What are some good foods for an active teen to eat?

It's very important that active teens eat a variety of foods but there also must be balance in their diet. Teens should eat lots of starches such as bread and rice and should cut back on fatty food like red meat. This doesn't mean that teens shouldn't have any fat in their diet because fat is very important for the body. The fat should be obtained by eating foods with unsaturated fat like soybeans and sunflower oil as opposed to foods with high saturated fat like red meat and dairy products.

For active teens specifically, it is important to have lots of protein and calcium in their diets. Teens should have around 5-7 ounces of lean meat, like chicken, per day. Avoid large amounts of red meat because they are full of saturated fats. Teens should around 1200-1500 mg of calcium each day, which is about 4 cups of milk. Calcium helps to build strong bones to prevent injury in sports. When choosing what dairy products to eat, try to get foods low in fat like lowfat yogurt and skim milk.