Healthy Diets for Teenage Girls

Many teenage girls want to be thinner, and since American teens are the fattest in the world, it might be a good idea. Luckily, since many teens eat a lot of chips and drink a lot of soda pop, getting the weight off is usually as simple as substituting real nutritious and wholesome foods for some of the processed junk food that's so much easier to find.

Fruit

• Teens require more sugar in their diet compared to adults. Meeting that craving for sugar with candies and refined sugar provides absolutely no nutrition and refined sugar has more calories. Instead of chocolate or candy, try eating grapes, dried apricots, bananas, apples or oranges instead. Fruit has fiber and nutrients in addition to pleasing your sweet tooth.

Vegetables

• Like fruit, vegetables have enzymes that help you digest other foods and natural sugars. Additionally, vegetables have fiber that mix with water and swell up in your stomach, making you feel fuller. Fresh vegetables are best. Salads, carrots, celery, cucumber and broccoli are tasty when they're fresh. Other vegetables can be served steamed. Use canned or frozen vegetables as a last resort, since the processing tends to remove some of the nutrients.

Whole Grains

• Eating whole grains is healthier than eating grains that have been stripped of their nutrients during refinement. If the label says "enriched" then it's not a whole grain and you're missing out on minerals and antioxidants that your body expects when you eat breads and grains. Refined grains don't have the fiber that your body needs to feel full and help you lose weight.

Water

• Water helps your body digest foods and carry the nutrients into your blood stream. Instead of drinking an entire day's worth of calories in a can of soda pop, drink water and you will be able to digest your food better, having more energy and staying hydrated even with heavy exercise.