How many calories does your child need per day? Calculate daily calorie needs for children aged 2–17 based on age, gender, weight, height, and activity level.
Calculate Now ↓Uses the Schofield equation for children — the standard method recommended by WHO for estimating children's energy needs.
Children are building new tissues — bone, muscle, and organs — constantly. This growth process demands additional calories beyond what is needed just for daily activity.
Children have a significantly higher metabolic rate per kilogram of body weight compared to adults. A 10-year-old typically burns 70–80 kcal per kg per day, versus 25–35 kcal/kg for adults.
Children need more protein per kg of body weight than adults to support growth. The recommendation ranges from 1.0–1.5g/kg depending on age — higher than the adult RDA of 0.8g/kg.
Restricting calories in children can impair growth and brain development. If concerned about your child's weight, always consult a paediatrician rather than restricting food independently.
This calculator uses Estimated Energy Requirement (EER) equations for children and adolescents, developed by the U.S. Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine), which factor in age, weight, height, and physical activity level. Unlike adult calorie formulas, the paediatric equations include an additional energy allowance specifically for growth, since children are actively building new tissue rather than just maintaining an existing body.
Children's nutritional needs vary enormously with growth spurts, puberty timing, and individual metabolism, far more than adult needs vary between individuals of similar age. This tool provides a population-level estimate, not a personalised medical assessment. We strongly recommend using this as general information alongside — not instead of — regular check-ups with a paediatrician, who can track your child's individual growth curve over time, which is a far more reliable indicator of healthy development than any single calorie number.