Your teenager is still growing and needs to tread cautiously if she wants to lose weight. The first step when considering a diet for your teen is to take her to the doctor to determine if she actually needs to lose weight. If she is overweight, she should avoid diet pills and fad diets, according to KidsHealth.org. There are other alternatives to safe dieting for teens.
Your teenager is still growing and needs to tread cautiously if she wants to lose weight. The first step when considering a diet for your teen is to take her to the doctor to determine if she actually needs to lose weight. If she is overweight, she should avoid diet pills and fad diets, according to KidsHealth.org. There are other alternatives to safe dieting for teens.
Fruits and Veggies Diet
Encourage your teenager to eat a variety of fresh produce and to eat fruits and vegetables first at each meal. KidsHealth.org emphasizes the importance of eating five fruits or vegetables per day. According to the National Academy of Science, fewer than 10 percent of teenagers eat the recommended number of fruit and vegetable servings. Urge your teenager to snack on fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day, and include them with each meal. These healthier foods will take the place of the unhealthy, fatty or sugary foods in his diet, and will help him to lose weight while also maintaining high nutrition.
High-Protein Diet
Teenagers who want to lose weight can take a high-protein approach in the form of lean meats. Chicken and fish are high in protein and low in fat. Cook these by baking, broiling or grilling, and avoid heavy sauces and frying. Another good low-fat protein source is beans, whether boiled, baked or in soup. Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products, including milk. Replace soda and other empty-calorie beverages with reduced fat milk to help meet weight loss goals. KidsHealth.org also recommends eating whole-grain breads and pastas, which contain more fiber and protein than white flour products.
5-2-1-Almost None
The Nemours Health and Prevention Services (NHPS) recommends a diet called 5-2-1-Almost None for overweight teens. This diet plan consists of eating five or more servings of fruit or vegetables daily; two hours or less of TV or computer use daily; one hour or more of exercise daily; and almost no sugary beverages, such as sodas, sweetened iced tea, lemonade or juice drinks. Other tips that NHPS offers to go along with this program include eating breakfast each morning, replacing TV time with an activity that encourages movement, and replacing sugary drinks with low-fat or fat-free milk or 100 percent fruit juice.
