Features of proper nutrition for adolescents 12-17 years old

In adolescence in the child's body, growth processes are activated. During this period of life there are significant changes in the body, especially in the hormonal and emotional sphere. That is why it is so important that a teenager get enough calories and nutrients from food.

• Meals should be regular, so it is important to organize a regimen of meals that a teenager will observe every day.
• The menu of a teenager should be as diverse as possible so that the child receives both replaceable and essential nutrients in the right quantity.
• Proteins in a teen's daily diet should be at least 50-60% of animal products.
• Fat teenager should be obtained from vegetable oil, sour cream, nuts, cheese, butter and other products. It is desirable that about 70% of all consumed fats per day were vegetable.
• The child should receive carbohydrates in bigger quantity, than other nutrients. The optimal ratio of carbohydrates to proteins - 4 to 1.
• Sources of fast carbohydrates (sweet foods) should be up to 20% of all carbohydrates consumed by a teenager.
• The child will receive complex carbohydrates from cereals, dishes from potatoes, bread. For cooking flour dishes it is recommended to give preference to flour with coarse grinding.
• Fish must be present in the teenager's menu at least 1-2 times a week. The same recommendations are given for red meat.
• Every day, a teenager should eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. One serving is a medium-sized fruit (for example, an apple or an orange), two small fruits (for example, apricot), 50 g of vegetable salad, a glass of freshly squeezed juice, three tablespoons of vegetables after heat treatment.
• Dairy products should be in the menu of a teenager daily in the form of three servings.
• A child may eat a small amount of fatty and sweet food, but such dishes should not replace healthy foods, as they contain too few healthy elements.
• The best types of heat treatment products called boiling and stewing, as well as baking.
• In the diet of adolescents, products with food additives, margarines, store sauces, non-seasonal vegetables, smoked sausages, very spicy dishes, deep-fried foods, packaged juices, candy, fast food, chewing gums are undesirable. It is also worth limiting the consumption of white bread and sugar.

A teenager should receive an adequate amount of calories covering his energy expenditure during the day. On average, it is 65 kcal per kilogram of child's weight, which in general is about 2500-3000 kcal per day.

As for nutrients, children of adolescence are recommended daily to get 100-110 g of protein, 90-100 g of fat and an average of 400 g of carbohydrates.

The needs of a teenager in food per day will be as follows:

• Meat - about 200 grams;
• Cottage cheese - 60 grams;
• Dairy products - about 500 ml;
• 1 egg;
• Cheese - about 10-15 grams daily;
• Fish - from 60 to 70 grams;
• Sweets - up to 100 grams;
• Bread - from 300 to 400 grams (including rye bread in the amount of up to 150 grams);
• Pasta or cereals - about 60 grams (they replace legumes in the same quantity once a week);
• Vegetables - 300-350 grams;
• Fresh fruit - from 150 to 300 grams;
• Dried fruits - about 25 grams;
• Butter - from 30 to 40 grams;
• Vegetable oil - from 15 to 20 grams.

What you should pay attention when drawing up the menu for a teenager, see the video of the Union of Pediatricians of Russia.

The issue of proper nutrition in adolescence is both complex and simple. Parents are still able to influence the menu of a son or daughter, but food preferences in general have already been formed in the child. In addition, the desire to be independent and do in its own way affects nutrition. Here it is important to find a balance between food control and personal violence.

Be sure to pay attention to child nutrition at school. Offer a teenager to take from home a healthy alternative to hot dogs and pizza. For example, let a son or daughter take yoghurts, fruit, casseroles, homemade cakes.

Teenagers should eat at least 4 times a day. All meals are divided into:

1. Breakfast. In the morning meal, a child should receive about 25% of all calories.
2. Dinner. This is the most voluminous meal, comprising from 35 to 40% of daily calories.
3. Tea time It is represented by a small snack, corresponding to approximately 15% of the daily calories.
4. Dinner. In the evening meal, the child is advised to eat from 20 to 25% of daily calories. It is important that the teenager dined a maximum of 2 hours before the moment when he goes to bed.

