Nutrient Gaps: Calcium
All children need a consistent source of calcium in their diet for bone health and growth – it essentially makes the bones hard and dense! Besides bone health, calcium also plays a roll in the cardiovascular, nervous and muscular systems. The body is pretty strict with how it regulates calcium in the blood stream – a lot can go wrong if calcium levels start to waver (heart arrhythmias, hypotension (or low blood pressure), muscle stiffness and cramps are a few examples). When the blood doesn’t get enough calcium, it starts to pull it from the bones – the storage unit.
About 90% of calcium is stored in the bones and teeth and by the time we’re 20 years old, we’ve made it to our lifetime peak bone mass (essentially the highest bone mass we will ever have!). So, it’s important to maximize that 20-year “build time” we’re given. Here’s how much you’re little one needs by age:
0-6 months: 200 mg/day (met with breast milk or formula)
6-11 months: 260 mg/day (met with breast milk or formula)
1-3 years: 700 mg/day
4-8 years: 1,000 mg/day
9-13 years: 1,300 mg/day
14-18 years: 1,300 mg/day
19-50 years: 1,000 mg/day
Before reviewing the food, lets dive into some stats. Research shows that toddlers do quite well with meeting their needs. But when those jump at age four and nine occur, things start to go downhill. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans says that 23% 4-8 year old boys, 51% 9-13 year old boys, and 40% of 14-18 year old boys aren’t meeting their needs. For girls, it’s worse with 34% 4-8 year old’s not meeting the requirement, up to 73% of 9-13 year old’s, THEN 79% of 14-18 year old’s! YIKES!
Action Item: After looking at the food list below, if you are at all worried about your child meeting his or her needs, it might be worthwhile to do some food logging (EW… I know! I’m rolling my eyes too!). Remember, this is a significant task, but its only for three to five days - it goes by fast! You will essentially write down every food item served and how much your child eats. I find using the notes section of my phone to be helpful. It’s better to do it “in the moment” rather than trying to think back to yesterday’s lunch. Later, I go back and review food labels or do a simple google search to find the calcium amounts. (If you want “cream of the crop” data use: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/)
The jump from three to four years and then again at eight to nine years can leave some pretty large calcium gaps. If your little one has a diary allergy, you live a vegan lifestyle, or simply (or not so simply!) have picky eater, this is definitely a time to track as I mentioned above.
Luckily, a lot of breads, bagels, English muffins, tortillas, cereals, and orange juice brands fortify their products, so read you’re labels! It’s not allllll about the dairy here! Below are some high-calcium foods:
Dairy
Milk 1% or 2% (1 cup): 314 mg
Whole Milk (1 cup): 276 mg
Plain Yogurt (1 cup): 311 mg
American cheese (1 slice): 314 mg
String cheese (1 stick): 140-200 mg
Cheddar cheese (1.5 ounces): 307 mg
Ice cream (1 cup): 84 mg
Cream cheese (1 Tablespoon): 14 mg
Non-Dairy Alternatives
Can we chat for a second about this? For young children (one year and older) I only recommend soy and pea milk as a dairy milk alternative. While nut milks and other plant milks aren’t “bad” soy milk and pea milk are the only non-dairy alternative that provides the calories and nutrients small children need for healthy growth and development. For all plant milks, look for 20-40% of the Daily Value (DV) for calcium per serving.
Pea Milk (1 cup): 440 mg (Ripple Brand)
Soy Milk (½ cup): 80-500 mg
Nuts, Beans and Proteins:
Almonds (1/4 cup): 115 mg
Almond butter (1 Tbsp.): 56 mg
Tofu, firm and soft (made with calcium sulfate, ½ cup): 253 mg and 138 mg
Salmon (3 ounces): 180 mg
Soy Beans (1 cup, cooked): 98 mg
White Beans (½ cup cooked): 63 mg
Fruits and Veggies
Broccoli (1 cup): 62 mg
Spinach (1 cup, cooked): 245 mg
Kale (1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw): 90 mg
Turnip Greens (1/2 cup cooked): 100 mg
Oranges (1 large): 74 mg
Dried Figs (1/2 cup dried): 121 mg
Fortified Foods:
Orange Juice, fortified (1 cup): 345 mg
Bagel, enriched (1): 217 mg
White Bread (1 slice): 192 mg
Cereal, calcium fortified (1/2 cup): 100-1,000 mg
Whole wheat bread (1 slice): 30 mg
Flour Tortilla (6-inch): 32 mg
Waffle (2): 200 mg
Easy Mac (1 cup): 220 mg
A general rule of thumb is to aim for 3 servings of dairy or other high calcium foods each day. If you feel like you’re falling short, or worried about your child’s eating (in general), please click the contact button below so we can discuss your concerns. I’d be delighted to help!