How to Calculate Daily Calories for Kids

Overview

A parent knows how important nutrition is to a child's energy level. Children are constantly burning calories from playing, sports and just being silly, so it's important to know know the optimum calories per day your child should be getting. Likewise, if your child has a weight problem or you've been cautioned by his doctor to keep a sharper eye on his diet, knowing his limit for caloric intake can help you make better choices when it comes to meals and snacks. An online calculator makes the process fast and easy.

Step 1

Find an online calorie calculator that is geared specifically for kids. The activity levels will be more closely taken into consideration, as children are usually more active than adults. See the Resources section for a free calculator offered by the Bayor College of Medicine.

Step 2

Weight your child on a home scale to get a general idea of her weight, and then use a measuring tape to measure her from top of the head to the floor to find out how tall she is in inches only. Write down this information so that you have it on hand to enter into the calculator.

Step 3

Enter in the gender of your child, followed by his age, weight and height that you have the correct measurements for.

Step 4

Enter your child's activity level. If you are unsure, consider this; if she rarely goes outside and spends most of her time in front of a computer or television screen, choose "Couch Potato." A child who goes to school and spends 30 minutes or less outside playing is "Low Active." The average child who spends most of the time playing and less than an hour in front of a screen is "Active," and a child who actively plays sports and watching little or no television is "High Active." Accurately choosing the activity level will give you better results.

Step 5

Select whether your child is at risk for becoming overweight. A child is at risk for becoming overweight if her Body Mass Index is in the 85th percentile for her age and gender. You can find out more about your child's BMI by clicking the "BMI Percentage and Graph Calculator" link at the bottom of the calorie calculator.

Step 6

Click "Calculate" and view the recommended number of daily calories for your child's specifications.