Is there a certain number higher that teenagers should be aiming for? I've been recently hearing all sorts of numbers, knowing that teens should get more calories than other people because we're still growing. All in the ranges of 1500-2300 for an average teenager. Does anyone know anything further about this?

US Guidelines: Calorie Needs For Teenagers
Teenage Girls
Average Calorie Needs Each Day:
11-14 years - 2200 calories
15-18 years - 2200 calories

Teenage Boys
Average Calorie Needs Each Day
11-14 years - 2500 calories
15-18 years - 3000 calories


UK Guidelines: Calorie Needs For Teenagers
Teenage Girls
Average Calorie Needs Each Day:
11-14 years - 1845 calories
15-18 years - 2110 calories

Teenage Boys
Average Calorie Needs Each Day
11-14 years - 2220 calories
15-18 years - 2755 calories

Thanks! That's really helpful/eye opening, maybe I should start getting more calories O_O

How bizarre that the calorie requirement figures would be different....is it cultural? Are UK teens shorter on average?

2200 calories? YOW! That's a bit overkill, isn't it? I eat about 1300 a day and feel extremely content and full...any more and I'd be sick.

I also find it interesting that UK and US have different calorie intakes. I guess all of our good ol' "American" cheeseburgers are getting to us! Haha. ('Tis why I'm a veggie. )

Well, honestly I've been scared I'm not getting enough. I eat about 1400, but I feel tired and sometimes my legs feel weak, plus I haven't gotten my period in forever (never a good sign!). All in addition to the fact I'm trying to maintain I know I've posted about this before, but I just wanted to see the difference in what teens needed. I'm definitely going to try to up my calories to at least 1500 though.

I try to maintain from 18-1900. I want to be at 115lbs and stay there! I really don't thikn i'mn active enough to have 2200 anyway...much less I couldn't EAT that much.

I have always felt this way too...I make up for it (sometimes) by eating calorically dense foods. Only have 2 TBSP of peanut butter can easily and nonfillingly add 200 nutricious calories to your day.

I usually aim for 1400-1800 and I take cheat days where I eat whatever I want (usually about a disgusting 3000) I have lost 40 pounds, and I feel great (my acne is gone, I'm more toned, etc...)

Until I found this site, I had no clue that there are so many teenagers who actually count calories and watch what they eat. I recall eating tons of whatever I wanted as a teen without gaining any weight, and trust me I ate A LOT ! An example of this would be a breakfast of three whole eggs, several links of turkey sausage, a large stack of pancakes or waffles drenched in maple syrup with real butter, a couple glasses of oj, a lunch of three or four jumbo chocolate chip cookies, two bean & cheese burritos, large fries, coke, a dinner (when my mom didn't cook) of super-sized McD's filet o fish sandwich, super-sized fries, another large coke, and a dessert of full fat ice-cream and more cookies. Snacks each day varied from chips, cookies, candy, etc. That was an average day during my teenage years, and I attribute my fast metabolism today as the result of those years! However, there's no way in hell I'd eat that way again in my life! Yuck!!!!