How many calories do teenagers need?

To function and grow, your body requires energy. You get that energy from the calories in your food and beverages. Consider food as a source of energy to help you get through the day. You consume energy from the batteries to think and move throughout the day, therefore you must eat and drink to keep energised. The process of balancing the energy you ingest through food and beverages with the energy you spend for development, activity, and daily living is referred to as “energy expenditure.”Maintaining a healthy weight may be as simple as balancing your energy.

To keep active or maintain a healthy weight, people require varying quantities of calories. The number of calories you require is determined by your gender, genes, age, height and weight, if you are still growing, and your level of activity, which may vary from day to day.

Teenagers should eat the following foods as part of a healthy, balanced diet:

• Every day, eat at least 5 servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables
• Meals focused on starchy foods like potatoes, bread, pasta, and rice – if feasible, pick wholegrain variants
• Alternatives to milk and dairy products – Wherever possible, consider low-fat options.
• Protein-rich foods include meat, fish, eggs, beans, and lentils, among others.
• Calories are a unit of measurement for the amount of energy provided by eating. During early adolescence, the body requires more calories than at any other point in life.
• Teenage guys require 2,400 to 2,800 calories per day on average. Teenage girls require approximately 2,000 to 2,200 calories per day.