The total amount of fluid consumed by a teenager per day will be determined by the characteristics of the child’s menu, the level of activity of the teenager, and the weather. On a hot day or during physical exertion, water should be consumed more. On average, a teenager needs about 50 ml of fluid per pound of weight per day.

Juice is considered a less preferred drink due to its high content of simple sugars and increased acidity. If a child drinks fresh juice, then it should certainly be diluted with water.

Teenagers should not drink carbonated drinks, as well as drinks with high caffeine content. Caffeine affects iron absorption and can cause sleep problems. Drinks with gas poorly quench thirst and irritate the digestive tract, and often contain various chemical additives.

It is better to make the menu at once for the whole week, then it will turn out more diverse and nutritious. Consider the following nuances:

• For breakfast, a teenager should receive an average of 300 g of the main course, as well as a drink of approximately 200 ml. Milk porridge, cottage cheese dishes, scrambled eggs or scrambled eggs are considered good options for breakfast. They add vegetables, dried fruits, berries, fruits, meat, sauces.
• Many teenagers have lunch at school, getting soup there, a main course (it usually has a side dish and meat or fish), and also a drink. Homemade lunch menu is built on the same principle. About 250 ml of the first dish and about 100 g of vegetable salad are given to the child. The main dish for a teenager is offered in a volume of up to 300 grams, and the drink in a volume of 200 ml.
• At tea time, teens are advised to eat dairy products, fruits, pastries and cookies. Approximate volumes of dishes are 100 g for baking, 100 g for fruit and 150-200 ml for a drink.
• In the evening meal, a teenager child is offered a main course (about 300 g) and a drink (200 ml). A good choice would be lean protein foods, such as cottage cheese casserole, egg or fish dishes. Also a good option for dinner teenagers called porridge and vegetable dishes.
• Bread can be included in any meal, offering the child bakery products from different grades of flour.

An approximate daily menu for a teenager might look like this:

• Milk porridge with dried apricots, bread with cheese, cocoa.
• Egg, tomato and cucumber salad, broth with noodles, braised cabbage, meatballs from beef, grape juice, bread.
• Cottage cheese cookies, apple, milk.
• Potato casserole with meat, rosehip infusion, bread.

The second menu option for the day for a child of 12-17 years:

• Cottage cheese casserole with cream sauce, bread and butter, tea.
• Carrot and cabbage salad, borsch, mashed potatoes, baked rabbit, dried fruit compote, bread.
• Butter bun, orange, kefir.
• Omelet with peas, cheese sandwich, chicory.

Another daily menu option for a teenager:

• Omelet with tomatoes and cheese, rye bread, tea with honey.
• Squash caviar, vegetable soup with sour cream, buckwheat porridge, stewed liver, apple jelly, bread.
• Oat cookiesbaked apple ryazhenka.
• Pancakes with cottage cheese and raisin, cocoa, bread.

If the parents are not interested in the nutrition of the child, as a result of the monotonous and poor nutritional menu, a teenager may experience the following problems:

• Obesity.
• The fragility of bones.
• Fast fatiguability.
• Reduced immunity.
• Diseases of the joints.
• Dizziness and low pressure.
• Problems with the menstrual cycle in girls.
• Caries.
• Exhaustion.

If the teenager's BMI is over 25–30, attention should be paid to nutrition and correct it. First of all, from the menu of the child exclude harmful products (chips, chocolate bars, fried foods, fast food, sausages, mayonnaise and others), reduce the total amount of food by 10-20% and add physical activity to the day regimen.

With regard to physical activity, it is recommended that any sport that likes a teenager. You need to engage at least 2-3 times a week for 1-2 hours.

Adolescents are often unhappy with their appearance and can choose the wrong way to diet with great restrictions. The result will be hypovitaminosis, delayed sexual development and anorexia.

In such cases, parents should pay more attention to the child’s menu and conversations with him. Many adolescents in this condition require the help of specialists.

Video channel "TGym - Bright way to perfection!" will be very helpful to every teenager.