Teenage Nutrition: Balanced Indian Teenager Diet

Teenage Diet Nutrition

Ever since coronavirus took over the world, humankind has been living in a constant state of fear, anxiety, and stress. For more than a year now, countries have undergone partial to complete lockdowns in an attempt to restrict movement. This has disrupted the normal lifestyle of teenagers, negatively affecting their health and well-being.

The sedentary nature of online schooling is also worrisome, as the teens do not need to walk from room to room between classes or have scheduled outside time and games class. Furthermore, the closure of schools, playgrounds, sports fields, and summer camps has led to changes in their eating habits and an overall decrease in physical activity.

Additionally, many parents are overstocking their pantries with more processed foods that have longer shelf lives to minimize the number of grocery store trips, which can lead to overeating foods that often have high-added hidden sugar and sodium levels.

Overall, it simply means lots of TV time, no PE classes, and a fridge full of food at home; a perfect recipe for weight gain under these new “stay at home” rules.-

Turning Fat into Fit

However, at ‘Its Healthy Moms’, we believe that teenagers can turn this crisis into a goal-setting opportunity for their health. All they need to do is the following:

Have a family meeting to discuss there is going to be a new plan to try to eat healthier and to exercise.
Make a grocery list and plan the meals for the week.
Follow the sample diet plan given below or contact us for a consultation regarding a customized easy-to-prepare meal plan.
Try to be consistent with meal and snack times. Eat at least one meal together with the family.
Lastly, maintain the healthy meal habits listed in this article.

Teenage Nutrition Requirements

Eating a healthy and balanced diet during the teenage years is essential as it aids the rapid growth and development that is typical of this phase.

According to the National Institute of Nutrition at the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), teenagers require anywhere between 2,000–3,020 kcal/day and 40–62 g/day of protein for adequate growth depending on their age, stage of development, and gender.

While girls may require more calories and proteins in the early teenage years, as they mature earlier than boys do. The requirement for boys is higher in the later years. Girls also require higher amounts of iron compared to boys, to meet the iron losses during menstruation. Hence, the diet differs for boys and girls.

Below is a sample diet plan to meet the teenage nutrition needs. The portion sizes would vary depending on age, development, and gender. Hence, it is essential to contact a diet and nutrition coach for a personalized meal plan.

Breakfast:

Milk with brown bread sandwich
Omelet or boiled eggs with toast
Poha or upma or idli with milk
Cereal with milk

Mid-afternoon snack:

Any fruit with a handful of almonds and walnuts
Cottage cheese with a handful of nuts
A glass of cow milk with few nuts.

Lunch:

Salad with chapati or rice, curd, and a vegetable or sprouts curry
Masala dosa with sambar, coconut chutney and salad
Salad with chapati or rice and a chicken/ fish/ egg curry

Mid-evening:

Fruit and roasted chana (chickpeas)
Yoghurt with berries and cottage cheese

Dinner:

Same as lunch

Bedtime:

Milk without sugar
Turmeric latte (haldi wala doodh)

You can now always be sure that your teenager is eating well and not way too much. In case you wonder if she/he is craving or is actually hungry, you may go through Manage Food Cravings

Healthy meal habits for teenagers

Keeping in mind the teenage nutrition needs, here is a list of healthy habits, which you can follow even during this pandemic, in order to stay fit and healthy:

Always start the day with breakfast. The brain utilizes carbohydrates as a source of energy. As stored-up carbohydrate exhausts after an overnight fast, teenagers need to eat breakfast. It enables them to concentrate better. In addition, it ensures they do not consume unhealthy meals during mid-mornings.
There is a significant deposition of calcium in the bones during the teenage years. Hence, include 2–3 servings of milk and milk products in the diet. Also, make sure that you eat other calcium-rich foods such as sesame seeds, soybean, ragi, cauliflower, greens, and nuts.
Carry some dried fruits and nuts such as almonds, groundnuts, dates, figs, and roasted chana (chickpeas) in your bag, whenever you go out. When hungry, you can munch on these healthy alternatives, rather than buying chips or biscuits.
Include Indian Gooseberry (amla), into your daily diet. Check here why and the various ways that you may enjoy this superfood.
Teenage is the time for rapid growth and development, and hence protein requirements are high during this period. Include at least one serving of protein-rich foods such as pulses, sprouts, eggs, meat, fish, chicken, and soy in each meal.
There has been a significant rise in adolescent hypertension in recent times. Hence, try to avoid table salt and food that is high in salt content.
Fizzy drinks, cold coffees, iced-teas, and energy drinks are high in empty calories. Therefore, you should opt for fresh fruit juices, sugarcane juice, and buttermilk instead.
Cut down on chocolates, cakes, and ice cream, as they are high in empty calories. Reserve these for birthdays and special occasions, and restrict to one serving.

Wrapping Up: Teenage Diet Nutrition!

At ‘Its Healthy Moms’, we provide easy to follow perfectly balanced customized plans with easy-to-prep meals for health and wellness, with nutrient-dense foods for teenagers. WhatsApp us at +91-93847-76238 or visit our website www.itshealthymoms.com to know more about our ‘Teenage Nutrition and Diet Plans’!

We have helped many teenagers to grow healthy and fit just by changing their eating patterns and guiding them to make appropriate lifestyle changes.

You can be one of them too!

Teenage Nutrition and Diet Plan

All of our diet plans will nurture you from within while meeting your specific needs. There is inclusive counselling and mentoring by diet coaches and senior nutritionists before customizing the plan.

You may go through testimonials at the Google Reviews

You may also find testimonials at the Instagram

For any queries WhatsApp at 9384776238