How many calories a child needs in one day?

Each child's calorie needs can be different

Calories are the amount of energy in each food. Each child's calorie needs are different, depending on the child's age, gender, and level of physical activity.

As they get older, especially at the age before puberty, children need more calories to prepare their bodies for various changes towards adulthood. The more active your child is, the more calorie intake he needs to supply energy during activities.

Calorie needs between boys and girls are also differentiated, even though they are the same age and are both active children. This is because the male body generally has a taller posture and more muscle mass than women, so it requires more energy to function optimally.

Not only that, men generally have a higher metabolism and larger lung capacity. This is what allows them to work harder during sports and other physical activities.

How many calories a child needs in a day?

Based on the Nutritional Adequacy Rate that has been determined by the Indonesian Ministry of Health through the Minister of Health Regulation No. 75 of 2013, this is the amount of calorie needs of children every day:

Age 0-6 months: 550 Kcal per day
Age 7-11 months: 725 Kcal per day
1-3 years old: 1125 Kcal per day
4-6 years old: 1600 kcal per day
7-9 years old: 1850 Kcal per day

Over the age of 10 years, children's calorie needs begin to be differentiated according to gender.

Boys

Age 10-12 years: 2100 Kcal per day
Age 13-15 years: 2475 Kcal per day
Age 16-18 years: 2675 Kcal per day

Girl

Age 10-12 years: 2000 Kcal per day
Age 13-15 years: 2125 Kcal per day
Age 16-18 years: 2125 Kcal per day

The AKG Guidelines from the Ministry of Health are a reference for calorie needs in general. As explained above, each child's calorie needs can differ depending on their age, gender, and level of physical activity.

What you need to do next is to adjust your daily food calorie needs with your age, gender, and how active your child is every day. Is your child actively playing or tends to be lazy to move because he is just busy watching TV or playing games?

To make it easier for you to calculate your child's calorie needs, check on Hello Sehat's calorie needs calculator or via the following link: bit.ly/k calculatorBMR.

What are the good sources of calories for growing children?

Almost every food and drink contains calories. Basically, calories are the result of a combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat which the body then processes into energy. To find out how many calories a food contains, you can read the nutritional value information labels on food packaging. The label will have all the information you need, including the amount of carbs, protein, and fat.

Even so, you still have to be wiser in choosing which sources of calories are good for child development. You also need to limit the portion of your intake each day. The reason is, too many calories that have accumulated in the body will be converted into fat deposits if not balanced with physical activity to burn them. This fat is the origin of obesity or obesity in children.

Therefore, choose food sources of carbohydrates, protein and fats that are good for children's growth, such as:

Sources of carbohydrates: potatoes, pasta, rice, whole wheat bread
Low-fat milk and dairy products
Sources of protein: meat, fish, eggs, and nuts
Fruits and vegetables that are rich in fiber

Make sure that your little one does not eat too many sweet or fatty foods, such as candy, cookies, fast food, or soft drinks. These foods are high in calories, but have zero nutritional content.

However, calories are not the only nutrition that you need to fulfill if you want your little one to stay healthy. Make sure that the children's diet contains balanced nutrition that is good for their growth and development. In addition, encourage your little one to exercise while playing to burn off excess calories in his body. The more calories that enter the body, the intensity of physical activity must also be increased to prevent the calories from turning into fat.