Importance of a Healthy Diet and Calories

The reason it is important that your body gets its daily supply of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats, is so your body gets the fuel it needs for energy and optimum health. The amount of caloric values you need in your daily diet, depends on your sex, the amount of exercise you participate in, and what food you might eat. For teenage girls ages 15-18, what is recommended is about 2500 calories a day, which most girls never reach. In boys, the expected number is higher, because of the way boys' bodies grow, so you need about 3000 calories a day for teenage boys ages 15-18.

Benefits of the Three Macronutrients (Carbs, Fat, Protein)

Maybe you didn't know this, but carbs, fat, and proteins are macronutrients that affect the number of calories a teenagers diet (alcohol also affects the number of calories). A calorie is the amount of potential energy in your diet, your body absorbs. Therefore in general, these three macronutrients give us the energy we need for our daily lives.
When digging deeper for specific differences between these three macronutrients, you find that in carbs, it is the main source of energy your body feeds upon. Carbohydrates are beneficial to many different systems in your body- the musculatory system, the digestive system, and the nervous system, and are absorbed through the starchy foods like yogurt, milk, and fruit. The recommended amount of this nutrient is about 45%-65% of you total diet.
Although many have prejudged the macronutrient fat based on the idea that is the focal reason for weight gain, it is beneficial in order to get certain vitamins for your daily diet found no where else. Fat is also the quickest and most concentrated source of energy for your body, but is not good in large doses. A good amount of fat for a teenage athlete is about 20%-35% of your total diet, and is often absorbed through meats and poultry. There is also differences in the type of fat you digest, because some fats are much more detrimental to your health than others. Try keeping clear of abundant amounts of saturated and trans fat, because this could lead to possible health problems. Many fast food restaurants base there products on trans fat, which is why absorbing lots of fast food can be very detrimental.
Last but not least, a teenage athlete MUST have protein in its diet, because protein is the main reason for growth in teenagers and children. Most American men seem to reach the projected amount of protein needed in your daily diet (10%-35%), just by eating your basic foods, because protein is the main macronutrient in many of the common American foods. Protein is also essential in creating enzymes, which help are body function more easily and quickly with chemical reactions. Finally, a big benefit of protein to the athletic teenage ego, is that it preserves lean muscle mass, meaning it keeps muscle shape and definition. Protein absorbed from meat, give us all the amino acids we could possibly need in our diets. Too much protein can also be detrimental, because once your body gets the needed proteins depleted from working out, your body can only store a certain amount before you become too sluggish.
(http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/macronutrients.htm)

Suggestions for Pre-game Meals

Pre-game meals are one of the many important parts of any athlete’s diet. These meals are meant to fuel and provide energy for the athlete before an activity such as a game. The foods chosen for these meals should always be low in fat, due to the fact that fat takes a longer time to digest so it can leave a player feeling full with a heavy stomach. This eliminates nearly all fried foods and favors foods that have leaner proteins and carbohydrates such as breads and cereals. It is also better for all meats to be either grilled, baked, or broiled. Some examples of great pre-game meals include:
• Smoothies with cereal and fruit
• Pasta with red meat sauce and a salad
• Turkey/Ham sub sandwiches and a fruit salad
(http://central.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/strength/stories/storyReader$14)

Suggestions for Post-game Snacks

• Peanut butter crackers
• Yogurt with cereal
• Bagels with cream cheese or peanut butter
Many teens these days think that post-game/post-practice snacks should be full of protein, but that is actually not the case. Although protein can be good after activity, carbohydrates are equally if not more important to have. Instead of chugging down a protein shake, try out one of the healthy, more balanced snacks listed above. For optimal benefit, it is recommended that the snacks be eaten within 30 minutes after a game or practice. (http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/tc/tc1503/fuelingfootball.htm)

Three Day Diet Plan

Day 1

Breakfast:
1 cup of 100% all natural orange juice
1 bowl of Special K cereal with milk
2 slices of whole wheat toast with peanut butter
1 fuji apple

Lunch:
1 six inch turkey sub sandwich on whole wheat bread
1 Salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.)
1 glass of nonfat milk
1 Nature Valley Granola Bar

Dinner:
Spaghetti with red meat sauce
3 small flowerets of broccoli
1 glass of nonfat milk
2 french bread rolls

Day 2

Breakfast:
1 bowl of quaker oats oatmeal with milk
1 glass of grape juice
1 bagel with cream cheese
1 banana

Lunch:
3-4 oz grilled salmon
1 spinach salad
1 baked potato
1 cup of nonfat yogurt
1 glass of water

Dinner:
8 oz steak
2 scoops of brown rice
1 glass of nonfat milk
3 stalks of asparagus


Day 3

Breakfast
2 Whole Wheat Pancakes
1 small slice of ham
1 glass of nonfat milk
1 orange

Lunch
1 peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread
1 bag of plain baked lays chips
1 glass of nonfat milk
5 medium (3 to 4 inches long) carrot sticks

Dinner
2 baked chicken breasts
1 scoop of mashed potatoes
1 grilled zucchini
1 glass of nonfat milk

Protein Rich Foods over Protein Supplement

What many teen athletes, like football players, today don’t realize is the harm that consistently taking protein supplements/powders can cause them. Protein should make up about 15% of a football players diet, but taking in too much protein can cause things like dehydration, calcium loss, and even kidney problems. Many teen are unaware that they get a sufficient amount of protein from their everyday diets, thus supplements are not needed at all. Some protein rich foods include fish, eggs, soy, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/sports/eatnrun.html). Nuts like almonds are also a great source of protein and can be eaten as snacks after workouts instead of drinking a protein shake.

Teen Football Player Recommended Nutrient Intake

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The need for calories in a football playing teen’s diet is much greater than that of an average teen who isn’t really involved in any sports. A teen athlete like a football player can require up to 5000 calories per day (http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/sports/eatnrun.html) while the average male only requires 2800 -3000 calories per day. (http://life.familyeducation.com/teen/foods/48523.html). The extra calories are needed to help support a much greater energy need, which is also why football players need a lot of carbohydrates in their diets as well. An ideal diet would be 60% carbohydrates, 15% protein, and 30 % fats (preferably unsaturated fats like those found in vegetable oils). (http://central.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/strength/stories/storyReader$14)