What is a healthy caloric intake for a 13 year old girl?
A healthy diet is important for the proper growth and development of children.Children are more at risk for preventable conditions now than in the past.Excess sugar and saturated fat are some of the calories teen girls eat.They are not eating enough fruit, vegetables and fiber-rich foods.Taking steps to improve your child's diet can help her develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.
Young girls need a lot of calories for school and extracurricular activities.The goal is for adolescent girls to eat a varied diet with the right number of calories for their growing bodies and developing brains.The average, moderately active 13-year-old girl should aim for 2,000 calories a day.If she is very active, she will need about 2,200 calories, while teen girls who don't get much physical activity need around 1,600.
Girls are getting too many calories from added sugars.Whether teens are at home or on the go, make nutrition a priority.Encourage your teen to cut back on drinks that are high in sugar.Grabbing a soft drink from the vending machine may seem convenient, but the added sugar increases total calories and causes blood sugar spikes that sabotage energy levels.
Children drink a lot of sugar sweetened beverages throughout the day, which is linked to an increased risk of being obese, according to a study.Limit sugars to less than 10 percent of calories.That's less than 200 calories for a teen girl.
According to the 2015Dietary Guidelines, teen girls are eating too many foods that are high in saturated fat.Keep your teen's saturated fat intake under 10 percent of their total calories.The level of bad cholesterol in the blood can be increased by too much saturated fat.
The Centers for Disease Control reported in 2015 that one in five children and adolescents have bad cholesterol levels.Reducing saturated fat intake by cutting back on processed animal foods is a good strategy.Trans fat intake should be as close to zero as possible.