Post 1; Why is it important for a teenager to eat healthy foods?

As an athletic teenager, the main drive in eating the right foods is to get good Energy to support you through your athletic day! Being that you are most likely in high school, you need to eat the right foods so that you can focus in school, and than be energized for sports later in the day! Keeping healthy is one of the key points in being a good athlete, because if you start to slack off and eat junk foods, you might get out of shape, and not be able to handle the training as an athlete. As your care for a good diet decreases, so does your performance level.

As an athletic teenager you definitely burn up more calories than an inactive teen, therefor you must replenish your body with a higher amount of healthy goods throughout your everyday life. You need more protein for muscle gain, more carbohydrates for energy, and more vitamins to keep your whole system running healthy and smoothly.

 by: Jenna Forti

 http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/health/the-athletic-performance-diet-000374.php

http://library.thinkquest.org/07aug/00263/08_Food_Pyramids.html

Post 2

How do you determine the recommended daily caloric requirement for a teenager?

The amount of calorie intake depends on:

-Height

-Weight

-Gender

-Where you're from

-Body composition

-Activity level

The best way to judge your calorie intake is by eating until you're full. As a growing teenager, it is best not to go hungry throughout the day. Just make sure that the foods you are eating, are smart choices, and if you are eating junk foods, than you are eating them very moderately. As it is said, "Most things are okay in moderation."

by: Sam Alakai & Jenna Forti

http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/index.html

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09362.html

Post 3

Macronutrients

Like fuel for a car, the energy we need has to be blended. The blend that we require is as follows:

• 57% Carbohydrates (sugar, sweets, bread, cakes)
• 30% Fats (dairy products, oil)
• 13%Protein (eggs, milk, meat, poultry, fish)

The energy yield per gram is as follows: Carbohydrate - 4 Calories, Fats - 9

Calories and Protein - 4 Calories.

What does a 50 kg athlete require in terms of carbohydrates, fats and protein?

• Carbohydrates - 57% of 2410 = 1374 Calories - at 4 Calories/gram = 1374 ÷ 4 = 343 grams
• Fats - 30% of 2410 = 723 Calories - at 9 Calories/gram = 723 ÷ 9 = 80 grams
• Protein -13% of 2410 = 313 Calories - at 4 Calories/gram = 313 ÷ 4 = 78 grams

Our 5 0kg athlete requires 343 grams of Carbohydrates, 80 grams of Fat and

78 grams of Protein

Healthy Food Sources & What each macronutrient does:

Carbohydrates:

1. Supplies energy.

- brown rice, whole wheat bread and pasta, sweet potatoes, and regular potatoes provide healthy carbohydrates.

Proteins:

1. Help your body grow.

2. Essential to growth and repair of muscle and other body tissues.

- Chicken breast, fish, tuna, and other lean meats provide healthy protein.

Fats:

- Olive Oil and avocados provide healthy fats.

1. Gives energy to your body.

2. One source of energy and important in relation to fat- soluble vitamins.

by: Taylor Park & Sam Alakai

Post 4; What specific foods should you limit or avoid and why?

Along with eating all the right foods throughout the day, make sure to avoid certain foods that would pull you back down to make you unhealthy! With a balanced diet comes discipline! You should try to lower your saturated fat intake because it doesn't do any good for your health, but it increases risk of cardiovascular disease. Avoid the following:

- Soda/Artificially flavored fruit drinks (There are beverages out there much healthier for you, and just as easy to get a hold of.) High in fructose corn syrup, and other unnecessary sugars.

- Animal fats, and oils (olive oil is okay), and Dairy Products such as cheese, butter, etc. These higher your chance in cardiovascular diseases, because they are very high in saturated fat.

- White starches (such as white bread) because they have been died that color by using chemicals, and they are also very high in carbs.

- Chips/Candy (Such as potato chips and chocolate bars.) Contain a lot of bad fats, and sugar, and low in nutrients.

by: Jenna Forti
http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/habits.html#
http://myweightrightdiet.com/2010/03/hello-world/

Post 5

3 Day Meal Plan:

Day 1:

Breakfast:

3-6 scrambled eggs

1 slice of whole wheat toast

1 banana

8 ounces of Orange Juice

Lunch:

Turkey Sandwich

2 ounce sliced turkey

2 slices of wheat bread

1 ounce swiss cheese

1 lettus leaf

1 Apple

8 ounces of Skim Milk

3 ounces of Chicken Breasth

1 cup of brown rice

8 ounces of low fat yogurt

Dinner:

1/2 cup of Mixed Vegetables

8 ounces of Skim Milk

Snack:

1 Power Bar

Day 2:

Breakfast:

1 cup of Oatmeal

8 ounces of Skim Milk

1 Apple

8 ounces of Orange Juice

Lunch:

Tuna Sandwich

2 ounces of Tuna

2 slices of wheat bread

1 ounce swiss cheese

1 banana

2-3 cups of water

Dinner:

2 cups of spaghetti

1/2 cup of tomato sauce with

mushrooms

1 table spoon of parmesan cheese

1/4 cup of sliced strawberries

2-3 cups of water

Snack:

4 fig cookies

Day 3:

Breakfast:

1 1/2 cups of Special K Cereal

8 ounces of Milk

1 sliced peach

8 ounces of Orange Juice

Lunch:

1 1/2 Whole Wheat Pasta

1/3 cup of organic pesto (or how ever much you like)

1/2 cup of steamed broccoli

1 apple

2-3 cups of water

Dinner:

1 cup of brown rice

3 oz of salmon

1/2 cup of salad

bunch of grapes(15-20)

8 ounces of Milk

Snack:

1/3 chopped nuts

by: Taylor Park

http://www.livestrong.com/article/216599-example-diets-for-teenage-athletes/

http://www.extension.umn.edu/family/W00030.pdf

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09362.html