Table: Dietary Recommendations for Children

Daily Estimated Calories and Recommended Servings for Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Milk/Dairy by Age and Gender

	1 Year	2–3 Years	4–8 Years	9–13 Years	14–18 Years
Calories†	900 kcal	1000 kcal
Female			1200 kcal	1600 kcal	1800 kcal
Male			1400 kcal	1800 kcal	2200 kcal

Fat	30-40% kcal	30-35% kcal	25-35% kcal	25-35% kcal	25-35% kcal

Milk/Dairy‡	2 cups¶	2 cups	2 cups	3 cups	3 cups

Lean Meat/Beans	1.5 oz	2 oz		5 oz
Female			3 oz		5 oz
Male			4 oz		6 oz

Fruits§	1 cup	1 cup	1.5 cups	1.5 cups
Female					1.5 cups
Male					2 cups

Vegetables§	3/4 cup	1 cup
Female			1 cup	2 cups	2.5 cups
Male			1.5 cup	2.5 cups	3 cups

Grains_	2 oz	3 oz
Female			4 oz	5 oz	6 oz
Male			5 oz	6 oz	7 oz

*Calorie estimates are based on a sedentary lifestyle. Increased physical activity will require additional calories: by 0-200 kcal/d if moderately physically active; and by 200–400 kcal/d if very physically active.

†For youth 2 years and older; adopted from Table 2, Table 3, and Appendix A-2 of the Dietary Guidelines for

Americans (2005)14; 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).

‡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 kcal of discretionary calories and add 2.6, 5.1, or 9.0 g of total fat, of which 1.3, 2.6, or 4.6 g are saturated fat.

§Serving sizes are 1/4 cup for 1 year of age, 1/3 cup for 2 to 3 years of age, and 1/2 cup for _4 years of age.

A variety of vegetables should be selected from each subgroup over the week.

_Half of all grains should be whole grains.

¶For 1-year-old children, calculations are based on 2% fat milk. If 2 cups of whole milk are substituted, 48 kcal of discretionary calories will be utilized. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that low-fat/reduced fat milk not be started before 2 years of age.

Related AHA Scientific Statements
Children
Diet/Nutrition
Obesity

Related AHA publications:

Easy Food Tips for Heart-Healthy Eating (also in Spanish)
Reading Food Labels: A Handbook for People With Diabetes, order from American Diabetes Association (1-800-232-3472)
Tips for Eating Out
"How Can I Cook Healthfully?", "How Do I Follow a Low-Fat Diet?" and "How Can I Manage My Weight?" in Answers By Heart kit (also in Spanish kit)
"What About Eating Out?", "How Do I Read Food Labels?", "How Do I Change Recipes?" and "Why Should I Lose Weight?" in Answers By Heart kit