Is A Carbohydrate Restricting Diet Healthy for Teens?
Image by Sarah Kallend. Pixabay
Weight loss diets have always promoted elimination and restricting of some form or another, often targeting an ingredient or food group as a cause of weight problems. The latest in that list is carbohydrates. Over the last 3-5 years It’s become widely popular among adults trying to lose weight to eliminate and restrict many carbohydrate foods. In large part due to the Keto diet which promotes considerable restriction of carbs to burn fat and lose weight.
While carb cutting diets like Keto may be effective as a weight loss method for some, there’s two problems with this trend for teenagers:
1. Extended elimination of carbohydrates can be harmful
Our bodies, and especially our brains, require glucose (carbohydrates) as a source of energy. For a developing adolescent brain, the need is greater.
In the brain it helps with regulation of biochemical, cellular and systemic pathways that aide in neurotransmission for healthy function like focus, memory, emotion, and stress.
Additionally, initial studies are indicating that long-term carbohydrate restriction may have numerous side effects like kidney stress, hypoglycemic problems, gut dysbiosis and digestive issues.
2. Teen bodies are still developing
Teenagers often follow what they see influencers, friends and even their own parents doing with carb cutting diets and apply to themselves.
Eliminating carbohydrates with healthy fiber, vitamins, nutrients, and essential glucose sources, can lead to unhealthy outcomes for their developing bodies, brains, and hormones.
While at the same time, these diets generate an explosion of “carb alternative” manufactured products that are highly processed and have their own host of unhealthy challenges.
At a time when a teenager’s brain is still actively developing, ensuring healthy brain function is essential.
In this article we’ll cover:
Why carbohydrates are an important part of a teen’s diet
How carbs can contribute to weight loss
How to help teens make healthy carbohydrate choices
If you have a teen who’s starting to cut out carbs or avoid them, share the Carbohydrate episode of the Healthy Teen Life podcast with your teen to learn more.
Why carbohydrates are an important part of a teen’s diet
The term carbohydrate covers a diverse group of plant-based foods from fruits and vegetables, grains, and lentils to highly processed foods like white flour, white table sugar, white rice and pasta, plus foods made using those ingredients. It’s confusing for teens to distinguish the nutritional nuances of one carbohydrate food versus another.
A teenager’s need for carbohydrates are greater than an adult’s due to their body growth and energy output demands. Even if a teen is finished growing from a physical sense like height, their body is still developing hormonally, and their brain is still changing. In fact, up to about 25 years of age.
Carbohydrates are necessary and essential part of a teenager’s neurological, hormonal, and physical development. They provide a rich source of vitamins, minerals, fiber antioxidants, phytonutrients and glucose (energy) that adolescents’ growing bodies and brains need. Many of these cannot be derived from animal protein and fat.
Restricting healthy carbohydrates can lead to a drop in glucose that triggers physical warning signs that the brain needs more such as anxiety, moodiness, drowsiness, fatigue, dizziness, and weakness. Without essential carbohydrates, brain function is impaired, gut and metabolic health declines, immune system is compromised, and vital organs can sustain damage over time.
But it needs to be the right kind of carbs.
When eliminating or restricting carbohydrates, it should be focused on distinguishing the type and amount of carbohydrates.
Studies show eating healthy, complex carbs, like whole grains and whole foods like vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, whole grains, and potatoes are okay and in fact, necessary for our body health in numerous ways:
Increases serotonin production, elevating moods and helping to regulate appetite
Can help decrease the chance of type 2 diabetes (among other diseases)
Aides with weight loss
Supports Immune function, thyroid health, and nervous system
Fiber found in complex carbohydrate foods improves gut bacteria; promotes healthy metabolism; and decreases bloating, discomfort, constipation, and inflammation
Whereas eating highly processed and simple carbs can create the opposite effect on all of the above, contributing to poor health and weight gain.
It’s the highly processed grains that should be avoided. Foods that use processed grains, like regular pasta, snack crackers, cereals and white breads.
Problem is, that’s what the vast majority of packaged foods, fast foods and quick-serve foods are made of. And these might be some of your teen’s biggest favorites! Like pre-made, packaged cookies, snack crackers, energy drinks, fruit smoothies, flavored yogurts, even flavored coffee and some flavored waters, and the list goes on.
A bag of cheese crackers or potato chips is highly processed and contains little to no fiber which is why teens often don’t feel satisfied or satiated after eating them, and often leads to craving more.
They taste good, they’re convenient and they’re fun. Food producers, make sure they’re totally appealing so teens will select them. But sorry to say they’re also super unhealthy.
How carbohydrates can contribute to weight loss
Photo by Anna Shvets
Unless due to a medical condition and under advisement of a doctor, most teens seeking to restrict carbohydrates are attempting to lose weight. Yet, ironically, by cutting complex carbohydrates, they may actually be contributing to weight gain.
Physicians’ committees for Responsible Medicine - supports that a diet high in complex carbs reduces body fat and body weight, and improves insulin function.
This is based on two key factors:
By following a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds while reducing and eliminating convenience and fast foods, processed packaged foods and many simple carbohydrates, teens can properly fuel their bodies, manage weight, and contribute to their long-term health. Complex carbs provide some of the
Fiber from complex carbs provides multiple benefits that can’t be found in animal protein and fat:
It slows glucose conversion, helping to mitigate blood sugar imbalance and insulin resistance. This symbiotic relationship helps to reduce and maintain weight.
Fiber provides pre-biotics to healthy gut bacteria promoting a healthy gut biome that leads to decreased inflammation, improved digestion and healthy metabolism.
