The amount and kinds of calories that girls normally eat can influence their future considerably. For instance, as of 2010, almost a third of children in the United States were either obese or overweight, notes the American Academy of Pediatrics on its HealthyChildren.org website. Parents can help their daughters avoid such an unhealthy fate by showing them how to eat the appropriate number and types of calories for their specific needs.
Girls vs. Boys
From infancy until approximately age 3, girls and boys typically have the same calorie needs. Both girls and boys require more calories as they approach adolescence. At that point, however, girls usually need fewer calories than boys, because boys develop more muscle as they mature, which helps them burn calories faster.
General Calorie Needs
Activity levels also affect calorie needs. Since physically active children use more energy than less- active children, they should eat more calories to help their bodies function properly. Girls ages 2 to 3 should consume 1,000 to 1,400 calories each day -- the same amount as boys -- based on their amount of activity and rate of growth, according to MayoClinic.com. Girls 4 to 8 need 1,200 to 1,800 calories every day, and the daily intake increases to 1,600 to 2,200 calories for 9- to 13-year-old girls. Girls ages 14 to 18 may require as many as 2,400 calories a day.
Special Nutrient Requirements
Girls generally enter puberty at age 11, about a year or two earlier than boys. At that stage, their bodies begins to require more calories to support the accelerated growth that puberty brings. Girls also need more of certain nutrients during puberty and adolescence as a result of changes their bodies undergo. For example, increased bone mass leads to a greater need for calcium. Adolescent girls also should increase their intake of iron to compensate for the amount their body loses when they menstruate.
Healthy Calories
All calories are not the same. Girls can satisfy their calorie needs by consuming any foods and beverages with sufficient calories, but that does not mean the items consumed will provide the various nutrients they need to grow properly and remain healthy. Eating nutritiously means consuming about 1 1/2 cups of fruit, 2 cups of vegetables, 3 cups of milk, 5 oz. of grains and 5 oz. of protein each day, notes HealthyChildren.org.
Considerations
Getting the right amount of calories and nutrients every day is easier when girls eat various types of nutritious food regularly and limit their consumption of unhealthy food, such as sugar-filled drinks and junk food, points out KidsHealth.org. But if you don't exercise enough, calories can still turn into unwanted pounds. Girls can keep excess weight off not only by limiting calories but also by engaging in physical activity for at least 60 minutes every day.
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