Calorie Tracker for Kids: What to Track and When to Ask a Doctor

Most children do not need their calories counted: the American Academy of Pediatrics has long told parents there is rarely a reason to, since most youngsters control their intake quite well (AAP). When tracking does help, its job is to show whether a child is getting what their age and size call for, with nutrients alongside calories. Below is how Sito does it, goals included.

How many calories does your child need?

The National Academies' 2023 report estimates a child's daily energy requirement from age, sex, height and weight, with activity level added from age 3 (NASEM 2023, Chapter 5). It is a starting estimate for a child of that size, since an individual's actual need may vary considerably from it (NASEM 2023, Chapter 7). The calculator below shows that estimate before any goal is applied.

How does a calorie tracker for kids work in Sito?

In Sito, your child's daily calorie range comes from the National Academies' 2023 equations, from their age, sex, height, weight and one of three activity answers, Calm, Moderate or Active. Alongside calories sit 17 other daily ranges, from protein and fiber to added sugars, sodium, iron, calcium and vitamin D. Your child's BMI-for-age, from height and weight, sits on CDC growth charts in the US and Canada and on WHO curves in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the EU. A child's BMI is read against children of the same sex and age, and BMI calculators are screening tools that estimate weight status (CDC).

What the goal does to the calorie number

Each child's profile carries a goal: Gain, Stay fit or Lose. Under age 2 the goal does not change the calorie number. From age 2, Gain raises the daily target to 105 percent of the estimate, or 115 percent when BMI-for-age is below the healthy range. Under age 5 we never lower the target. From age 5, Lose sets the target at 95 percent of the estimate, 90 percent when BMI-for-age is above the healthy range and 85 percent when it is well above it. When you add a child, we set the goal from BMI-for-age: Gain when it is below the healthy range, Lose when a child 5 or older is above it, and Stay fit otherwise. You can see and change the goal in the child's profile. Those percentages are our choice, not a figure from any authority: the National Academies say their equations predict the energy to maintain current weight or appropriate growth and are not designed for weight-loss or weight-gain goals (NASEM 2023, Chapter 7). If a doctor or dietitian has given you a number, enter it under Edit nutrition goals in the child's profile and we use yours instead. If you are concerned about your child's weight, the CDC's advice is to talk with their health care provider (CDC).

Why adult calorie apps are a poor fit for a child

The apps most parents know are for adults, by their own terms. MyFitnessPal: "You must be at least 18 years old to use the Services" (MyFitnessPal terms; our fuller look at its age rules). Lose It! says the service is not directed at users under 18, who are not permitted to register (Lose It! terms), and Noom says you cannot use it if you are under 18 (Noom terms). A child's requirement includes the energy cost of growth and has its own equations by age and sex (NASEM 2023). Our terms also require an account holder 18 or older who is the child's parent or guardian (Sito terms), so a teen should not sign up alone.

Should you track your child's calories at all?

The AAP's 2016 clinical report puts the focus on a healthy lifestyle rather than on weight, noting that some teenagers who try to lose weight may develop an eating disorder, while evidence suggests obesity prevention and treatment done correctly do not predispose to one (Pediatrics, 2016). Its recommendations include more frequent family meals, discouraging weight talk and weight teasing at home, and promoting a healthy body image (AAP); in a long-term study, teens whose parents encouraged them to diet had a higher risk of overweight or obesity, dieting and binge eating 15 years later (Pediatrics, 2018).

One study found college students who used calorie trackers reported higher eating concern and dietary restraint; its authors call the results preliminary, and it did not study children (Eating Behaviors, 2017). Structured, professionally run obesity treatment was associated with reduced eating-disorder prevalence, risk and symptoms across 36 studies of children and teens (Obesity Reviews, 2019), and the AAP's 2023 guideline says the most effective treatments include 26 or more hours of family-based care over 3 to 12 months, and that treatment by trained professionals with parents involved has no evidence of harm (AAP).

Tracking can make sense when your child's doctor asks for it, for example after a diagnosis of faltering weight, when a dietitian may work out the best way to increase your child's calories (AAP), or when there is a nutrient you want to watch, such as iron or fiber. Under 5, the WHO keeps its overweight cut-offs cautious partly to avoid young growing children being put on restrictive diets (WHO). A teen planning a weight-loss diet should talk with a pediatrician first (AAP), and if you are worried about how your child eats or feels about food, take that to their pediatrician too.

Adult calorie app or Sito: side by side

Only what their terms and the app itself support:

Frequently asked questions

Can kids use MyFitnessPal?

MyFitnessPal's terms say you must be at least 18 to use the service, and Lose It! and Noom set the same limit (MyFitnessPal; Lose It!; Noom). Sito's terms also require an adult account: a parent or guardian 18 or older creates it and enters the child (Sito terms).

How many calories does a 10-year-old need?

For a US 10-year-old of median height and weight, the National Academies' 2023 tables estimate 1,959 to 2,460 calories a day for boys and 1,737 to 2,253 for girls, from inactive to very active (NASEM Table 7-7, Table 7-8). A child's actual need may vary considerably from these estimates, so treat them as a starting point (NASEM 2023, Chapter 7).

Is there a weight loss app for kids?

Not one we would point you to for weight loss itself: the AAP says a teen planning a weight-loss diet should talk with a pediatrician first (AAP). If you are concerned about your child's weight, talk with their health care provider (CDC). Sito does have a Lose goal, which from age 5 sets the calorie target at 85 to 95 percent of the estimate, and a doctor's or dietitian's number replaces our estimate.