Unsaturated fats have health properties, such as lowering inflammation, improving blood cholesterol levels, and many other benefits.

What does that actually mean? Unsaturated fats You’ve likely heard the terms “good” and “bad” fats. Sample of daily fat intake: 4 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 slices cheese, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons mayo dressing = 78 grams of fat Fat containing foods Depending on an adolescent’s age, development stage, activity level, and more, this amount will likely increase. That’s around 56 to 78 grams per day for an adolescent eating 2000 calories per day. How much fat does an adolescent need in a day?įat should make up 25% to 35% of an adolescent’s total daily intake. Having some fat-containing food in the morning, especially, is one good way to achieve this. And because food should taste good and keep us satisfied, this is an important role!Īlso, because adolescents often have long gaps between meals, meals need to be satisfying and filling to provide long-lasting energy. It also provides a nice mouth feel that makes food more enjoyable to eat. Contributes to satiation & enjoymentįat makes food satisfying. And because these foods take longer than carbohydrate and protein foods to be broken down, the energy they provide is longer lasting and more sustained. (The other reason is because it makes the food more enjoyable! And then adolescents are more likely to eat vegetables! This post gives you some other strategies for helping your adolescent eat veggies.) Provides energyįat-containing foods provide energy when they’re digested. This is one reason why I always recommend adding fat (in the form of oil, butter, dressing, cheese, etc.) to vegetables. When we eat vitamin rich foods, like vegetables for example, we can increase the nutritional benefit of that food by adding fat to it! Without fat the vitamins aren’t as bioavailable to the body, and can’t be absorbed or used. Without fat we don’t get the benefit of eating those vitamins. Many important vitamins- specifically vitamins A, D, E, and K, need fat to be absorbed.

Fat is specifically required in making the steroid hormones that include androgens, progesterone, and estrogens, which are crucial in puberty (and beyond). Hormone production ramps up in adolescence, and they need fuel to be created and work at their peak. The brain is 60% fat, and so fat is amongst the most important nutrient to ensure its structure and ability to perform all it’s roles and functions.įor this reason, it also plays an important role in maintaining mental health. Fat’s role in the adolescent body Brain development However, this fear is unfounded, as eating fat does not make us fat, and is in fact crucial in many important body functions. Teens often fear eating foods with fat because of the negative association society has created with “being fat”. The others are Carbohydrates and Protein. “Fat” is one of the essential nutrients adolescents (and all humans) need to eat regularly.

Teenage body fat percentages