Nutritional Requirements Throughout the Lifespan

                                                                 © Andres Rodriguez | Dreamstime Stock Photos

It's important to have a nutritious diet even before you are born. This is why pregnant women are encouraged to increase their calories an additional 350 calories during her second trimester and 450 during her third. She is also to increase her intake of essential nutrients such as carbohydrates (175 grams per day), protein ( additional 25 grams per day), 25% more iron and folate, as well as higher amounts of vitamins A, B6, B12, & C, linoleic acid, fiber, zinc, and iodine (Sizer & Whitney, 2012). Most of these can be obtained through a healthy diet but because of their importance to a growing fetus pregnant women often take prenatal vitamins just to be sure the baby gets his/her required nutrients.
In infancy, a baby will require about 100 calories per kilogram of body weight. They continue to require nutrients such as protein, folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, calcium, phosphorus, iodine, zinc, and vitamins A, B12, C, D, and E, which is why doctors recommend that infants' main source of nutrition is breast milk during the first year of their life (Sizer & Whitney, 2012). If breast milk is not a viable option, infant formula will also provide the required nutrients but not the added benefits from breast milk like immunity boosting antibodies and easy-to-digest proteins.
By the time a child is one year old, he/she will have most likely already started to eat table foods and milk (cow's, soy, or lactose-free) replaces breast milk or formula. They require about 800 calories per day until they are two years old; 1200 calories from 2-5 years; and 1800 calories by 6-11 years (Sizer & Whitney, 2012). Children who eat a healthy amount of nutritious foods do not require additional supplements, with the exception of flouride (if not in the water supply) and vitamin D (if the child lives in an area that gets inadequate sunlight) (Sizer & Whitney, 2012).
During adolescence, in addition to a healthy diet, children need additional iron (especially during growth spurts) to replenish that which is lost during sports and through menstruation and calcium to support "the development of peak bone mass (Sizer & Whitney, 2012). The article "Iron for You Child" on the website http://kidshealth.org goes into detail about the importance of iron while growing.
Once a person reaches adulthood, he or she should be able to get all of the daily recommended dietary intakes as long as they maintain a healthy diet, without the need for additional vitamin and/or mineral supplements. Maintaining a proper weight is also important and and a BMI of 18.5-25 is optimum for those until the age of 70. Once 70, the BMI should be 25-32. Once a person reaches old age, their carbohydrate requirements increase as well as their calcium requirements to prevent osteoporosis.


"Iron and Your Child". (2014). Retrived from http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/feeding/iron.html

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2012).  Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies, MyPlate

Update (12th ed.).  Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.