If we are going to conquer childhood obesity, responsible parents need to know how many calories their children need and how many calories their children are actually eating per day.
The Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine has developed an excellent tool which will give parents some insight into how many calories their kids need to consume each day whether they are sedentary or very active. (http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.html).
Keeping a Food Diary/Journal to get an idea of how many calories your child is eating at mealtime, between meals, types and amounts of fluids are drinking is an effective way to track calories. Patents can get most nutritional information from food labels. Meat and seafood along with produce typically have nutrition information listed at the meat & fresh produce department. Matching the calories eaten versus the calories needed will help parents to determine what strategies need to be employed to help their child lose or gain weight or excel at their sports.
Activity Definitions for Baylor College of Medicine Healthy Eating Calculator
Inactive: no activity
Low: less than 1 hour a day
Moderate: about 1 hour a day
High: more than 1 hour a day
Translating Calories Into a Plate Full of Food
In addition to calories and BMI, the Baylor College of Medicine tool breaks down the calories into food groups from the Food Guide Pyramid (www.mypyramid.gov).
Table 1. What Counts as a Serving?
Grains Single serving size = 1 oz serving
Bread 1 slice, 1 oz (28 g)
Tortilla 1 small flour, 1 corn
Tortilla 8” diameter = 2 oz
Roll, biscuit, or scone 1 small (2 in. in diameter)
Bagel 1 oz, 1 mini (2.5 in. in diameter)
Hamburger bun, English muffin ½
Cornbread 2 ½ X 2 ½ X 1 ¼” high = 1 oz
Ready-to-eat cereal 1 cup
Pasta, rice ½ cup, cooked
Bulgur, millet, buckwheat ½ cup, cooked
Oatmeal ½ cup, cooked, 1 instant packet
Whole wheat crackers 5
Saltines 7
Pancake 1 (4 in diameter)
Pretzels 1 oz
Popcorn 3 cups, popped
Vegetables Single serving size = 1 cup
Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach) 2 cups raw, 1 cup cooked
Greens (collard, kale, turnip) 1 cup cooked
Raw or cooked vegetables 1 cup
Tomato or vegetable juice 1 cup
Spaghetti sauce 1 cup
Carrots 2 medium or 12 baby
Baked or boiled potato 1 medium
Mashed potatoes 1 cup
Sweet potato 1 large
Corn 1 cup or a large ear
Cooked corn, green beans, peas 1 cup
Cooked broccoli, baby carrots 1 cup
Fruits Single serving size = 1 cup
Banana 1 large ( 8 to 9 in.) – 1 cup serving
Applesauce 1 cup
Chopped, cooked, canned fruit 1 cup
Cantaloupe 1/8 medium
Grapefruit ½
100% fruit juice 1 cup
Dried fruit ½ cup
Apple 1 small – 1 cup serving
Grapes 30 – 1 cup serving
Mango 1 medium – 1 cup
Orange 1 medium – 1 cup
Peach 1 large – 1 cup
Plums 2 large – 1 cup
Raisins ¼ cup – ½ cup
Strawberries 1 cup
Milk Single serving size = 1 cup
Milk 1 cup
Soy milk 1 cup
Yogurt 1 cup, 1 regular container
Frozen yogurt 1 cup
Hard cheese (cheddar, swiss,
Mozzarella, parmesan) 1 ½ oz
Shredded cheese 1/3 cup
Ricotta cheese ½ cup
Meat & Beans Single serving size = 1 oz
Lean beef, pork, ham 1 oz cooked
Chicken, turkey (without skin) 1 oz cooked
Fish, shellfish 1 oz cooked
Legumes (dried beans, peas, lentils) ¼ cup, cooked
Baked, refried beans ¼ cup
Hummus 2 tbsp
Tofu ¼ cup (2 oz or 56 g)
Tempeh 1 oz cooked
Roasted soybeans ¼ cup
Egg 1
Peanut butter 1 tbsp
Oils Single serving size = 5 grams of fat/1 tsp
Vegetable oils count 1 tbsp as 3 tsp
Soft margarine (trans free) count 1 tbsp as 2 tsp
Mayonnaise count 1 tbsp as 2 tsp
Light mayonnaise count 1 tbsp as 1 tsp
Salad dressing count 1 tbsp as 2 tsp
Olives count 8 large as 1 tsp
Avocado count ½ medium as 3 tsp
Examples of Extras (discretionary calories)
Regular soft drink 12 oz can = +155 calories
Cream cheese 1 tbsp = +50 calories
Light cream cheese 1 tbsp = +25 calories
Cheese sauce ¼ cup = +75 calories
Croissant 1 medium (2 oz) = +95 calories
French fries (chips) 1 medium order = +325 calories
Fried chicken (skin & batter) 3 wings = + 335 calories
Barbara Day, M.S., R.D., C.N., is a registered dietitian with a Master’s Degree in clinical nutrition. The former publisher of Kentuckiana HealthFitness Magazine, Kentuckiana Healthy Woman magazine and radio show host of Health News You Can Use, Barbara has over 30 years of experience in promoting healthy lifestyles to consumers. Barbara has private practice, DayByDay Nutrition, www.DayByDayNutrition.com, where she counsels clients on weight loss, cholesterol management, performance nutrition and an array of other medical issues. Barbara writes nutrition and health columns for www.LiveStrong.com. She also designs and presents employee wellness programs to small and large businesses. Barbara is a runner, cyclist, hiker and a mother and grandmother to 9 grandchildren.
Thanks for the hard numbers. Hard numbers by institutes help a lot more than opinions. Thanks also for the websites to go to to find out more about nutrition. I have a kid and appreciate that you are willing to focus on helping kids be healthy.
I am a mother & grandmother. Many parents are clueless on how many calories their children need each day. My daughter-in-laws were shocked at how many calories are in the McDonald’s Happy Meals.