Importance of Carbs, Fats, and Protein

Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are important macro nutrients for a teen vegetarian. However, you must be careful both to meet but not exceed the daily requirements of these nutrients. Besides the main macro nutrients, a vegetarian teen must make sure that they also get enough of all the other nutrients their body needs.
Here is a breakdown of each of these macro nutrients, carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Carbohydrates:
What they are made out of: Sugars (like glycogen and glucose)
What they do: Principal source of energy
How much do you need: 55-60% of calories should come from complex carbs

There are three main types of carbohydrates: complex carbs (starches), simple sugars (simple carbs), and dietary fiber. Simple carbs are found in milk, fruit, table sugar, etc. Refined sugar is not good for vegetarians as it doesn't give much nutrition with the calories. Complex carbs are in cereals and grains, such as bread, rice, pasta, oats, barley, rye, buckwheat, etc. They are also found in some vegetables such as parsnips and potatoes. A vegetarian needs a lot of complex carbs because they benefit health, energy and weight levels. Less refined complex carbs are best because they contain B vitamins and dietary fibre. Finally, dietary fiber or celluose is the indigestible part of carbohydrate foods. It is found in unrefined cereals, grains, fruits or vegetables. Dietary fiber is good for you because it reduces the risk of digestive problems and diseases like colon cancer and diverticular disease.


Fats:
What they are made out of: fatty acids, glycerol (group of lipids)
What they do: Serve as a storage substance for body's extra calories; Energy; Helps body absorb and move vitamins through bloodstream; Healthy skin and hair
How much do you need: Limit total fat intake to less than 25-35% of total calories (limit saturated fat to less than 7% of total; limit trans fat to less than 1% of total; limit unsaturated fat to less than 1 tablespoon daily)

Saturated or Unsaturated?
Fatty acids can be saturated and unsaturated in food. The difference between the two depends on their bonds; whether or not there is room on the fat molecule for more hydrogen to bond to it. Saturated have no room on the molecule for additional hydrogen: that's why it's called saturated. Unsaturated fats have room for the additional hydrogen.

Saturated:
Saturated fats are primarily found in animal products.(i.e. lard, poultry fat, butter) Foods from plants that contain saturated fat include coconut, palm oil, cocoa butter etc. Saturated fats clog our arteries and raise LDL cholesterol.

Unsaturated:
Unsaturated fats are primarily found in plant products. (i.e. vegetable oils such as peanut, canola) Unsaturated fats have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are two types of unsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats lower LDL, known as the bad cholesterol and maintain HDL, known as the good cholesterol. Polyunsaturated fats reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol, but too much may lower the HDL. Trans fats are actually unsaturated fats, but they can raise total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and lower HDL (good) cholesterol.


Essential Fatty Acids:
-are fatty acids that we must eat because our bodies can't make them and the body needs it
-used to produce hormone-like substances that regulate a wide range of functions

Using fats as energy:
1. Broken down in body to release glycerol and free fatty acids
2. Glycerol --> glucose by liver then used as energy

Healthy food sources of fat are foods with the essential fatty acids. Good sources of this include cold-water fish, flax seed, soy and walnuts. (These all contain omega-3 fatty acids.) These sources of fats helps our immune system and reduces the risk fo coronary heart disease.

Proteins:
What they are made out of: Amino Acids
What they do: Keep bones strong
How much you need each day: 45g-60g
Where you can get protein: beans, nuts, nut butters, soy products, and many others

About COMPLETE PROTEINS!
A complete protein is when you eat foods with the right combination of amino acids to create a protein. When you eat certain foods together, you make the right combination to get a complete protein.
Examples of complete proteins:

• Peanut butter on whole wheat toast
• Red beans and rice
• Chickpeas and couscous
• Falafel and pita bread

http://www.thedailygreen.com/media/cm/thedailygreen/images/peanut-butter-breakfast-lg.jpg
http://www.wingyipstore.co.uk/pictures/content1441/beancurd+tofu+soft+and+firm.jpg
http://www.vegetarian-diet.info/vegetarian-diet-carbohydrates.htm