Your daily caloric requirement is based on your body's natural metabolism, or the rate at which you burn calories at rest, combined with your typical physical activity level. Due to increased metabolism as a result of growth and higher activity levels, teenagers often have the greatest caloric needs of any age group. As with any age group, if teens do not obtain sufficient calories through food to meet their energy needs, they will lose weight.
Step 1
Calculate your teen's basal metabolic rate, or the amount of calories he would need if he remained at complete rest all day. Use the formula: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years).
Teenage females can use the formula: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years).
Step 2
Calculate daily caloric needs based on physical activity level using the Harris Benedict Equation. Multiply your teenager's BMR by 1.2 if he is sedentary, 1.375 if he is lightly active, 1.55 if he is moderately active, 1.725 if he is very active and 1.9 if he is extra-active, according to the BMR Calculator website. A moderately active teenage male requires about 2,600 calories a day, according to the USDA.
Step 3
If your teen is underweight, defined as having a body mass index of less than 18.5, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, calculate the number of calories he needs to gain weight. He will gain about 1 pound per week if he consumes 500 extra calories each day. A moderately active teenage male would need to consume about 3,100 calories a day to gain 1 pound a week.
Step 4
Calculate the number of calories your teen needs from each macronutrient. The body needs a blend of carbohydrates, fat and protein to function most efficiently. Teens should get about 45 to 65 percent of their calories from carbohydrates, 25 to 35 percent from fat and 10 to 30 percent from protein. A moderately active teenage male would need about 1,300 calories from carbohydrates, 780 from fat and 520 from protein each day to support his energy needs. He would also need 1,550 from carbohydrates, 930 from fat and 620 from protein to gain weight.
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