On average, American girls consume 800 mg a day, or about 2.5 glasses of milk. About half of adult bone structure is developed during your teen years. Sufficient calcium is also needed after you have stopped growing, because the body continues to deposit calcium into bones for 10 years. Adequate calcium intake during younger years may delay the onset of osteoporosis, a disease that generally occurs in the elderly and causes bones with reduced mass to break easily. Trim the Fat Proper nutrition includes limiting fat intake.
Many times teens count French fries, which are high in saturated fat, as vegetable servings.
In order to keep a healthful diet and get enough of the nutrients teens need, follow a balanced diet of a variety of foods, keeping high-fat foods and sugars to a minimum. See the chart for the number of daily servings from each food group teens should eat. Vegetarians may want to meet with a dietician to make sure they get enough nutrients during these growing years. Free seminars related to health, life and family are offered at the Dr. Sam P. Patterson Library . Contact Us 2000 Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation.