An easy guide to fulfilling adolescent nutrition (age 13

Adolescence is a time when the physical and psychological development of the body tends to change very rapidly. Indirectly, this certainly requires adequate nutritional intake of adolescents to support puberty. In order to be fulfilled optimally, let's look at the guidelines for fulfilling balanced nutrition in adolescents.

What is the nutritional adequacy of adolescents (aged 10-18 years)?

Unlike the previous age, entering the stage of adolescent development, automatically the daily nutritional adequacy rate (RDA) for children will increase.

In order for this to be fulfilled properly, the Indonesian Ministry of Health recommends the fulfillment of balanced nutrition in adolescents as follows:

Adolescents aged 10-15 years

Adolescent macro nutritional needs

• Energy: male 2475 kcal and female 2125 kcal
• Protein: male 72 g and female 69 g
• Fat: men 83 grams and women 71 grams
• Carbohydrates: 340 grams for men and 292 grams for women
• Fiber: men 35 grams and women 30 grams
• Water: male and female 2000 ml

Adolescent micro-nutritional needs

Vitamin

• Vitamin A: men and women 600 mcg
• Vitamin D: men and women 15 mcg
• Vitamin E: men 12 mcg and women 15 mcg
• Vitamin K: men and women 55 mcg
• Vitamin B12: male and female 2.4 mcg
• Vitamin C: men 75 mg and women 65 mg

Mineral

• Calcium: men and women 1200 mg
• Phosphorus: men and women 1200 mg
• Sodium: men and women 1500 mg
• Potassium: 4700 mg men and 4500 mg women
• Iron: men 19 mg and women 26 mg
• Iodine: men and women 150 mcg
• Zinc: men 18 mg and women 16 mg

Teens aged 16-18 years

Adolescent macro nutritional needs

• Energy: male 2676 kcal and female 2125 kcal
• Protein: men 66 grams and women 59 grams
• Fat: men 89 grams and women 71 grams
• Carbohydrates: 368 grams of men and 292 grams of women
• Fiber: men 37 grams and women 30 grams
• Water: 2200 ml for men and 2100 ml for women

The need for micronutrients for adolescents

Vitamin

• Vitamin A: men and women 600 mcg
• Vitamin D: men and women 15 mcg
• Vitamin E: men and women 15 mcg
• Vitamin K: men and women 55 mcg
• Vitamin B12: male and female 2.4 mcg
• Vitamin C: men 90 mg and women 75 mg

Mineral

• Calcium: men and women 1200 mg
• Phosphorus: men and women 1200 mg
• Sodium: men and women 1500 mg
• Potassium: for men and women 4700 mg
• Iron: men 15 mg and women 26 mg
• Iodine: men and women 150 mcg
• Zinc: men 17 mg and women 14 mg

What should be considered in order to fulfill adolescent nutrition?

Quoting from IDAI, providing nutrition from food and nutrition sources in adolescence aims to:

1. Maximizing physical growth, cognitive development, and adolescent reproductive organs.
2. Provide enough reserves of nutrients in the body so that you don't get sick easily.
3. Prevent the attacks of various diseases that can be caused by food such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer.
4. Encourage children to adopt healthy eating habits and lifestyles.

Because they are undergoing physical, psychological, and puberty development, the fulfillment of balanced nutrition in adolescents is something that must be done.

This is because when adolescents are deficient in certain nutrients, it can have bad effects even when they grow up.

Food sources to fulfill adolescent nutrition

Many changes occur in adolescence, both physically and psychologically. The development of bone mass, body fat, height, weight, and adolescent reproductive organs appears very rapidly.

That is why the energy and nutritional needs of adolescents as a whole will usually be higher than that of children to support their growth and development at this time.

In fact, the total nutritional needs of adolescents can be said to be the highest compared to other age groups.

Ensure that adolescents get a variety of macro and micro nutrients from food sources, such as:

1. Carbohydrates

Allcarbohydrate basically good as a daily menu for teenagers. But before that, you can identify two groups of carbohydrates based on the structure of the sugar in them.

