Bright Futures Nutrition (3rd ed.) discusses nutrition for children, strategies to promote healthy eating behaviors and tips for fostering a positive body image among children and adolescence. It also contains interview questions for the family, screening and assessment recommendations, and anticipatory guidance. One of the major influences on physical growth is adequate nutrition. Calorie requirements are age-dependent and are as follows for all age groups:

It should be noted that there are two periods in a child’s life where rapid growth occurs: infancy and in adolescence. During these periods you expect the child to consume more food; after the first year of life growth slows down and so does the appetite of the toddler. This is important to note as parents will often tell you their child isn’t eating enough.