Dietary Recommendations for Children

Age-Specific Nutrient Requirements

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children meet their vitamin and mineral requirements primarily through natural food sources, with specific RDA values varying significantly by age group from infancy through adolescence 1, 2, 3
Infants 0-6 months require 400 μg/day of Vitamin A, 40 mg/day of Vitamin C, 400 IU/day of Vitamin D, and other essential nutrients 1
Infants 7-12 months require 500 μg/day of Vitamin A, 50 mg/day of Vitamin C, 400 IU/day of Vitamin D, and other essential nutrients 1, 4
Children 1-3 years require 300 μg/day of Vitamin A, 15 mg/day of Vitamin C, 600 IU/day of Vitamin D, and other essential nutrients 1, 4
Children 4-8 years require 400 μg/day of Vitamin A, 25 mg/day of Vitamin C, 600 IU/day of Vitamin D, and other essential nutrients 1, 4, 5
Males 9-13 years require 600 μg/day of Vitamin A, 45 mg/day of Vitamin C, 600 IU/day of Vitamin D, and other essential nutrients 1, 4
Males 14-18 years require 900 μg/day of Vitamin A, 75 mg/day of Vitamin C, 600 IU/day of Vitamin D, and other essential nutrients 1, 4
Females 9-13 years require 600 μg/day of Vitamin A, 45 mg/day of Vitamin C, 600 IU/day of Vitamin D, and other essential nutrients 1, 4
Females 14-18 years require 700 μg/day of Vitamin A, 65 mg/day of Vitamin C, 600 IU/day of Vitamin D, and other essential nutrients 1, 4

The Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for Vitamin D is 1,000 IU/day for infants 0-6 months, 1,500 IU/day for infants 7-12 months, 2,500 IU/day for children 1-3 years, 3,000 IU/day for children 4-8 years, and 4,000 IU/day for children 9-18 years 4, 5
The UL for Zinc is 12 mg/day for children 4-8 years 5
The UL for Vitamin C is 650 mg/day for children 4-8 years 5
The UL for Vitamin E is 1,000 mg/day (approximately 1,500 IU/day) for children 9-18 years 4

Children consuming less than 1 liter of vitamin D-fortified milk daily will likely need supplementation to achieve the target serum 25(OH)D level of >50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL) 4
Fruit juice should be limited to 4-6 ounces daily for children aged 4-6 years, as excessive consumption is associated with diarrhea, flatulence, abdominal distention, and tooth decay 5
Whole fruits provide fiber and better nutrient profiles, and should be prioritized over juice 5