Children grow fast, and their diet plays a crucial role in providing them with all essential nutrients. Calcium is one such nutrient that helps maintain bone and tooth health. If you are not sure about the sources of this mineral, we have prepared a list of calcium-rich foods for kids to help you identify them. Apart from its main function, calcium participates in several bodily functions such as blood clotting, muscle contraction, maintaining normal heart and nerve functions, and immunomodulation. The deficiency of this mineral can affect the function of almost all organs and may cause disorders such as rickets in children (1). Read on to know which food you must include to enrich your child’s diet with calcium.
10 Best Calcium Rich Foods For Kids
1. Dairy Products
It is believed that the best natural source of calcium is dairy products which include yogurt, cheese and milk. While your kid may become fussy about milk as they grow older, they will definitely love cheese, so make sure you add it to your kid’s foods often (2).
2. Soy
Soy milk and soybeans are yet another calcium-rich food for kids that you must make sure your kid has in their diet. You can add more soybeans to their foods for a nice and healthy twist. Soy milk is a good option to be given to your child if your child is lactose intolerant. Thanks to the recent advancements, you may also find soy yogurt and cheese for extra variety (3).
3. Oranges
Here’s another reason to give your kid a glass of freshly prepared orange juice for breakfast. Each orange contains around 50 mg of calcium. You could also choose to get fortified orange juice, but it has additives and flavoring agents (4).
4. Almonds
Apart from boosting memory and brain power, almonds are also rich in calcium- around 110 mg of calcium in just 1/3 rd cup of almonds. Using almond butter as an alternative to peanut butter is a great idea (5).
5. Beans
From chickpeas to canned white beans, there are many options when it comes to calcium-rich foods and they work great for kids. Blend some beans in a food processor and whip up some quick hummus and dips- your kid will love it (3).
6. Broccoli
Most kids tend to hate this little veggie, but it is actually one of the best foods for your kid. Broccoli is literally packed with calcium and many other important nutrients – try and sneak them into momos, pastas and pizza sauces, and your kid won’t know the difference (6).
7. Green Peas
Versatile and fresh, every 100 grams of green peas contains about 25 mg of calcium (7). Adding them to your kid’s foods can ensure proper bone growth and development. What’s more, it is also thought that the vitamin K content of green peas may help preserve bone mineral density.
8. Fish
Most canned fish like salmon, sardines and tuna are good calcium sources for kids, so don’t hesitate before getting your kid a serving of any of these. Top them with some cheese and watch your kid lick his plate clean (8).
9. Meat
Beef is yet another good source of calcium; however, you may need to seek advice from your medical practitioner before introducing it to your kid. Make sure you cook the meat well to rule out the risk of salmonella infections.
10. Green Veggies
Apart from broccoli, other green veggies, particularly watercress, is a great source of calcium (1). Yes, most children do not like the idea of green leaves as a food, but who says you can’t add them to the green dips and pesto sauces or disguise them within a potato filling for a burger?
