Children are supposed to get enough calories and nutrients for their bodies to function at their best. Nutrients are served depending on various factors like age, gender and even level of activity.

It is very important that your child gets the proper amount of calories and nutrients in order for him/her to function at an optimum level. The amount of calories and servings of food that your child needs every day is based on several factors; age, gender and activity level.

The more active your child is, the more calories he or she needs. Males generally need more than females and usually older children need more calories than younger children.

If your child is sick or has a medical condition, the calorie requirement can change so it is always best to seek professional advice in these situations either from a certified nutritionist or a medical doctor.

Sourced from: http://www.buildhealthykids.com/dailynutrition.html

Teenagers have a huge appetite and it seems like they are hungry most of the time. At this stage the body demands a higher amount of calories due to the various developments taking place.

A surge in appetite around the age of ten in girls and twelve in boys foreshadows the growth spurt of puberty. How much of a surge? Let’s just say that Mom and Dad might want to oil the hinges on the refrigerator door and start stockpiling a small cache of their own favorite snacks underneath the bed.

“Adolescents seem like they’re hungry all the time,” says Mary Story, “especially boys.” Calories are the measurement used to express the energy delivered by food. The body demands more calories during early adolescence than at any other time of life. On average, boys require about two thousand eight hundred calories per day; and girls, two thousand two hundred calories per day. Typically, the ravenous hunger starts to wane once a child has stopped growing, though not always, says the dietitian. “Kids who are big and tall or who participate in physical activity will still need increased amounts of energy into late adolescence.” During middle and late adolescence, girls eat roughly 25 percent fewer calories per day than boys do; consequently, they are more likely to be deficient in vitamins and minerals.

Sourced from: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/nutrition/Pages/A-Teenagers-Nutritional-Needs.aspx

During infancy a lot of milk should be given to a child but the moment they are toddlers then it is time for them to discover new tastes and flavors. They have little tummies therefore they should only eat what is essential for their growth.

Toddlers this age are moving from the eating habits they had as infants toward a diet more like your own. Your job is to keep introducing new flavors and textures. Food preferences are set early in life, so help your child develop a taste for healthy foods now.

Toddlers have little tummies, so serve foods that are packed with the nutrients they need to grow healthy and strong, and limit the sweets and empty calories.

Your toddler will continue to explore self-feeding, first with fingers and then with utensils at around 15 to 18 months of age. Give your child many opportunities to practice these skills, but lend a hand when frustrations arise. As skills develop, step back and let your little one take over.

Toddlers also like to assert their independence, and the table is one place where you should give yours some sense of control. Allow your toddler to respond to internal cues for hunger and fullness but set the boundaries.

Sourced from: http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/breastfeed/feed12yr.html