4 Monday, April 30, 2012 smh.com.au

DID YOU KNOW? The brain must manufacture the right proteins and fats to do thingssuch as grow new connections. This is done by digesting proteins and fats in foodand using the amino acids and fatty acids to make the new brain proteins and fats.

Fuelling your bodywith the right food can help you perform at your peak, writesClive Hopkins.

NUTRITION

The real teen test: a balanced diet

‘There are lots ofhealthy optionsavailable.’ Loretta Coughlin

Comfort stop ... (above) a little chocolate does noharm, but it shouldn’treplace nutritious options such as fruit and dairy products. Photo: Reuters

EXAMPLE MENU for a typical teenager*

Fluid Drink 2L (7-8 cups) per day for boys and 1.6L (6 cups) per day for girls. Include water at every meal. Pop a bottle of water (from the tap!) in your school bag to keep you hydrated throughout the day. Milk and dairy products Always go for low-fat versions.Breads and cereals Always go for wholegrain varieties. Juice Make sure these are 100 per cent fruit juice and not juice “drinks” – as these are only really sugared water. Try to prepare and cook as much of your meals and snacks as you can yourself — this way you know what’s in your food. When buying prepared foods and snacks, always check the label and choose the ones lowest in salt (sodium), saturated fat and sugars, where possible. If it has less than 1200mg of sodium/100g of food then it’s low in sodium.

* This is a suggested menu for an average teenager. Some very active teens may need more, while some teens may need less. This menu does not include many foods considered as ‘extras’ (biscuits, cakes, soft drinks etc). Teens from 12-18 should have no more than 1-3 foods per day from this category. Speak to your health professional if you are concerned about your child’s weight.

1 cup of wholegrain cereal,low-fat milk

and a piece of fruit.1/2 cup of fruit juice

2 slices of wholegrain bread toasted. Or a wholegrain muffin with cheese and

slices of tomato.1/2 cup of fruit juice

1 cup of porridge (use low-fat milk) with fruit.

1/2 cup of fruit juice

Yoghurt with fruit and a slice of wholegrain bread

— toasted with spread and jam.

1/2 cup of fruit juice

1 cup of wholegrain cereal, low fat milk and a piece

of fruit.1/2 cup of fruit juice

Pikelets topped with ricotta and fruit.1/2 cup of fruit juice

Cooked breakfast with scrambled egg, mushrooms,

sliced tomato and low-salt/sugar baked beans.

1/2 cup of fruit juiceA piece of fresh fruit. Water 1 slice of home-made

wholegrain banana bread. Glass of low-fat milk

2 wholegrain crackers with hummus topped with grated

carrots or reduced-fat cheese and sliced tomato. Water

A piece of fresh fruit. Water 2 slices of raisin bread with low-fat vegetable spread.

Glass of low-fat milk

Small handful of dried apricots and high-fibre/low-sugar muesli bar.

Glass of low-fat milk

A piece of fresh fruit and a carton of low-fat yoghurt.

Water

Tuna salad in turkish bread, a carton of low-fat yoghurt.

Water

Cold home-made pita pizza with pasta sauce (low sodium), sliced onion and tomato, egg, reduced-fat mozzarella, plus

salad. Fresh fruit. Water

Toasted wholegrain tortilla sandwiches with mixed

beans and salad, a carton of low-fat yoghurt. Water

Home-made carrot and coriander soup (in a flask) and a wholegrain roll with reduced-fat cheese and salad. Fresh fruit. Water

Chicken and salad wholegrain wrap.Fresh fruit. Water

Ham and veggie slice and a tomato salad. Fresh fruit.

