Fried Is Not a Food Group

Adolescence is a time of physical, emotional, intellectual and social changes.

Nutritional needs change, as well, during this period, due to dramatic growth spurts that occur between the ages of 13 and 19. To properly fuel the body for these intense growth spurts, teenagers need to eat healthfully. But trying to get them to do it can be just as difficult as trying to get a toddler to eat her vegetables.

So what can a concerned parent do? The first step is to teach by example. If your eating habits are less than healthful, it's time to clean up your nutritional act. The next step is to work more healthy foods into the family's daily diet--carrot sticks instead of chips, seltzer water in lieu of soda, etc. The changes don't have to be drastic. Every little bit will help ensure that teens get started on the road to good nutrition. Here are some tips to help you speed them on their way:

Kid-Guide Pyramid
Below are serving size guidelines (based on the USDA Food Guide Pyramid) the minimal nutritional requirements for adolescents. Actual quantities may vary depending on your child's age, sex, weight and activity level, but they can serve as an excellent starting point.

FOOD GROUP

DAIRY - Milk, yogurt, cheese
Servings Per Day: 3 or more

PROTEIN - Meat, poultry, fish, dried beans, eggs, nuts

Servings Per Day: 2-3

CARBOHYDRATES:
Vegetables
Servings Per Day: 3-5

Fruit
Servings Per Day: 2-4

Grains and cereals
Servings Per Day: 6-11

SATURATED FATS & SIMPLE SUGARS - butter, margerine, animal fats, processed sugars, i.e, white, brown or raw sugar
Servings Per Day: Use sparingly

Teens require about 50 percent more calories per pound of body weight than adults to support the period of tremendous growth characteristic of adolescence. Boys' have high caloric needs because they grow faster and gain more lean body mass than girls. Typically, a boy's growth spurt begins at about age 14. Girls, on the other hand, begin their growth spurt earlier (about age 12), and their energy/caloric needs tend to peak earlier. Read on, for calorie guidelines at every age.