Recommended Intake

Teens are the ones that really need to watch what and how they eat. What habits they learn now move on for the rest of their life, and it also gets their bodies prepared for the later years of our lives. To prepare our bodies for the future, there are certain types of nutrients our body needs to grow and thrive. The most important nutrients that anyone needs is proteins, carbohydrates, fats, cholesterol, salts, and vitamins.

Average Intakes for Veg Teens:
Boys aged 15-18: 107g of fat, 34g of saturated fat, 81g of sugar, 7g of salt.
Girls aged 15-18: 82g of fat, 26g of saturated fat, 62g of sugar, 5g of salt.
Boys aged 11-14: 86g of fat, 27g of saturated fat, 65g of sugar, 6g of salt.
Girls aged 11-14: 72g of fat, 23g of saturated fat, 54g of sugar, 6g of salt.

This is not for every person within the age groups. It varies with different people and body types, but this is just an average of intake.
Most importantly we should try to ear around five portions a day of carbohydrates. Even though there are a lot of diets at the moment suggesting carbohydrates are fattening, carbohydrates can be found in bread, pasta, cereal, rice and pasta, and are an important part of everyone’s diet. Carbohydrates give us energy and have less than half the calories of fat. About one-third of your diet should be based on carbohydrates. But you should try to eat wholegrain bread and pasta instead of white.
Milk and dairy products have an important source of calcium, protein and vitamins and you should try to take in three portions a day.
Protein is a necessity for the body and you should try to have at least two to three portions a day (check lists of foods for what has good protein).
Also fruits and vegetables supply essential vitamins, minerals and fiber. Aim for five small portions a day.

However, just because a certain food is high in fat or sugar doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat it. It means you need to eat it in moderation with a healthy diet.