Simple carbohydrates

These carbohydrates have a very small number of sugar molecules. That is why, the process of breaking down these carbohydrates tends to be faster and does not take long.

Simple types of carbohydrates:

• Honey
• White sugar
• Brown sugar
• Cake
• Candy

Complex carbohydrates

In contrast to simple carbohydrates, the number of sugar molecules that make up complex carbohydrates is quite large.

Types of complex carbohydrates:

• Bread
• Corn
• Pasta
• Rice
• Wheat
• Nuts
• Potato

2. Protein

Protein are other nutrients needed in the body of adolescents. The function of protein is as a constituent of cells and body tissues, as well as repairing them if there is damage.

Animal protein

Provide children with foods such as fish, eggs, milk and their processed products, red meat, chicken, to meet their protein nutritional needs.

Vegetable protein

Food sources with vegetable protein content can be obtained by children from wheat, oats, nuts, tofu, tempeh, and oncom.

3. Fat

Fat should not be completely avoided. In a healthy type and quantity, fat is a macro nutrient that acts as a source of energy for adolescents.

Like good fats, which are generally found in unsaturated fats. Here are some types of foods that are classified as good fats:

• Avocado
• Olive oil
• Nuts
• Egg
• Salmon

4. Fiber

Fiber is a macro nutrient that is just as important as carbohydrates, fats and protein in adolescents. In other words, there are dangers that can occur if adolescents are not getting enough fiber.

Various types of fruits and vegetables that contain fiber such as carrots, broccoli, avocado, apples, oranges, and red beans and sweet potatoes contain soluble fiber.

5. Vitamins

The need for vitamins as nutrition in adolescence will certainly increase to support the process of growth and development.

So, make sure he is not deficient in various vitamins from food and drinks daily. Here are some types of vitamins teenagers need, such as:

• Vitamins B1, B2, B9, and B12
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A.
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K

6. Minerals

Minerals are also micronutrients that should not be underestimated during adolescence. The reason is that at this time, an increase in mineral intake is needed to support various developments in the body.

Zinc, manganese, selenium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, fluorine, chromium, sodium, iodine, and copper are the various types of minerals in the body.

That is why the need for calcium in adolescence tends to be greater. In addition, increasing iron intake also aims to prepare for the first menstruation (menarche) in adolescent girls.

Adolescent calcium needs are classified as the highest, reaching 1200 mg / day (based on 2013 Nutritional Adequacy Figures).

Daily menu to fulfill adolescent nutrition

Adolescents need adequate nutritional intake to support their development at puberty. Therefore, you should provide various types of food every day, so that they can contribute a variety of important nutrients.

The total calories needed for adolescents aged 13-18 years is around 2125-2675 kcal.

But keep in mind, that the amount of daily food needed by teenage boys is different from teenage girls.

To make it easier, here is a sample menu for one day that can help meet the nutritional needs of adolescents:

Breakfast (breakfast)

• 1 plate of uduk rice (100-150 grams)
• 1-2 balado chicken eggs (50-100 grams)
• 1-2 medium slices tofu (30-50 grams)
• 1 medium bowl of cabbage (30-100 grams)
• 1 glass of white milk (100 ml)

Interlude (snack)

• 2 medium oranges (200-250 grams)

Lunch

• White rice (125-250 grams)
• 1 medium bowl sauteed broccoli and carrots (30-100 grams)
• 1 medium cup ground beef black pepper (50-75 grams)
• 1-2 medium pieces of tempeh (30-50 grams)

Interlude (snack)

• 2 medium kiwifruit (200-250 grams)

Dinner

• 1 plate of white rice (125-250 grams)
• 1 large piece of skinless grilled chicken breast (75 grams)
• 1 medium bowl of green beans (40-100 grams)
• 1 small bowl sauteed oncom (40-50 grams)
• 1 glass of white milk (100 ml)

You can give a variety of daily menus according to the tastes and favorite foods of children. But still make sure, the food you serve can meet all the nutritional needs of adolescents.

