Blog by Kiana Riahi, Ruby Masciangelo and Ailee Yanagishita

How much do YOU need?

The recommended daily caloric requirement for teenagers depends on their age, height, gender, weight and activity level. Teenagers need a larger amount of calories than other age groups, because of their growth and higher level of physical activity which results in an increased metabolism.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture

"A lifestyle that includes only the light physical activity associated with day-to-day life" is one that is sedentary and does "not expend as many calories during the day"

Moderately active teens have physical activities equal to that of "walking one to three miles a day at a moderate pace, as well as normal daily activity."

Highly active teens partake in physical activity that use large amounts of calories, which mean that their bodies need to receive more of these nutrients in order to "stimulate tissue growth and fuel energy metabolism."

If you are a boy between the ages of 13 and 19 and have a sedentary lifestyle, you need approximately 2,000 to 2,600 calories. If you are moderately active you need 2,200 to 2,800 calories and if you are highly active, you need 2,600 to 3,000 calories.

Girls who are between the ages of 14 and 18 and have a sedentary lifestyle need 1,800 calories. Girls who are moderately active need 2,000 calories and those who are highly active need 2,400 calories.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/408916-the-recommended-calorie-intake-for-teenagers/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/403229-what-is-the-recommended-caloric-intake-per-day-for-teenagers/
http://www.life.com/image/57281119
http://www.growersandnomads.com/article/Summer%20Teenagers%20and%20Entrepreneurship
http://www.starting-point.org/MyCom.html
http://www.desirehealthyliving.com/nutrition/healthy-eating-for-teenagers/
http://www.fotosearch.com/fotosearch-silver/fitness-action/FSA411/
http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/hit.html

What 2 Eat and When 2 Eat it! - 3 Day Meal Plan

A healthy vegetarian meal plan should include protein rich foods, whole grains, low fat dairy as well as plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Day 1
Breakfast :

Include carbohydrates such as whole grain toast or bagels with peanut butter (for added proteins) Eggs are also a great source of protein because they're "complete proteins" (they contain ALL 22 amino acids) and can be either fried, scrambled, poached or hard boiled. Top the morning off with calcium fortified orange juice.

 

Lunch:

The perfect opportunity for vegetarian dishes such as bowl of black bean, lentil or vegetable soup (which include carrots, celery, cabbage, onions, corn, etc.) plus a side of salad complete with olive oil and healthy toppings.

Dinner:

Includes pasta with pesto sauce. Pesto's main ingredient is basil, which protects against heart disease and cancer, with its flavenoids and antioxidant compounds. Basil also possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties with its volatile oils. This healthy ingredient also provides magnesium and beta carotene. Add in soy “meatballs” as a substitute for beef.

Day 2
Breakfast:
The start of the day, is an occasion for delicious oatmeal. Plain oat flakes contain vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium and protein.With this meal, chopped nuts, raisins, sliced bananas, strawberries and/or peanut butter may be added. Drink it down with fresh orange juice or organic fat free milk. Citrus fruits such as oranges offer protection against cardiovascular disease because of their folate which lowers levels of the cardiovascular risk factor.


For lunch, veggie pizza is a yummy choice with an abundance of healthy toppings such as onions, olives, bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach. After all, the Department of Health recommends eating at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables each day and about 15% of Americans reach this target.

Dinner is time for a grilled eggplant and portobello sandwich accompanied with a green salad. Include fresh tomato and spicy arugula and serve the delixious sandwich on whole wheat bread. Eggplant contains nanusin in its skin, which is an anthocyanin phytonutrient. This nutrient has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage. 

Day 3
Begin your morning with fresh fruit for breakfast! Oranges, pears, strawberries, bananas, watermelon, peaches, blueberries with yogurt and granola are a delicious morning meal. An amazing part of yogurt are its probiotics--"beneficial bugs that live in your digestive tract and help crowd out harmful microorganisms that can cause intestinal infections." Granola on the other hand is packed with proteins because of its nuts and whole grains.



Veggie burgers are a wonderful choice for lunch. As a substitute for other meats, this veggie burger uses kidney beans. One cup of kidney beans possesses 30% of the daily recommended amount of iron, a mineral necessary in red blood cell function.


