Does my diet suck or is it OK?

Hi. Im 15 years old...113lbs...5'4....and really active. my problem is i dont have much variety in my diet because there i some things i just LOVE and want to have every day.... i was wondering if im missing any "essential vitamin or nutrient." please give me any suggestions...

Main Staples of my diet:

popcorn,   fat free yogurt,   turkey,    bread,    cantaloupe,     oranges,     cool whip,     green beans,      tomato,      (any kind of fruit),       hot chocolate,       ; sugar free fudgcicles,      eggs.

I dont have any other forms of protein except turkey and eggs? is this okay?

Also, i heard that too much popcorn damages your lungs. is this true??? because i eat a TON of popcorn

It's great that you are concerned about this, because at your age, you are still growing and it's important that you get all the essential vitamins and nutrients.  One hole in your diet that I can see is whole grains.  White bread doesn't give you much in the way of vitamins or fiber, which is really important.  Try eating whole grain bread, oatmeal, things like that..

Also, essential fatty acids - actually promote a healthy metabolism and also make your hair shiny!  Some fish is higher in it then others, so look into the kinds of fish you like and eat those!  If that's not an option, you can buy fish oil capsules, eat avocado, products with flax seeds or flax seed oil (also available in capsules).

Dark leafy greens.  Very good for you as well!  Depending on how often you eat it, the yogurt may or may not be giving you enough calcium.  So more calcium for a variety of foods may be something to consider as well.

You don't have to eat all of these things all of the time, but it's good to get them fairly often.  Worst case scenario, you can also take a daily multivitamin, but since you're only 15, it's wise to consult a doctor before starting any dietary supplements - just to be on the safe side!

It's nice to hear that a girl your age is wanting to become more aware of your nutritional needs.  I am not a dietitian but I do have chronic anemia. I found out just over a year ago. I had no energy and was fighting the feeling to sleep all the time. It was so bad that I did not register any iron in my body at all... I read up on it, most kids develop anemia before the age of five. The lack of essential nutrients in children's diets and young developing bodies,as yours, need iron to provide your muscles with oxygen. I can see your diet does not consist of any product high in iron. Please, do try to introduce more iron enriched foods, you will notice a huge improvement in your moods, energy and body function. I could list the foods you need, but I find I learn best when I do my own research. Oh, and have an open mind to new foods, it helps in creating your new diet.

Cheers and all the Best, Wallyburger

you need to be eating more veggetables. green beans might be low cal but they are also low on everything else including vitamins. try to get some broccoli it's high in fiber,vitamin A and C and, protein.

Popcorn cannot hurt your lungs. You don't digest food in your lungs. Whoever told you that is either mocking your or just plain dumb.

But speaking of popcorn, watch out for the salt and fat if you like the buttered kind instead of the plain nothing-added kind. Popcorn is also a huge source of carbs. Make sure you're not getting all your daily calories from popcorn.

Umm, while rare, there does seem to be a (butter flavored microwave) Popcorn ingredient that can cause lung problems if inhaled:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/Story?id=356 5670&page=1

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/06/hea lth/main3239379.shtml

The guy who got sick ate two bags a night for 10 years!

Original Post by leaf_eater:

Umm, while rare, there does seem to be a (butter flavored microwave) Popcorn ingredient that can cause lung problems if inhaled:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/Story?id=356 5670&page=1

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/06/hea lth/main3239379.shtml

The guy who got sick ate two bags a night for 10 years!

The links don't seem to work but if you type in the info into google you should find it quickly.  It seems to be the flavoring that does it when inhaled.  So I would recommend popping your own popcorn without the preservatives/flavoring and adding your own flavorings if needed.

You could use some more variety in your diet, but my belief is that most people are overly concerned with protein.  As long as you are eating the eggs or turkey every day as well as certain other foods that will give you smaller quantities of protein you should be ok with that.  The yogurt has some protein and maybe you can add some milk with cereal or something if you want to stay away from meat.