Energy and How We Get It and Daily Requirements| Creative Nourish

Energy is the “fuel we run on” or, more formally, “the capacity to do work”. Plants capture the sun’s energy through photosynthesis and store it as glucose – the most basic chemical from which the 3 macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fats) are made. By consuming plants and animals, we obtain these macronutrients which then provide us with energy as our body breaks them down.

Energy requirements are the dietary energy intake that is required to maintain balance in our bodies. This is obviously specific for each and every person and will depend on weight, height, age, gender and level of physical activity.

We measure the energy content of our food in kcal, or calories (technically a kilocalorie).

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Macronutrients

Each macronutrient provides a specific amount of energy (kcal) per one gram:

Carbohydrates	113 kcal per oz
Proteins	113 kcal per oz
Fats	264 kcal per oz
Alcohol	205 kcal per oz

Although alcohol is not a macronutrient, it can contribute so much to your overall energy intake that it’s worth including here.

Daily Energy Requirements

The daily energy requirements are defined as the total amount of energy required for total energy expenditure (TEE) within 24 hours in order to maintain body weight.

The TEE is made up of 4 components:

Diet Induced Thermogenesis (DIT)
Physical Activity Energy Expenditure (PAEE)
Growth Energy Expenditure (GEE) – for growing children
Basal/Resting Energy Expenditure (BEE)

Diet Induced Thermogenesis (DIT):

Energy required for digestion of food and absorption, transport and oxidation of nutrients; 5-15% TEE

Physical Activity Energy Expenditure (PAEE):

Physical activity; 20% TEE, but can vary significantly from person to person.

Growth Energy Expenditure (GEE):

Energy required for the growth and development of children – this is a huge component of energy expenditure for a newborn, but rapidly tails off;

1 month: 40% TEE
1-3 months: 35% of TEE
3-6 months: 17.5% of TEE
6-9 months: 6% of TEE
9-12 months: 3% of TEE
1-2 years: <2% of TEE
2 years – adolescence: 1-2% of TEE
Adolescence: 4%

Basal/Resting Energy Expenditure (BEE):

Minimum energy required to maintain the basic vital bodily functions; 50-70% of TEE

The BEE is usually estimated in one of two ways – using the Schofield formula or the Harris-Benedict formula.

These are useful if you want to get a little more scientific in estimating daily calorie needs, however if you’re not a nutritionist, the below is sufficient and provides a good approximation.

0-12 Months

Age (months)	Boys (kcal)	Girls (kcal)
0 – 1	518	464
1 – 2	570	517
2 – 3	596	550
3 – 4	569	537
4 – 5	608	571
5 – 6	639	599
6 – 7	653	604
7 – 8	680	629
8 – 9	702	652
9 – 10	731	676
10 – 11	752	694
11 – 12	775	712

1-18 Years

Age (years)	Boys (kcal)	Girls (kcal)
1 – 2	950	850
2 – 3	1,125	1,050
3 – 4	1,250	1,150
4 – 5	1,350	1,250
5 – 6	1,475	1,325
6 – 7	1,575	1,425
7 – 8	1,700	1,550
8 – 9	1,825	1,700
9 – 10	1,975	1,850
10 – 11	2,150	2,000
11 – 12	2,350	2,150
12 – 13	2,550	2,275
13 – 14	2,775	2,375
14 – 15	3,000	2,450
15 – 16	3,175	2,500
16 – 17	3,325	2,500
17 – 18	3,400	2,500