Team Up At Home - Team Nutrition - US Department of Agriculture

How Much do Kids Need To Eat Every Day?
Ask
Sharon
I’m confused about how much
my children should be eating
from the various food groups.
Can you help?
Answer:
Look at the charts on pages 4
and 5. They show how much
your children should eat. This
may seem like a lot of food, but
remember that snacks count,
too. Look for foods low in
saturated (solid) fats, trans fats,
and foods and beverages low in
added sugars, salt and sodium.
Then there will be more room in
small tummies for healthy foods.
Look at the chart below and determine the approximate number of calories your child
needs each day. Refer to the chart on the next page to see the daily amount needed
from each food group, for each calorie level.
Boys Girls
Age Calories Age Calories
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
1200—1600
1200—1600
1400—1800
1400—1800
1400—2000
1600—2000
1600—2200
1800—2200
These charts show average caloric
needs for children, roughly based on
age and sex. The needs of individual
children differ according to their sex,
age, body size, and activity level.
Your child’s needs may differ from the
average. Select the calorie level that
seems best for your child, depending on
those factors.
4 Team Up At Home Team Nutrition Activity Book Parent’s Page
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
1200—1400
1200—1600
1200—1600
1200—1800
1400—1800
1600—1800
1600—2000
1600—2000
See MyPyramid.gov for more information on choosing the foods and amounts that are
right for you and your children.
Be sure to see a health care provider who
can track your child’s height and weight
over time to confirm that his or her
progress is appropriate.
Children should be physically active at
least 60 minutes on most, preferably
all, days of the week. If your child is
less active, his or her caloric needs are
probably toward the lower end of the
range shown above.