Water

Baked potato with filling such as tuna and low-fat cheese and mixed salad

Fresh fruit. Water

High-fibre/low-sugar muesli bar. Glass of milk

Sushi and low-fat yoghurt. Water

Cup of home-made popcorn. Water

Currant or hot cross bun. Glass of milk

Low-fat yoghurt and 1/4 cup almonds. Water

1/4 cup pecan nuts or almonds and low-fat

yoghurt. Water

2 sweet, chocolate biscuits. Glass of milk

Beef lasagnawith lots of veggies

(carrots, onions, zucchini, capsicum etc), topped with

grated low-fat cheese. 2 small pieces of

home-made garlic bread and a mixed salad. Water

Chicken risotto (made with reduced-sodium stock or

water) and peas and mushrooms. Water

Honey and soy salmon(1/2 cup of pink salmon) with

noodles, and crunchy Asian salad. Water

Spaghetti bolognaise(with lots of veggies:

carrots, onions, zucchini, capsicum etc), with

wholemeal spaghetti. Water

Fresh tuna steak burgers (multigrain roll) with tomato

salsa. Plus oven chips (healthy choice range) and

salad (or peas). Water

Home-made Hawaiian pizza (pita/tortilla base with pasta sauce (low sodium), sliced

onion and tomato, reduced-sodium ham,

reduced-fat mozzarella, bite-sized pineapple pieces and tinned sweetcorn. Plus

mixed salad. Water

BBQ chicken or grilled lean steak (90g-120g a person)

mushrooms, two steamed chat potatoes (per person) and Greek salad. Water

BREAKFAST

MORNINGTEA

LUNCH

AFTERNOONTEA

DINNER

MEAL MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

‘S tudents sitting theirHSC will be under themost stress they’ve everexperienced,’’ an

executive officer at NutritionAustralia, Orla Hugueniot, says.‘‘This gives them an extra reason toeat healthily and [they] also need tobe well hydrated.’’ Extra hydrationcan be the key to surviving severalhours in a stuffy exam room.

Peer pressure often influenceswhat teenagers eat and drink. Withgirls, this pressure can often be to‘‘eat healthily’’ but if that meansavoiding dairy, it’s not healthy at all.‘‘Girls in particular need dairy forcalcium, to promote good bonegrowth,’’ Hugueniot says.

For boys, the pressure is often toeat junk food and drink ‘‘high-energy’’ drinks, which are packedwith caffeine and sugar. ‘‘Caffeinecan lead to sleep deprivation andpossibly being anxious at a timewhen you need a lot of sleep. Thebrain repairs and restores at night.’’

Hugueniot recommends ahealthy balanced diet,

following recipes and menu planssuch as those on the NutritionAustralia website and providedbelow. This involves three meals aday, interspersed with two healthy

snacks such as fruit, nuts orlow-fat yoghurt. ‘‘A lightafternoon snack can help

your ability to recallinformation and get the most

out of your studies,’’ she says.Teenage boys should drink

seven to eight cups of fluids aday and girls, six cups. Water is

best, although between half to

one cup of fruit juice or low-fatmilk is acceptable.

Hugueniot’s main advice toparents and students is to avoidskipping meals. ‘‘Make it a priority tohave breakfast,’’ she says. ’’Missingmeals doesn’t just affect your energybut also your cognitive ability.’’

HSC students may be tempted to

reach for ‘‘comfort foods’’ but if thismeans junk food, Hugueniot says,resist. ‘‘Cakes, biscuits or chocolate,though, are OK now and again,provided they aren’t replacing mealsor healthier snacks.’’

The business developmentmanager for the Australian SchoolCanteen Association, Loretta

Coughlin, points out thatgovernment legislation nowencourages healthy food in schoolcanteens. In her experience, thelonger healthy food has beenavailable in a canteen, the morestudents will order it.

‘‘Sales of things like sausage rollsare down,’’ she says. ‘‘But canteensdo need to make healthy food lookgood and interesting, like cutting upfruit or vegetables.’’

Increasingly, school canteens areopen forbreakfast,often tocater forthosedoingearly-morningsport, shesays.

And sheis on boardwith schoolcanteens stocking the brands thatstudents actually like. ‘‘Canteenfoods allow students to eat anddrink regularly and there are lots ofhealthy options available now,’’Coughlin says.

It’s vital students adopt goodeating habits early, Hugueniot says.

‘‘A healthy, balanced diet is for life– not for just exam time.’’