It creates a feeling of fullness and satisfaction, reducing likelihood of overeating and cravings
Unfortunately, children are taught very little about nutrition in school and the small amount they are exposed to is typically based on government guidelines. Problem is they’re outdated, flawed, and often influenced by big food manufacturers wanting to make sure their products can skirt their unhealthiness and be positioned as an acceptable food to eat.
Currently, the F.D.A. is still using guidelines to define “healthy” that were established in 1994.
Think about it, the minimum amounts of unhealthy ingredients like saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol that all food manufacturers use to qualify a healthy claim on their packaging, were established by the F.D.A. 28 years ago!
Medical research in the last 28 years has provided an greater understanding of the relationships between food, nutrition, and our bodies yet the FDA guidelines haven’t been updated and they’re still pushing the same guidelines at schools.
Just to really help you understand how out of date this is, amazingly, water and foods like nuts, seeds, and avocados don’t meet their 1994 “healthy” standards.
Conversely, food manufacturers have become more savvy at modifying their products to reduce fat and appeal to consumers, but often at the expense of added sugar to maintain taste and appeal. A smoke and mirrors game.
Luckily there have been promising meetings among the White House and FDA, in recent weeks around updating the criteria. Prominent doctors and nutritional experts have been involved in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Healthy, but on the other end, major food producers have too.
In the end, what this means is it’s important for health-conscious citizens and concerned parents to take it upon ourselves to help our children and teens understand more about the foods they’re consuming, it’s effects on their bodies, and choices they’re making.
How to help teens make healthy carbohydrate choices
There are several simple steps you can take at home to help support a teen who is attempting to lose or maintain a healthy weight, without telling or interfering with their independence.
Kitchen Pantry Audit
Perform an audit on your kitchen pantry, check the ingredient labels, and restock any foods with processed ingredients for complex carbohydrate versions instead.
For example, swap out:
- white table sugar for monk fruit or coconut sugar
- white or “wheat” flour for whole wheat or sprouted wheat,
- regular pasta or ramen noodles for brown rice, lentil or chickpea pasta
- white rice for brown rice or wild rice
- crackers made with white or wheat flour for whole grain & seed crackers
- cake, muffin and cookie mixes for home made with complex carb ingredients
- add quinoa and buckwheat
- instant potatoes for whole, real potatoes or sweet potatoes
You can do the same with your fridge and freezer packaged goods
Meals at Home
Opt for home cooked meals whenever possible, versus dining or ordering out.
If you’re not a cook, you can:
- Pick one or two simple but healthy meals that you can make. Two nights are better than none. There are many wonderful cookbooks and online recipes for simple and quick meals that anyone can learn. Get comfortable with these and then add more over time.
- Try a meal delivery service. Either one that gives you ingredients and recipes or delivers ready to eat meals. Both services are available with a wide range of healthy options.
Include vegetables and/or fruits into every meal.
Dark, leafy, and colorful vegetables are best and fruits naturally lower in sugar and higher in fiber, like berries, are preferrable but not confined to just those.
Beans, lentils, whole grains, and potatoes are also healthy sources and shouldn’t be avoided. Include them as a well-rounded part of your teen’s diet.
Vegetables, beans, and lentils aren’t always favorite foods with some teens but by adding one or two new options or preparing them in a different way with spices or cooking methods, they often will surprise themselves and discover they do like them. It just takes trial and error, time and patience.
Prep healthy breakfast and snack foods in advance
Many teens are in a rush in the mornings, don’t eat breakfast, or eat a breakfast of bagels, muffins, cereal, or granola bars. These are some of the highest simple and processed carb foods and can start their day with brain fog, poor focus and reduced emotional regulation.
Instead have prepared and ready, fresh fruit (like organic berries, bananas, nectarines and peaches, oranges, watermelon and cantaloup; plain or low sugar yogurt; overnight rolled oats; and pre-cooked eggs for quick but healthy choices.
For snacks prep veggie plates with foods like carrots, celery, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, jicama, and fruits paired with hummus or cheese.
Pair Complex Carbohydrates with a Healthy Fat and Protein
One of the best ways to eat any carbohydrate is to pair with it’s two sisters: protein and healthy fat. By doing this, blood sugar balance, gut health and nutrient absorption is optimized.
You can help your teen by creating groupings of foods they like as their “go to” snacks or meals.
For example:
Apple slices with a small handful of almonds or walnuts
Veggies and hummus
Berries with plain yogurt
Avocado on whole grain & seed toast
Each of these include healthy carbs, fats and protein.ference.
Check Fast Food Nutritional information
Reality is, most teens will still eat out at fast food restaurants with friends, despite the unhealthy attributes of much of the food. Rather than ignore, work with your teen to come up with healthy choices.
Together, review the nutritional information posted on the website of their favorite fast food and quick serve restaurants’ and identify healthy meals or snacks they like. This will give your teen a list of meals that are better for them and they can feel good ordering.
You can use this same strategy before dining out at a sit-down restaurant. Look at the menu at home and select healthier meals before going. This helps make the decision in advance, reducing any anxiety or impulse decisions at the restaurant.
Lead by Example
Your teen may seem independent and disinterested in what you’re doing but they are still watching and learning.
If you don’t already, lead by example and adopt these same healthy habits for yourself. Amp up your naturally grown, plant-based meals (not manufactured, so-called “plant-based” packaged foods) and reduce simple carbohydrates and processed foods. The benefit may be your improved health too!
In summary, showing your teen how to eat healthy complex carbohydrate foods as close to their original or natural form as possible will go a long way in improving their health and weight management.
If you’d like more information on the role of carbohydrates in a teen’s diet, follow me on Instagram: @leslierosecoaching and listen to the Healthy Teen Life podcast here.