As we grow from an infant to an adult, our body undergoes many changes. With the changing structure of our body, our nutritional needs change too. We need to pay proper attention to what is healthy for us and at what age we need to take care of special nutritional requirements. In this blog, Rubina Ratnakar highlights the nutritional needs of a teenager.
If we get into deeper and more accurate details of the nutrient requirement of a teenager, we can measure the amount of food required in calories. A girl requires around 2200 calories of food whereas a boy requires 2800 calories. These should be a mixture of all kinds of nutrients instead of one.
Your body definitely needs a balanced diet to be healthy and to avoid the chances of obesity as well. There are some foods that your body may need more than the other ones. Calcium is one of them. Since you are at a growing age and your bones and muscles are growing and taking their proper shape, you need to eat a good amount of calcium in various forms. Milk, butter, and cheese are some of them.
Teenagers may often feel hungry after short intervals of time, so it is advised to consume a good amount of potassium in order to stay full and content. Some of the sources are bananas and potatoes.
The overall growth of a teenager is affected by the intake of iron in his/ her body so it is important to consume an adequate amount of iron. Some foods rich in iron are spinach, beans, peas, and some types of meat.
Fruits and vegetables are an important requirement of our body. You should 2 to 3 cups of fruits and vegetables every day.
A teenager needs to consume whole grains in his/her diet daily. You can eat whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, brown bread, brown rice, and many more food items in a considerable amount.
One thing every teenager should do is limit the intake of fat. The risk of getting obese is higher at this age. Opt for unsaturated fats in your diet wherever possible.
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