SMART DIET FOR TEENS

A Health Education Project by The Adolescent Health Committee of

FOGSI and Emcure Pharma

FOGSI

Emcure

Dear Friends,
Teenage, is a period of dreams, to become successful and
beautiful, to achieve standards set by role models ! This is the transition
period between childhood and adulthood. Girls and boys gain significant
height, weight and muscle mass during adolescence. Balanced diet is
necessary to fulfil these demands. In reality, girls either eat too little or too
much. Food fads, likes for junk food and dislikes for home made food are
also very common. Many girls want to do well in studies and pursue a
career in future life. Every girl aspires to be smart and look beautiful. All
these goals can be fulfilled only with good diet and regular exercise. In this
endeavour, our slide show and booklet aim to educate girls about
nutrition, exercise and anemia.
The Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India
(FOGSI) is the largest organisation of Gynaecologists in the world
comprising of 22,500 Gynaecologists and more than 195 socieites all over
India. We are dedicated to women healthcare and awarness. "Smart Diet
for Teens" is devised and conducted by the Adolescent Health Committee
of FOGSI with the help of Emcure Pharma. We are planning to conduct
these sessions in various cities of India with the help of our enthusiastic
and expert committee members. Emcure Pharma has supported this
activity as part of their corporate social responsibility for which we are
thankful to them. We hope that teens as well as their parents and teachers
are benefited by our sincere efforts.
With Regards

Dr. Ashwini Bhalerao Gandhi

Chairperson
Adolscent Health Committee, FOGSI

Mrs.Jyoti Lalwani
Consultant Dietician

A balanced diet is the basis of a healthy life. It has 3 basic principles:

QUANTITY

: is based on individual calorie requirement and physical

activity.

QUALITY

: can be ensured by including all food groups comprising

of cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, milk etc. providing
complete nutrition.

REGULARITY: to consume 4-5 meals per day to maintain consistent

energy levels
The basic building blocks of a balanced diet are Carbohydrates, Proteins,
Fats, Vitamins and Minerals. A balanced diet should provide around
60 - 70 % total calories from carbohydrates, 10-15 % from proteins and
20-25 % from fat.

KEY
Fat (Naturally occurring and added)
Fats, Oils & Sweets
USE SPARINGLY

Sugars (Added)
These symbols show fats
and added sugars in foods.

Milk, Yogurt &

Cheese Group
2-3 SERVINGS

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans

Eggs & Nuts Group
2-3 SERVINGS

Fruit Group
2-3 SERVINGS

Vegetable Group
3-5 SERVINGS

Bread, Cereal,
Rice & Pasta
Group
6-11
SERVINGS

FOOD PYRAMID

 Cereals- provide carbohydrates e.g. chapatti, rice, rawa, jowar/bajrabhakris, poha etc.
Pulses, non-vegetarian foods and milk and milk products provide
proteins. Dals, whole pulses preferably sprouts or soyabeans are good
sources of proteins for vegetarians.
For Non-Vegetarians-white meat like chicken/fish is preferred over
red meat.
Skimmed cow's milk and milk products like curd is advisable for good
quality protein and calcium. Cheese and paneer are very high in fat and
calories.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are excellent source of vitamins,
minerals, fibre and water. 4-5 servings of different fruits and
vegetables daily will do the needful.
Oil and Ghee- Both should be consumed in restricted quantities.
Sugars use sparingly - jaggery is a good substitute for sugar.
These nutrients are required in our body for energy, body building,
repair of worn-out tissues, protection from diseases and good
health.

Calorie Requirements

BOYS

10-12YRS

2190 CALS

GIRLS

10-12YRS

1970 CALS

BOYS

13-15YRS

2450 CALS

GIRLS

13-15 YRS

2060 CALS

Some important health tips

Maintain a healthy weight. Over and under nutrition both are equally
harmful.
Chew your food slowly as it takes 20 minutes for the brain to
experience satiety.
Avoid any other activities like watching television, reading, or talking on
phone etc while eating.
Never skip any meal in an effort to lose weight.
Avoid junk foods and fizzy soft drinks
As they provide more calories with little nutritional value.
Contain a very high amount of sodium, saturated fats and sugars.
If consumed in unhealthy proportion then can lead to decayed teeth,
obesity, cardiac problems, and digestion problems.
They are deficient in vitamins and minerals.
Can affect the skin texture.
After consumption blood sugars rise and fall rapidly.
Aerated drinks have high caffeine, sugar, color, preservatives.
Go for healthy drinks like coconut water, lime juice, butter milk etc.
Do some physical activity daily.
Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water/day.
Diet plays a vital role in the maintenance of good health and in the
prevention and cure of diseases.
Advantages of balanced diet

Good nutrition for proper growth & height.

Prevents deficiencies.
Ensures good health, glowing skin and hair.
Ensures high fitness level.
Strengthens immune system.
Improves concentration and ensures better grades

Balanced diet and regular exercise keep you fit and healthy
n

Get up and go , keep moving , be active

Exercise regularly

Select activities that you enjoy

If not possible at a stretch, exercise in parts

Start slow and increase gradually

Limit TV and computer activities

Instead engage in family activities or

household chores.

Benefits of Exercise

Improves strength and endurance

Helps build healthy bones and muscles

Helps control weight & menstrual problems

Be physically active for at least

30 minutes most days of the week

Adolescence (Teenage) is the transition period between childhood and

adulthood. Children between 10 to 19 years of age are going through the
growing phase of life.
They need energy for work and play. Girls start menstruating and require
additional iron to compensate for the monthly loss. Adolescents gain upto
50% of their adult weight, 20% of their adult height and 50% of their adult
bone / muscle mass between 10 to 19 years of their age. They are the
future of the family, society and country.