Nutritional problems in adolescents

Nutrition plays a role in supporting growth and development in adolescence. Unfortunately, there are still children who like to be picky about food, or even refuse to eat for various reasons.

This of course will affect the health of his body. The following are problems related to nutrition in adolescents:

1. Iron deficiency anemia

Anemia is a condition caused by a lack of iron in the body. Iron deficiency in adolescents can be caused by several things.

For example, because food intake does not provide enough iron, drug interactions, or iron in food is difficult for the body to absorb.

Even though in adolescence, the body needs sufficient iron levels to support development during puberty.

Especially for teenage girls, they will experience menstruation, in which the body loses a large amount of blood.

According to WHO, adolescent girls experience iron loss of 12.5-15 mg per month or 0.4-0.5 mg of iron per day due to menstruation.

Therefore, the iron reserves in the body in adolescent girls are less than that of boys.

2. Inadequate nutrition

According to the Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI), malnutrition in adolescents generally prevents their bodies from developing optimally.

Malnutrition (malnutrition) is a condition when the intake of nutrients that enter the body does not reach the amount it should be. Teens with poor diet can easily experience this.

This condition is usually caused by inadequate intake of macro nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, fiber and fat, as well as micronutrients from vitamins and minerals.

As a result, adolescent growth can be stunted, one of which makes the teen's body short.

3. The wrong diet

Unlike previous ages, when you are teenagers, there will be many changes in your child's body automatically. Be it physically, as well

Unlike previous ages, when you are teenagers, there will be many changes in your child's body automatically. Both physically and psychologically in adolescents.

At this age, generally he has started to understand about teen body image so they tend to be more selective in sorting out their daily food.

Coupled with the rapid changes in weight and height, which often makes adolescents uncomfortable. In fact, children can even feel worried and insecure about other people's bad judgments about their body stature.

Even worse, not a few teenagers are willing to cut their food portions, or avoid certain types of food. The goal is to maintain an ideal body weight and body proportions.

But unfortunately, the daily dietary arrangements that adolescents adopt are often the wrong steps.

As a result, this actually makes their bodies too thin because they are on a strict diet but with deviant eating behavior.

As a result, adolescents experience malnutrition, or even overweight and obesity due to eating in excess portions.

4. Hair loss

Loss due to this hormone can occur in adolescent girls. When children are developing, they undergo many bodily changes and hormonal changes.

However, lack of nutrition can also cause hair damage in girls and boys.

Consume more often junk food rather than nutritious fruits and vegetables can have bad consequences, namely a lack of protein, vitamins, and minerals to hold hair strength.

How to maintain health and nutritional support in adolescents

The type of treatment for cases of lack of balanced nutrition in adolescents will be adjusted to the severity, and whether there are complications or not.

Here are some ways that are recommended so that nutrition in adolescents remains balanced and health is maintained, such as:

1. Monitor nutritional intake in adolescents

Don't forget to regularly monitor the development of adolescent nutritional status by checking it with a doctor or nutritionist. Even though you are being treated at home, the doctor still has to check your child's health condition regularly.

If the child's nutritional status does not improve or gets worse, intensive care in the hospital may be the next option to restore the nutritional needs of adolescents.

2. Improve diet

The initial key to fulfilling nutritional intake for adolescents is to provide nutrient-rich food choices every day.

Encourage children to be willing to try and eat recommended foods that can help restore their body condition.

On the other hand, make sure you keep the number of calories your child consumes so that they are always healthy and nutritious.

4. Provide supplements

Vitamin and mineral supplements are good for keeping the nutritional intake of adolescents in balance. Besides that, it is also useful so that your appetite increases.

However, it would be better if you consult further with your doctor.

5. Healthy environment

Healthy lifestyles in children start from the surrounding environment, for example from the house where they usually play and learn. Avoid wanting as a parent to ask you to lose weight.

An unhealthy diet is more common in adolescents who are overweight, or even at normal weight, whose mothers focus more on the child's weight than on their health.

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