14 year old needs help with diet

[bellreavue]

i'm 14 and have only been vegetarian for half a year. i've been overweight since about 3rd grade. i am pretty active, involved in lots of sports and i exercise regularly, but i eat a lot of carbs and sugar and not enough fruits and veggies. i'm about 5'3'' and 150 lbs. is there any advice anyone has that can help? i'm not really a picky eater, i just dont know how to have a balanced diet. thanks.

[WendySmiling]

Try giving up processed foods for the most part and replace with whole foods, fruits & veggies, beans, & whole wheat breads & pastas. School must be hard, but can you bring your lunch? If not you can eat cheese pizza if you are lacto-ovo. Good luck!!

[bellreavue]

yeah i bring my lunch 99% of the time, and with school starting in a week im also in desperate need of lunch ideas...right now it looks like vegetarian burritos, salads and pb&j. i eat whole wheat pasta and mostly whole wheat breads but ill start eating more fruits and veggies too. thanks.

[codemonkey]

From reading your post, it sounds like you already know what you need to do: less refined carbs and sugar, more veggies and fruits. It's really hard to eat too much veggies and fruits so load up.

One thing that helps me at work (and would also help you at school) is I don't carry change. If I don't have any change, I can't get anything out of the vending machine. So I have to be satisfied with the veggies and fruits I brought.

Today for lunch I packed a chickpea salad sandwich on whole wheat bread, some baby carrots and a nectarine. I also packed a granola bar and a banana for a snack.

Some other easy lunches to pack are:
Veggie wraps made with hummus, cucumbers, bell peppers and sprouts wrapped up in a whole wheat tortilla
Sandwiches made with marinated and grilled tempeh and avocado
Taco salad made with lots of greens, black beans, avocado and salsa
Asian salad made with lots of greens, marinated baked tofu, edamame, bean sprouts and soy dressing

If you need a treat, make yourself some cookies. You can make them healthier by using whole wheat flour instead of regular and applesauce instead of butter.

[*AHIMSA*]

You've received good advice so far.

You are still growing, so getting more exercise instead of reducing calories drastically is the healthier way to go.

Eat whole, natural foods as much as possible, lots of non-starchy vegetables too (that means things other than corn, potatoes etc.).

[ficbot]

How about treating yourself to a laptop lunchbox or some other kind of divided food container? One of the cheap travel ones (Rubbermaid or Gladware or something) has one with a larger main compartment and two smaller ones. I find I eat better when I use containers like this because I challenge myself to find different things to fit in each slot. Usually, I eat a fruit and veggie in the smaller side dish containers, whereas if I just cooked and ate I would get a bowl and eat in front of the tv or computer with no side dishes :)

Another trick I have heard is to mentally divide your plate into 4 equal sections. Fill two of the sections with salad or fruits or vegetables. Fill one with a healthy starch and one with a healthy protein. Also, if you switch to whole wheat for things like bread and pasta, they are more filling so you can measure out a portion and eat less.

You might also want to do some reading on the Weight Watchers Core Plan. Even if you don't join, it is still a healthy meal plan and very vegetarian-friendly. Basically, you can eat as much as you need to feel satisfied from: fruits and vegetables, lean dairy and proteins, tofu and alternates, beans and lentils, a few healthy grains (whole wheat couscous, quinoa, oatmeal, barley and a few others). You can also have cold cereal once a day and you have had whole-wheat pasta OR a potato once a day. If you want the limited foods more than once a day or if you want something not on the Core list, you get 35 points a week and you have to deduct it from that.

Hope this helps!

[LucidAnne]

you sound like you have a good grasp on what you need, and like Ahimsa said, you are still growing...
but keep in mind your portion sizes. lots of foods, like whole wheat pasta, granola or brown rice may be good for you, but they can be calorie dense, and you can certainly gain weight with them.
try cutting back on your carbs slowly and increase your veggies...for example,cutting back a bit on the pasta and replacing some of it w/ some veggies.
snacks are a great way to get some fruits in your day...an apple and nut butter, trail mix w/ dried fruits and nuts will help you feel satisfied through the day.

[bellreavue]

thanks for all the help. ive been working with my portion sizes and cutting back on things i dont really need. im making my own salads and veggie mixes and the experimenting is really fun. thanks! one quick question...what are some easy meals i can bring to school with some veggies in it? ive tried the occasional stir fry but it doesnt stay hot. carrots and ranch are easy but after a while they get old. some ideas?

[LucidAnne]

try some grain salads...like quinoa, barley, or rice, couscous, etc...with roasted veggies and some balsamic, etc....they hold up well in traveling.
for dipping veggies...try cucumbers, carrots, peppers, celery, radishes, etc dipped in hummus, or a tofutti sour cream or cream cheese w/ herbs.
you can also dip crackers, pretzels, veggies, fruits in peanut or another nut butter.

you can bake chickpeas...season and bake until they are crunchy. they make a great snack.