Adolescence and Anaemia

In India, 50% boys and 65% girls are anaemic. The common causes are
Poor dietary intake of iron rich vegetables and food; Bad cooking habits
like over boiling, removing husk etc.; Worm infestations and infections like
malaria and TB; Deficiency of iron, Vit B12 and folic acid.
Most common problem seen in adolescent girls is iron deficiency
anaemia.
This happens because throughout adolescence a teenager's iron needs
increase significantly. When girls begin to menstruate their dietary iron
intake must increase to compensate for the loss of iron in their menstrual
blood.
Normal haemoglobin enables better concentration in studies and
enhances the glow on the skin. Persistent Anaemia will lead to stunted
growth, tiredness and weakness; lack of concentration and poor grades. It
may result into shortness of breath and increased susceptibility to
infections.
Why Nutritional Anemia ?
n

Poor dietary intake of iron rich vegetables and food

Bad cooking habits (over boiling, removing husk etc)

Worm infestations & infections viz. malaria & TB etc.

Deficiency of iron, Vit B12, folic acid

Including a variety of iron rich foods in the diet is essential to prevent

anemia.
Examples of some iron rich foods are meat, poultry, liver, all cereals
especially rice flakes, bajra and ragi, and fortified cereals; all pulses
especially Bengal gram roasted (chana), soybean, all dark green leafy
vegetables especially dill (shepu), garden cress seeds (Aleev), Niger
seeds (black til) etc.

Iron absorption can be improved if meals are accompanied by a source of

Vitamin C, such as citrus fruit or juice, berries, peppers, broccoli, cabbage,
tomatoes, kiwi, mangoes and papayas, amla, etc.
Iron absorption is inhibited if coffee or tea is consumed within half an hour
of a meal.
It is advisable to cook in iron vessels. Iron and folic acid supplementation
should be given as per medical advice. Treatment of worm infestations
and infections is also necessary.

Iron rich recipes

North Indian
Stuffed bajra paratha - Serves: 4
Ingredients:

Make stuffing mixture from:

1/2 Cup crumbled soy paneer
1 tbsp Chopped fenugreek
1 Chopped green chili
1 Chopped tomato
Salt to taste
Make the dough of : 2 Cups bajra flour
Salt

Preparation

Make dough from bajra flour by using hot water and salt.
Knead the dough well and divide it into 8 parts.
Roll out each part into thin chapattis.
Put little stuffing on one chapatti and spread.
Cover with another chapatti and press well to make a paratha.
Cook these rotis on a griddle on both sides without using oil.
Apply butter before serving (optional).

South Indian
Dill Idlis
Serves:4
Ingredients

cup finely chopped dill (shepu) leaves

2 cups raw rice, soaked for 4 hours, drained
cup freshly grated coconut
cup thick rice flakes (poha)
cup buttermilk
cup crushed jaggery (gur)
1 teaspoon fruit salt
salt to taste

Preparation
Grind the soaked rice with the grated coconut to a thick smooth paste,
adding a little water.
Wash the rice flakes, drain and add the buttermilk. Set aside for 10
minutes.
Grind the rice flakes in buttermilk to a smooth paste, add the jaggery
and grind further till smooth. Add this to the rice batter.
Add the chopped dill leaves and salt and mix well.
Check the consistency and now add a little water only if required so as
to get a thick batter.
Add the fruit salt to the batter and sprinkle a little water over it.
When the fruit salt starts bubbling, mix gently.
Spoon out the batter into greased idli moulds and steam for 8 to 10
minutes.
Serve hot.

East Indian
Hari Bhari Machhi
Serves 4
Ingredients

300 gm. fish, cleaned, cut and washed

40 g fresh spinach leaves
10 g fresh mint leaves
5 g fresh coriander leaves
1 green chilies
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
1/4 teaspoon dried mango powder (amchoor powder)
1 pinch salt
30 g low-fat plain yogurt, beaten
20 g oil (mustard oil optional)

Preparation
Grind spinach leaves, mint leaves and green chilies to a paste.
Add the remaining ingredients and prepare a marinade.
Add the cut fish pieces, mix well and allow to marinate for 25
minutes.
Heat oil in the pan and cook for 10-12 minutes
Serve hot

West Indian
Chana and til chikki
Serves 4
Ingredients

cup chana dal ( roasted Bengal gram)

1/4 cup til
cup jaggery
1 tsp ghee
1 tsp ghee for greasing

Preparation
Roast til seeds on a slow flame till they are light golden in color and
keep it aside
Grease the back of a flat thali in the mean while
Heat the ghee in a pan and add jaggery to it
Simmer over a slow flame till it caramelizes and forms a hard ball when
you drop in cold water.
Add the roasted chana and til in the mixture and mix it thoroughly.
You may have to put the flame off during this process
When the mixture is ready then pour it over the flat thali and straighten it
into a thin layer with a rolling pin
When cool cut into square pieces and store in an airtight container

Moral of the Story

n
n

Beauty and Brain require Good Health

Good Health and Good Nutrition go
hand in hand
Good eating habits and daily exercise are
important for physical, mental and social
health

Concept design by

Dr. Ashwini Bhalerao-Gandhi

(Chairperson, Adolescent Health Committee, FOGSI)

&

Mrs. Jyoti Lalwani

(Consultant Dietician)

Associates:

Dr. Ameya Purandare

Dr. Gauri Karandikar

Educational grant from

EmcureR Pharma

Calonat - D