Do you feel like you are a personal chef for your teenager? Does it seem like they are just always hungry no matter what you feed them? This is not out of the ordinary, especially for teen athletes who are burning through a ton of energy, but it might seem like a challenge when you are trying to feed them!
Teenagers that are always hungry should make sure they are getting an appropriate balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat every time they eat. This will help them feel more full and satisfied with the food they are eating. Adding healthy fats like seeds, nuts, avocado, and olive oil are another good way of increasing calorie content of meals and snacks without having to eat a huge quantity of food.
Read on for more information about why your teen might seem to be always hungry and tips for feeding hungry teens.
Why Is My Teen Always Hungry?
Teenagers are in a period of growth and development, which means their body’s naturally need more energy. It might surprise you how many calories your teenager’s body really needs!
On top of that, many teenagers live very active lifestyles. Maybe they are part of a club or sports team, or even just out playing with friends a lot. All of that physical activity added up equals really high energy needs and really hungry teenagers.
How Many Calories Do Teenagers Need?
The chart below is from the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It estimates energy needs for teenagers based on age, gender, and activity level.
Notice that the “active” level is equivalent to normal daily activities plus more than 40 minutes of exercise. Your teen might be doing multiple hours of exercise a day, especially if they are involved in a sport, so their energy needs could be “off the charts!”
Body composition and height also play a role in how many calories a teenager needs. Muscle uses a lot of energy, even at rest. Those with more body mass in general will be burning more calories both during a workout and at rest.
For example, who do you think would be burning more energy- a 6 foot 4 defensive lineman or a 5 foot 4 soccer player? Probably the defensive lineman!
The main takeaway is that you should not be overly concerned if your teenager is eating a lot of food. They truly might need that much food to fuel their body and active lifestyle!
Predicting calorie needs using charts like the ones above can be somewhat helpful, but hopefully you can see that there is a lot to factor in when determining energy needs of a teenager.
Working with a sports dietitian can be helpful in determining how much food your teenager needs. They can help your teen make an eating plan so that they are able to get all of the nutrients that their body needs. Working with a dietitian is also a great way for teenagers to learn about their bodies and become self-reliant in taking care of their health.
How Often Should Teenagers Eat?
In general, teenagers should eat at least every 4-6 hours. However, teenagers with high energy needs might need to be eating more frequently in order to get in enough calories throughout the course of the day. Frequent eating can also help keep energy and mood stable throughout the day!
See what works best for you personally. Especially if it is difficult for you to eat large amounts all at once, eating smaller snacks every couple hours might be better!
What Should Teenagers Be Eating?
It is extremely important that teenagers understand what they should be eating in order to fuel their body properly. So what should teenagers be eating? The short answer is: a balance of the macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) every time they eat.
To understand why this matters for hungry teenagers, you have to know what each of these macronutrients do for the body.
- Carbohydrates This is your body’s main energy source. Carbs are what fuel workouts and also just give your body the energy to function throughout the day. Carbohydrates are found in starchy foods like pasta, rice, potatoes, corn, tortillas, bread, etc. as well as in fruit, vegetables, and dairy products.
- Protein So much of your body is actually made up of protein. It is commonly referred to as the “building block of the body.” Your body needs enough protein to heal, recover, build muscle, and keep hair, nails and other parts of your body healthy. Protein is found in foods like poultry, meat, fish, soy, nuts, eggs, and dairy.
- Fat There are different kinds of fats in the foods that we eat. Saturated and trans fats can cause a lot of health problems if eaten excessively. Unsaturated fats are the healthy fats found in foods like olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds. They can help keep your heart healthy as well as decrease inflammation in the body.
Carbohydrates by themselves get digested pretty quickly. If protein and fat are included with carbohydrates, the digestion is slowed down which means that energy is sustained over a longer period of time. Without protein and fat present, carbohydrates spike your blood sugar and cause hormone levels to get all out of whack.
There are a few slight exceptions to eating balanced. Eating close to or during exercise is a time where you want to focus more on carbohydrates since you want energy to be available immediately for your workout. Before bed is a time where getting a lot of carbohydrate is not as important because you are winding down for the day and don’t need a ton of energy before going to sleep.
Eating balanced meals and snacks is one of the best ways to help your teenager feel more full and satisfied when they eat.
Your body also needs micronutrients like vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat. The best way to give your body what it needs is to eat a variety of foods from each of the food groups listed below:
- Fruits This includes whole fruit, canned and frozen fruit, dried fruit, and fruit juice! 100% fruit juice can be a good option occasionally, but it does not contain fiber, an important nutrient that is found in whole fruits.
- Vegetables Try to get a variety of colors when choosing vegetables. Each has a different nutrient profile and can benefit the body in different ways! Steaming is one of the best cooking methods to preserve nutrients in vegetables.
- Protein Choose lean sources of protein like chicken and turkey more frequently than foods that contain a lot of saturated fat like bacon and sausage. Include sources of both plant and animal protein in your diet!
- Grains Aim to make half of your grains whole grains each day! Grains are a great source of vitamins and fiber!
- Oils Increase your intake of unsaturated fats, and limit saturated fats. Including healthy fat sources in your diet will help you feel more satisfied after a meal.
Ways to Increase Calorie Content for Teenagers with High Energy Needs
One of the best ways to increase calorie intake for teenagers with high energy needs is to add in healthy sources of fat with meals and snacks. A gram of fat has more calories than a gram of carbohydrates or a gram of protein and will therefore provide more energy without having to consume huge amounts of food.
Look for small ways to add a bit more food to a meal without making it feel overwhelming! Here are a few ideas:
- Smoothies can be packed with lots of nutrients. You could include foods like nut butter, chia seeds or flax seeds, or avocado.
- Add avocado to sandwiches, nachos, quesadillas, and other meals!
- Use olive oil when cooking vegetables. Olive oil can even be added for taste after vegetables are steamed.
- Add a slice of cheese or an extra tablespoon of peanut butter to your sandwich.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of vegetables.
- Keep nuts or trail mix on hand for easy snacks with high energy content.
Sample High Calorie Meal Plan
This sample meal plan is not meant to be a one-size-fits-all meal plan. It shows food ideas and how to pair foods together to make meals and snacks more satisfying. If more energy is needed, expand on this general outline, swapping out my ideas for some of your favorite foods!
Depending on serving sizes, this meal plan could get your teenager between 3,000 and 4,000 calories!
Breakfast: Oatmeal with peanut butter and brown sugar, chocolate milk, and a banana
Morning Snack: Greek yogurt with granola and berries
Lunch: Ham and cheese sandwich, chips, carrots and hummus, apple
Afternoon Snack: Peanuts and dried fruit
Pre-Game Snack: Pretzels and blueberries
During Game: Gatorade
Post-Game Snack: Beef Jerky and wheat thins
Dinner: Teriyaki grilled chicken with rice and steamed broccoli (mixed with olive oil)
Bedtime Snack: Avocado toast with a fried egg
Summary
If it feels overwhelming feeding your teenager, you are not alone! When teenagers have high calorie needs, it can take a lot of effort and planning to help them get enough calories and nutrients.
Teach your teenager the importance of eating balanced, nutrient dense foods regularly throughout the day. Encourage them to be involved in the planning, shopping, and cooking so that it is not all on you! Teenagers are old enough to understand and honor their health and make smart food decisions!
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