Another meal filled with beans and other deliciously healthy options is the “Two-Bean Soup with Kale and sandwich.” Kale provides Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that not only "lowers blood pressure" but supports a "strong immune system" and combats "age-related ocular diseases." Filled with onions, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, vegetable broth, kale, black beans, red wine vinegar and rosemary, this soup is the perfect vegetarian dinner meal.

http://www.elcivics.com/lifeskills/breakfast-lesson-1.html
http://thatssomegoodcookin.blogspot.com/2010/08/fruit-and-yogurt-parfait.html
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=37
http://health.learninginfo.org/benefits-oatmeal.htm
http://www.homemade-pizza-made-easy.com/vegetable-pizza.html
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/grilled_eggplant_portobello_sandwich.html
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=22
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/nutrition/health-benefits-of-yogurt/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/251596-what-are-the-benefits-of-yogurt-and-granola/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/426063-background-information-on-kidney-beans/
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/9-health-benefits-of-kale.html
http://www.thenibble.com/zine/archives/sauces-n-love.asp
http://www.livewellcla.com/health/mealplans_recipes/peanut-butter-toast-with-milk/
http://dustinmaherfitness.com/2009/10/16/healthy-black-bean-recipes/
http://www.elcivics.com/lifeskills/breakfast-lesson-1.html
http://www.allyou.com/food/recipes/fast-dinner-recipes-00411000069510/page12.html
http://foodporndaily.com/pictures/fresh-fruit-and-yogurt-parfait-with-homemade-honey-cashew-and-almond-granola/
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/veggieburgerrecipes/r/beanmushrooms.htm
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/everyday-menus/quick-easy-vegetarian-recipes-00400000057017/page3.html
www.betterhealthusa.com/public/268.cfm
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/veggieburgerrecipes/r/beanmushrooms.htm
www.myrecipes.com/recipe/two_bean_soup_with_kale-1000000192469

Doughnuts Be Gone! - What specific foods should you limit or avoid and why?

Doughnuts, along with other foods dripping in saturated fat, are some foods that you should limit and even try to avoid. This is because saturated fat along with trans fat lowers your body's good cholesterol (HDL) and raises LDL (bad) cholesterol which cakes your arteries and eventually blocks the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain and heart (this can lead to heart attacks & heart disease). Trans fat is usually found in packaged food, fast food, and frozen food.

Vegetarians choose to avoid meat because of many reasons, including simply not liking the taste of meat or feeling as though it's wrong to eat animals.

Examples of Trans Fat/Saturated fat- Rich Foods:

• cakes - on top of having tons of trans fat, cake (and cupcakes, cookies, candy bars, etc.) are extremely sugary which causes anxiety, lack of concentration, tooth decay, obesity, heart disease, cholesterol, etc.
• french fries - besides trans fats, french fries also has a ton of sodium which leads to muscle cramps, dizziness, and eventually failure of organs, causing death
• onion rings
• coconut milk - saturated fat
• cheese - saturated fat
• butter - saturated fat
• ice cream - saturated fat
• doughnuts - saturated fat

Also, trans fatty foods contribute to a plethora of diseases including obesity, Alzheimer's disease, liver disease, cancer, and diabetes.

http://www.ehow.com/list_6115913_foods-high-ldl-cholesterol.html

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/top-10-foods-with-trans-fats

http://www.rheumatic.org/sugar.htm

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/fast-food-trans-fat.php

Pictures:

http://www.liveingoodhealth.info/article/nutrition-facts-cholesterol-fiber-oat-bran-fat-and-fat-substitutes/

http://www.fitsugar.com/Whats-Diff-Cholesterol-Saturated-Fat-236679

Hand Me That Celery Stick! - The Importance of Healthy Eating

Teenagers around the world need to understand the significance and importance of eating healthy. Some of you might believe that you're "invincible" and can do/say/ EAT anything you want but it'll come back to haunt you later in life. So eat healthy, nutritious, and delicious food, now! Because the truth is that healthy eating doesn't only affect you're insides, but it also affects your physical appearance (such as too much sugar and sweets make acne develop all over your face), performance (being overweight slows you down in sports and therefore makes you perform poorly), state of mind (obesity is linked to depression!) , and overall well-being. You teenagers are growing and require oodles important macro/micronutrients such as...

MACRONUTRIENTS:

1. Carbohydrates

2. Protein

3. Fat

[important] MICRONUTRIENTS:

1. Calcium - it's needed for strong and healthy bones & teeth, normal blood clotting, and nervous system functioning

2. Iron - it's needed for the formation of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen from the lungs to the cells of the body

etc.

