Teen athletes need more calories in their diets than teens who are not involved in sports. Teen's bodies are still growing and require lots of nutritious food to maintain a strong body, healthy growth and have enough energy to compete in athletic events. Foods that are high in carbohydrates are the best foods to provide energy during exercise. Vegetable starches, whole grain, cereal, rice and pasta are excellent sources of carbohydrates for the teen athlete. It is still important that teenagers eat a balanced diet that includes foods from all the food groups.
Make sure that the teen athlete in your family always eats breakfast. Breakfast is important because the body has not received any nourishment for 8 or more hours while the teen was sleeping. Breakfast should include milk, juice and a high carb food such as whole grain cereal. Protein from whole grain toast and eggs with juice and yogurt contains all the carbohydrates and nutrients that a growing teen needs to start the day.
The best way to keep up with how much food from each group a teen athlete is eating is to use the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Pyramid (mypyramid.gov). Young athletes should eat as many as 11 servings of whole grain and cereals every day. Whole grains and cereal foods include crackers, rice, noodles, spaghetti, bread and whole grain ready-to-eat cereals with milk. These foods are rich in complex carbohydrates, vitamin B and iron.
A teen athlete should eat at least 3 to 5 servings of vegetables every day. Vegetables contain a variety of nutrients including vitamins, minerals, trace elements like zinc and protein that athletic teens need to help them achieve peak performance. Carrots, broccoli, tomatoes and green beans are nutritious vegetable choices to satisfy the daily requirement for vegetables.
Teens should consume as many as 4 servings of fruits and fruit juices every day. Oranges, apples, grapes, and strawberries are delicious and wholesome foods. Apple juice and orange juices should be 100 percent juice. Avoid juices that contain extra sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Three servings of dairy products every day can provide all the calcium, protein and vitamins like vitamin A and B that teen athletes need for good nutrition. A glass of fortified low-fat milk with each meal, instead of soda, can help a teen athlete meet this nutritional requirement.
Teen athletes need to eat enough protein. Lean beef, fish, eggs and chicken can help meet the 2 to 3 servings per day nutritional requirements. Vegetarian or vegan teen athletes can replace meat and animal products in their diet with beans, peas, peanuts and peanut butter.
Robin Reichert is a certified nutrition consultant, certified personal trainer and freelance writer. She has been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 10 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of San Francisco and a Master of Science in natural health from Clayton College. Robin's goal is to make every personal training session fun and effective for her clients. Her services include both in-person and online personal training at http://www.trainwithmeonlinetoday.com Lose up to 10 lbs with a 24-DAY WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE! Visit my website to get started today!
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