Diets that Work Fast for Teenage Girls

It is imperative that the diet for teenagers should have the right amount of all the required nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, calcium, fiber and healthy fats, as their bodies are still in the growth phase. Read on for some useful tips on diets for teenager girls...

There is no doubt that in order to be healthy, a person needs to eat a balanced diet and exercise everyday. The same rule applies to teenage girls as well. And more so, as during one's teens, the body is still growing and hence needs the right amount of nutrition. On an average, the daily calorie requirements of a teenage girl lie anywhere between 1800-2100 calories. It is very important that she derives majority of these calories from healthy diet foods rather than junk foods such as pizzas, burgers, soft drinks etc. which are a very popular food choice among teenagers these days. As junk food has led to widespread obesity among teens, it is up to the parents to help the teens understand the benefits of making healthy food choices.

Healthy Diet for Teenage Girls

Proteins
Diets for teenagers should include some good protein foods such as lean meats, fish, boiled eggs, beans, broccoli, cheese and spinach. Proteins provide the body with amino acids which are considered the building blocks and hence are very important for a growing teenager.

Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates such as those found in whole grain breads, brown rice, muesli, and bran take much more time than simple carbohydrates to break down into glucose and thus, provide a teenager's body with gradual flow of energy for the entire day. Diets that work fast for girls should include complex carbohydrates, especially at breakfast, as they help her remain energetic throughout the day.

Calcium
A healthy diet will be incomplete if calcium rich foods such as low fat milk, yogurt and cheese are not included in it. Calcium helps in building healthy bones and teeth and can be very beneficial if included in the diet of a teenager. Drinking milk everyday helps in maintaining the normal eyesight as milk is a rich source of vitamin A and B12.

Fiber
It is often seen that over weight teenage girls resort to crash diets to lose weight fast, which is not at all a healthy option. Crash diets mostly recommend eliminating a particular food group from the diet, thus depriving a teenager's growing body of a number of essential vitamins and minerals. Instead of going on a crash weight loss diet, one should include lots of fiber rich foods such as apple, blackberries, prunes, papaya, baked beans, broccoli, lentils and zucchini in her diet. Fiber not only aids in proper digestion of food but also makes a person feel full, thereby reducing his overall food intake. Fiber foods contain indigestible carbohydrates, which when leaving the body, carry the unwanted wastes and fats along, thus aiding in weight loss.

Fruits and Vegetables
Ideally, a teenager's breakfast should be composed of carbohydrates, healthy fats and dairy products. Lunch should be carbohydrates, proteins and vegetables and dinner should be carbohydrates and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables should form the major portion of the healthy diet, followed by the proteins and then the complex carbohydrates.

Foods to Avoid
The above mentioned food groups are an inseparable part of the diets that work for teenage girls. A teenager should be equally cautious and concerned about what to eat and what not to eat. Some foods that should be avoided are fried foods, butter, sugary foods, soft drinks, ice creams, cakes, pastries, sausages, chocolates and all processed foods.

Other Tips
It is seen that many teenage girls skip meals for quick weight loss. This should be avoided at all costs as keeping the stomach hungry for long hours results in binging which can actually lead to weight gain. Also, a teenager should eat dinner by six or seven so that by the time she sleeps, the food is already digested.

A healthy diet, of course, has to be combined with half an hour of exercise everyday to keep the body fit and active. Researches have shown that families which eat together are better able to inculcate healthy eating habits in children and teens. So eat together, eat healthy and your girl is sure to follow suit.
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