1. Understanding Carbohydrates
Foods and Wellness

2. Carbs…Friend or Foe
DO YOU REMEMBER THAT: Carbohydrates are the preferred energy source by our bodies.
WRITE THIS: It is recommended that a person’s diet be composed of 45%-65% carbohydrates
Just for your FYI:
Protein should account for 20% to 35%
Fat should account for 10% to 15%.
REMEMBER: Carbohydrates are a quick and easy source of energy for our bodies to use.
What does protein do for our body?

3. What does the % really mean?
The percentage means the recommended amount of calories a person should get from the specific nutrient.
The amount of calories in each “gram” of carbohydrate in equals 4 calories.
As a side note: one gram of protein = 4 calories and one gram of fat = 9 calories.
According to the Mayo Clinic, healthy adults with a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet should accumulate 225 to 325 grams of carbohydrates a day.

4. Let’s Calculate Remember that 1 gram equals 4 calories
So a bowl of honey nut clusters (210 calories total) has a total of 49 grams of carbohydrates. How many calories come from carbohydrates?
A plain doughnut (210 calories total) has a total of 25 grams of carbohydrates. How many calories come from carbohydrates?
Which one would you choose?
What do you think the “remaining” calories tell us?

5. What about teens? JUST READ
Most teen girls between the ages of 13 and 18 require a minimum of 1,600 up to 2,200 calories per day for optimum health.
Teen boys require a slightly higher caloric diet a minimum of 1,800–3,200 calories for teen boys between the ages of 15 and 18.
Note that calories change as you age.
So what amount of carbohydrate intake would you recommend?

6. Recommendations
It is recommended that teenagers eat at least 130 grams of carbs per day.
Teens who consume 45 to 65 percent of their calories from carbs will meet their needs.
A teen girl who eats 2,000 calories per day requires 225 to 325 grams of carbs.
A teen boy consuming 2,600 calories a day needs about 293 to 423 grams of carbohydrates daily.

7. The Active Ones….
Active teens (athletes) require an even higher carbohydrate intake for peak performance.
According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension, the carbohydrate intake of an active teen should equal between 60 and 70 percent of his calorie count.
Although this figure may seem high, the majority of these carbohydrates burn off during exercise. Any carbohydrates that active teens do not burn remain in reserve as a fuel source when activity resumes.

8. The burn…..
It is important to know that we burn calories all the time—when we sleep, eat, and even talk.
The more you move, the more calories you burn and the less you move, the less you burn, SO the less you should consume.
As a teen the following factors should be taken into consideration when choosing different foods to eat: activity level, metabolism, body type, age and stage of puberty.

9. The inactive
The 2010 "Dietary Guidelines for Americans," the USDA and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggest that the daily caloric needs of teens vary with their age and gender.
For inactive adolescent girls between the ages of 9 and 13, the USDA recommends between 1,400 and 1,600 calories per day. Inactive boys in the same age range need slightly more, with the USDA and USDHHS recommending between 1,600 and 2,000 calories per day.

10. The average diet…..
Sadly, the average teen diet in America is very poor.
Many teens consume more than enough carbs— and not from the healthiest sources.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, the top three sources of calories for children and teens in the U.S. are desserts, pizza and sodas

11. Good Sources Know THESE: Foods High In “Good” Carbs
Fruits and Vegetables
Oats/Oatmeal
Brown Rice
White Rice
Sweet Potatoes/Yams
White Potatoes
Quinoa
Various Whole Grain/Whole Wheat Foods