On the girls’ very best days, I’m lucky if they drink 2 cups of milk. It’s usually MUCH less. More like 1 cup and 2 out of 3 days, an ounce of cheese. I can figure out how much yogurt etc might help with the cause, but what about calcium-rich veggies/fruits?
My 9th-grade health class memories (which are eons old) tell me that broccoli may be a good source, but how nutrient-rich is it?
Also, is there a supplement I can give them to increase the odds of them getting at least the minimum amount? I’ve heard, for instance, that Tums is a good approach. True?
Neither one will swallow pills. They hate the liquid calcium unless I add it to pancakes or muffins (not a regular occurrence) and there don’t seem to be very many whole grain bread that is calcium fortified. (I have an aversion to Wonderbread — too fake.). Anyway, you see my dilemma. If they loved orange juice, that might work. But they aren’t big fans, and I tend to give them water more than juice anyway.
So, the short version of this is: Are there any good supplements for little kids out there that don’t cost an arm and a leg? And are there any foods that are easy to add to their diet with good calcium content, besides those I have mentioned? Thanks again for your time.
Besides milk, yogurt, and cheese, milk can be cooked into foods such as pudding, custard, mashed potatoes, cheese sauce made with real cheese (not cheese food), au gratin potatoes and cream soup. Add cheese to tacos and top hamburgers to make a cheeseburger. Vegetables high in calcium are greens (collards, spinach, and turnip). Broccoli has about 62 milligrams of calcium per 1 cup serving so compared to milk, it has about 20% as much calcium. Fortified cereals like Total (corn flakes, whole grain or raisin) usually have 100% of the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) for calcium. Some orange juice is fortified with calcium which may help add calcium to your daughter’s intake.
Regarding calcium supplements, a one a day multivitamin for kids should have 100% of their RDA of calcium. Look for calcium carbonate when you compare prices in your local pharmacy. I would talk to your daughter’s doctor to see if he would recommend Tums or other antacids as a calcium source as it may be more expensive than a multivitamin so compare costs.
