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Why
Do I Need Calcium?
Calcium is a mineral that makes your bones and teeth hard. It is also
in your blood and soft tissues; it helps your muscles contract and your
blood clot, and helps your nervous system work properly. Vitamin D is
essential to the body's absorption of calcium.
Foods that are high in calcium
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Drinks:
-
Milk
-
Club Soda
- Fruit
Juices
- Orange
Juice
- Condensed
milk sweetener
- Eggnog
- Half
and Half
-
Goat milk
-
Papaya Juice
- Pear
Juice
-
Pineapple Juice Cream
-
Nonfat dry powered milk
- Buttermilk
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Meats:
-
Flank Steak
-
Chili
-
Round Steak
-
Liver
-
Veal Cutlets
-
Rabbit (very calcium rich)
-
Venison
-
Bratwurst
-
Kielbasa
-
Salmon (especially canned)
-
Shrimp
-
Haddock
-
Carp
- Perch
-
Herring
- Sardines
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Bread/
Grain Products
-
Wheat Breads
-
Mixed Grain Breads
-
Taco Shells
-
Nature Valley Granola
- Brown
Rice
-
Bulgur
-
Millet
- Rice
Flour
- Soy
Flour
-
Bran Flour
- Oat
Flakes (fortified)
-
Puffed Rice
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Desserts:
-
Peanut Butter Cookies
-
Baked Custard
-
Bread Pudding with raisins
- Rice
Pudding
-
Pumpkin Pie
- Pudding
- Ice
Cream
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Nuts
& Beans:
-
Almonds
-
Brazil Nuts
-
Hazel Nuts
-
Pistachios, shelled
-
Sesame Seeds
-
Chick Peas
-
Lentils
-
Soybean Curds
- Kidney
Beans
-
Navy Beans
- Pinto
Beans
-
Black Beans
-
Lima Beans
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Cheeses
& Dairy:
-
Ricotta Cheese
-
Romano Cheese
-
Parmesan Cheese
-
Swiss Cheese
-
Cheddar Cheese
-
Monterey Jack
-
Sour Cream
-
Yogurt
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Fruits
& Vegetables
-
Onions
-
Broccoli
-
Collards
-
Spinach
-
Carrots
-
Dried Figs (excellent)
-
Globe Artichoke
-
Black Currants
-
Chinese Cabbage
- Elderberries
-
Kale
-
Leeks
-
Okra
-
Parsley
-
Rhubarb
-
Tangerine
-
Turnip Greens
-
Prunes
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Sauces,
Soups & Other Stuff
-
Blackstrap Molasses
-
Brown Sugar
-
Barbecue Sauce
-
Clam Chowder
-
Seaweed
- Minestron
-
Celery Soup
-
Miso
-
Tofu
-
Tempeh
- Tahini
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|
 How
do I know if my child is getting enough Calcium?
Calcium is usually shown on food packaging as a percentage. This is
on the general basis of 1000 mg. recommended daily intake. So, to figure
the amount of calcium in a food, simply add a zero to the end to get
the milligrams of calcium that product contains
Example:
35% = 350mg
12% = 120mg
60% = 600mg
Based
on the indicators below, you can determine how much calcium your child
needs to develop strong, healthy teeth and bones.
Preschool age children require about 500 to 800 mg of calcium each day.
School age children require about 800 mg of calcium each day. Once they
begin puberty, their calcium requirements will increase to about 1200
mg each day.
Adolescents require about 1200 to 1500 mg of calcium each day. These
growing bones need more calcium than adult bones!
Yummy ways to add calcium to your diet.
You will probably only need to add calcium to your child's diet if your
child is on a vegan or other dairy restricted diet. For children who
do not like or cannot tolerate milk products, dark leafy green vegetables
and/or soy-based products can be introduced to add the extra calcium
boost growing teeth need.
If you find that your child is not getting enough calcium but they are
dairy tolerant, try dried milk instead of tablet form supplements, they'll
never know the difference!
WOW! 1 Tablespoon of nonfat dried milk has 85 mg. of calcium!
Add nonfat dried milk to:
- Pancakes
and waffles (2 Tablespoons)
- The
milk you put on cereal
- Creamed
soups
- Mashed
potatoes
- Cooked
cereals
Also fun treats like ice cream, frozen yogurt, pudding, pizza, cheese
cubes, and custards can act as calcium supplements to children who don't
like milk, and can be quite healthy when they are given in appropriate
amounts.
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