What are the best sources of calcium for my child?
All children need to get plenty of calcium in their diets throughout childhood in order to build strong bones. Dairy products, fortified foods, and some vegetables are good sources of calcium.
Infants from 0-6 months need 200 milligrams (mg) of calcium each day; infants 7-12 months need 260 mg; toddlers aged 1-3 years need 700 mg; and children aged 4-8 years need 1,000 mg per day.
The following are foods that are rich in calcium: ready-to-eat cereal, fortified orange juice, plain (cow) milk, soy milk, yogurt, cheese, tofu, canned salmon, cottage cheese, turnip greens, kale, ice cream, bok choy, whole wheat bread, and broccoli.
Reviewed by Dr. Sara Connolly, September 2020
Almond milk does have calcium, but in small amounts unless it is fortified through processing, and then it is fortified to levels comparable to cow’s milk. Almonds naturally have calcium, too.
Almond milk has gained popularity in recent years. Is it also a good source of calcium?
good question- my girls love the chocolate almond milk!
I am excited to see that whole wheat bread is a good source of calcium because this is the only kind of bread we eat in our house. My oldest daughter doesn’t like yogurt and doesn’t drink as much milk as she used to so I am trying to think of more ways to add calcium to her diet and this list helps.