Ms. Mary Silva
Specializing in feeding and nutrition.
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 Ask Mary Silva
Calcium: How To Get Enough | | | QUESTION | | | | I understand that many children aren't getting enough calcium. My son, who is 7, is not a milk drinker, and he hates vegetables. My daughter, on the other hand, loves vegetables, but she also hates milk. What can I do to insure that they get enough calcium to stay healthy? — Concerned Father in Ohio | | | ANSWER |
June 26, 2000 | | | You're quite right to be concerned right now about them getting adequate calcium for present and future bone and oral health. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for both your children is 800 mg. a day.
Don't give up on milk
Milk has a high calcium content (approximately, 300 mg. per cup) hence, it's an easy way to get some or all, our calcium requirement from it. It's probably not too late for you to incorporate milk into your children's diets. You can encourage milk drinking by limiting their options for other drinks such as juice and soda. Make a habit of serving a small cup of milk with meals. Adding a small amount of chocolate or strawberry flavoring sometimes helps.
Milk added in cooking can significantly increase the calcium content of many foods such as muffins, pancakes, pudding, custard and soups or chowders. Milk based peanut sauce and cheese sauce can be a delicious dipping medium for vegetables.
Other dairy products such as cheese and yogurt can provide a significant amount of calcium if eaten on a regular basis. Use low fat varieties to avoid extra fat and calories. Although ice cream does contain some calcium, your children would have to eat a lot of it to fulfill their calcium requirements.
Vegetables
As you indicated, some vegetables have good calcium contents. These include white beans, lentils, chickpeas, broccoli, spinach and sweet potatoes. Other foods include oranges, sardines or salmon with bones and tofu.
Many brands of cereal and orange juice are fortified with calcium and these can be quite beneficial when trying to boost calcium intakes of the pickiest eaters. A glass of calcium-fortified orange juice, for example, provides as much calcium as a glass of milk.
Vitamins
Most multiple vitamins do not have sufficient calcium to make much difference. Check the labels. Many over-the-counter antacid tablets consist mostly of calcium, and some children and adults find it easy and pleasant to make up much of their calcium requirements by chewing one antacid tablet daily.
— by Mary Silva, M.S., R.D. |
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