a day.

1200 calories per day = 540 carb calories - 135g carbs


1300 calories per day = 585 carb calories - 146g carbs


1400 calories per day = 630 carb calories - 157g carbs


1500 calories per day = 675 carb calories - 169g carbs


1600 calories per day = 720 carb calories - 180g carbs

Carbohydrates can be broken down into three categories:

Monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.

Monosaccharides

The most common monosaccharides are glucose and fructose. Glucose is the form of sugar stored in the body for energy while fructose is the most common sugar found in fruits and must first be transported to the liver, where it is turned into glucose.

Disaccharides

Disaccharides are two sugar units bonded together. An example is sucrose: One molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose.

Disaccharides, like monosaccharides are a fast source of energy for the body.

Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides are multiple monosaccharides joined together. These are called complex carbohydrates while the two other are called simple carbohydrates. Starch and fiber are both polysaccharides.

Proteins

Proteins are chains of amino acids put together during protein synthesis. Proteins are used for the growth and repair of skin, hair, nails, bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Also, it serves a role in enzyme production and maintaining the acid-base balance within our bodies. The average daily recommendation for protein is 0.83 grams per kg. of your specific bodyweight. The best animal protein comes from fish and poultry. Studies show that you should consume less than 18 ounces of red meat per week and to avoid processed meat. You can also find protein in vegetables, beans, nuts, and whole grains. Although you can find protein in all these things some are better than others. Fish and poultry are better than red meat but if you choose to eat red meat buy the leanest cuts. Whole milk contains more fat than skim milk, so that would be a better choice too. Increasing your protein rather than processed carbs improves your levels of HDL.

Fats

Fats made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen bonded together.

Since fat contains 9 calories rather than 4 like carbohydrates and proteins, fat is a good source to carry out low intensity long duration activities. Energy is not the only thing fat is used for, insulation protection of organs, and transport are all other functions of fat. Fat can be found in red meat, cheese, egg yolk, butter, milk, commercially prepared products, olive oil, canola oil, avocados, almonds, pecans, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, dark leafy greens, and oily fish. Most average people consume 40% of their diet in fat.

Saturated Fat

Saturated fat is a major cause of coronary heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases. No more than 140 calories (based on a 2,000 calorie diet) should come from Saturated fats. Eating high amounts of Saturated Fat increases the cholesterol which puts us at a greater risk for heart disease or strokes.

Trans Fat

Trans fats are created by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oil and are sometimes known as partially hydrogenated oil. They raise your LDL and lower your HDL. It can be linked with heart disease and stroke, just like saturated fat but can also increase your risk of having type 2 diabetes. No more than 20 calories should come from trans fats a day (based on a 2,000 calorie diet).

Monounsaturated fats and Polyunsaturated Fats

These fats should replace Trans and Saturated fats but should still be eaten in moderation. They can help reduce the cholesterol levels and your risk of heart disease. Polyunsaturated fats carry Omega 3, Omega 6, and Omega 9. All Omegas are important for normal brain and body function.

HDL and LDL, Cholesterol

HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein and LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. LDL is the bad cholesterol because it transports cholesterol to artery walls while HDL grabs that cholesterol and transfers it to the liver instead where it can then be excreted. No more than 300mg of cholesterol should be taken in each day.