Simple Diets For Teenagers

Teens confront body image issues and peer pressure as their bodies change. Because they want to control what they eat and how much they weigh, it's important that they manage their weight by eating foods from all six food groups so their growing bodies get all the nutrients they need. They can also learn portion control, ensuring they are managing their growth and weight by eating only as much as their bodies need.

Use the Food Pyramid

Steer clear of crash diets or fad diets. Smart dieting means eating foods from each food group, suggests KidsHealth. By choosing foods from six food groups, you are giving your body all the nutrients you need while controlling your weight.
KidsHealth states that you can learn more about the foods you need to eat, and in what quantities, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid. The foods are divided into the fats, meats and beans, dairy, fruits, vegetables and grains groups.

  

Food Preparation

How you prepare your food affects whether you lose weight, maintain it or gain weight. Instead of frying meats and vegetables in oils or butters, bake, grill, stir-fry or boil them. When you make chicken, remove the skin after you've cooked it, suggests Easy Diets.
Season your foods with fresh or dried herbs and spices rather than salt.

Easy Diet Tips

Use some simple strategies to help you control how much you eat in a day, suggests KidsHealth. Actual serving sizes are much smaller than what you've become used to. Think about fast food restaurants and their super-size meals. The portions in those meals are much bigger than what is healthy for a growing teen.
Instead, use tricks to help you figure out healthy portions. One cup is about the size of your closed fist. One cup of cereal, pasta, rice, fruits and vegetables is a serving.
Visualize your plate as divided into four sections. Put your protein on one of the quarters at the top of the plate, your starch on the other top quarter, one vegetable on one lower quarter and a second vegetable on the remaining quarter. By doing this, you have served yourself a balanced meal and practiced portion control, says KidsHealth.

 Don't Skip Meals

You need to eat three meals every day, plus two healthy snacks to provide the nutrients and energy your body needs to function properly. Skipping a meal, such as breakfast, impacts your school performance, according to Easy Diets. Since you already snack, pick a fresh fruit or vegetable instead of grabbing that bag of chips or a soda. Chips and soda provide little more than empty calories, with little to no nutritional value.

Workouts

A simple diet plan includes exercise. Physical activity helps you lose unwanted weight and helps you get in shape. Becoming physically fit helps you fight illness, says Easy Diet. Take up a physical activity like jogging, soccer, basketball or volleyball. Go walking with your parents, siblings or take your dog for a walk.

Sumber : http://www.livestrong.com/article/212431-simple-diets-for-teenagers/