The American Heart Association has dietary recommendations for infants, children and adolescents to promote cardiovascular health:
Energy (calories) should be adequate to support growth and development and to reach or maintain desirable body weight.
Keep total fat intake between 30 to 35 percent of calories for children 2 to 3 years of age and between 25 to 35 percent of calories for children and adolescents 4 to 18 years of age, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.
This eating pattern supports a child's normal growth and development. It provides enough total energy and meets or exceeds the recommended daily allowances for all nutrients for children and adolescents, including iron and calcium.
Milk listed is fat -free (except for children under the age of 2 years). If 1%, 2%, or whole-fat milk is substituted, this will utilize, for each cup, 19, 39, or 63 kilocalorie of discretionary calories and add 2.6, 5.1, or 9.0 grams of total fat, of which 1.3, 2.6, or 4.6 grams are saturated fat.
For 1-year-old children, calculations are based on 2% fat milk. If 2 cups of whole milk are substituted, 48 kilocalories of discretionary calories will be utilized. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that low fat or reduced fat milk not be started before 2 years of age.
Calories / Food | 4 to 8 years | 9 to 13 years | 14 to 18 years | Detail |
---|---|---|---|---|
Calories kilocalories per day (kcal/d) | For youth 2 years and older; adopted from Table 2, Table 3, and Appendix A-2 of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2005); http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines. Nutrient and energy contributions from each group are calculated according to the nutrient-dense forms of food in each group (eg, lean meats and fat-free milk). | |||
Female | 1200 kcal/d | 1600 kcal/d | 1800 kcal/d | |
Male | 1400 kcal/d | 1800 kcal/d | 2200 kcal/d | |
Fat | 25% to 35% | 25% to 35% | 25% to 35% | |
Milk / Dairy | 2 cups | 3 cups | 3 cups | |
Lean Meat / Beans | ||||
Female | 3 ounces | 5 ounces | 5 ounces | |
Male | 4 ounces | 5 ounces | 6 ounces | |
Fruits | ||||
Female | 1.5 cups | 1.5 cups | 1.5 cups | |
Male | 1.5 cups | 1.5 cups | 2 cups | |
Vegetables | ||||
Female | 1 cup | 2 cups | 2.5 cups | |
Male | 1.5 cups | 2.5 cups | 3 cups | |
Grains | ||||
Female | 4 ounces | 5 ounces | 6 ounces | |
Male | 5 ounces | 6 ounces | 7 ounces |
Last Reviewed: Apr 16, 2018