Eating healthy foods leads to a healthy body and a healthy body is critical because it affects you throughout your entire life, not only the future but in the present too. Also, unhealthy eating habits can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, increased LDL (low-density lipoprotein) which is the bad kind of cholesterol.

http://nutritionquestions.org/how-does-eating-healthy-when-youre-young-affect-your-future-health.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=specialneed&dbid=6

http://www.nutrition.com.sg/he/heteens.asp

http://www.nutristrategy.com/nutrition/

Pictures:

http://www.visualphotos.com/image/2x2438344/close-up_of_a_young_man_eating_celery

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.desirehealthyliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/teenagers.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.desirehealthyliving.com/nutrition/healthy-eating-for teenagers/&usg=__kGfJAD0bqr3Sg3VWDCvWTYMvgxg=&h=225&w=300&sz=14&hl=en&start=0&sig2=3SuIlIHnkoPuuRrZM_YxEg&zoom=1&tbnid=UylaS3NqrQvWAM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=167&ei=IRXBTcjUIInEsAOdpdDsBw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhealthy%2Bteenager%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1114%26bih%3D604%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=109&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=89&ty=14

Fat: Good vs. Evil

Although given a bad reputation, fat actually has very critical roles for the body. These roles include storing energy [and supplying energy throughout long duration activities] and insulating and protecting vital organs from trauma and temperature change. Moreover, fat manufactures growth and "maintenance" hormones and transports nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and K throughout the bloodstream.

Fat (scientifically called "lipids") is composed of glycerol and fatty acids. 20%-25% of your total diet should be from fat, however you should stick to eating unsaturated fats because these are the "healthy" fats. Some examples of unsaturated fats are olive oil, salmon, almonds, pecans, and avocados. Examples of saturated fats, which you should try to steer clear of, are cheese, butter, egg yolks, and pastries.

http://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/268.cfm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002468.htm

http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/science10/unitc/fats.html

"Sports Nutrition Course" -Fat Pamphlet

Picture:

http://www.nutritionresolution.com/2010/01/what-you-must-know-about-fat/

http://www.textbookrevolution.org/index.php/File:Checkmark_green.svg

Protein, Protein, Protein!

Protein has many crucial roles as well. These being that it helps fight diseases, transports oxygen throughout the body, creates new cells and builds/repairs body tissue (such as skin, hair, nails, bones, muscles, etc.). Protein also maintains the strict acid-balance throughout the body, plays a vital role in enzyme production, and is greatly needed for the growth of teenagers.

Proteins are made up of 22 different amino acids, however not every food contains all of them, which is why they're called "incomplete" proteins. Protein should amount for 10%-15% of your total diet and some hardy sources of vegetarian protein come from eggs, beans, low-fat milk, lentils, nuts, barley, and quinoa.

http://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/268.cfm

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/healthnutrition/tp/protein.htm

"Sports Nutrition Course" - Protein Pamphlet

Pictures:

http://www.girl.com.au/nuts-for-life.htm

http://www.health-mania.com/nail-care/how-to-keep-your-nails-healthy/

http://blog.myhairstylingtools.com/blog/hair-care-healthy-hair/

http://www.rightonmag.com/2009/12/vanessa-hudgens-neutrogena-bloopers/

All About Carbs

Carbohydrates are one of the most important nutrients for active teens. This is because they are one of our main sources of energy (especially during activity) because they break down in our bodies very quickly because they're sugar molecules called monosaccharides and polysaccharides (also called "starches" or complex carbohydrates). In addition, Carbs protect muscles, act as a catalyst for breaking down fat, and assist in calcium absorption, which is one of the most essential micronutrients for teenagers.

Carbohydrates are made of sugar molecules such as glucose (also called "blood sugar") and fructose (sugar that comes from fruits). Carbs should amount for 60%-65% of your total diet. For vegetarians, some sources of good carbs come from pasta, cereal, fruit, potatoes, rice, whole-wheat or multi-grain bread, and vegetables.

http://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/268.cfm

"Sports Nutrition Course" - Carbohydrates Pamphlet

Pictures:

http://vegetariannutrition.net/vegetarian-teens/vegan-teen-athlete/

http://www.globalgiants.com/archives/2008/06/