Calcium Rich Foods For Growing Kids

Friday, August 23, 2013, 17:44 [IST]

Calcium rich foods are essential for everyone. Especially women need these foods because they start losing calcium from their bones after menopause. But no one needs calcium rich foods as much as growing children. Calcium, as you must be aware of, is the main component of the bones. So if your kids have to grow taller and broader, they need calcium rich foods in their diet.

Most foods for kids are fortified with calcium. You might have seen that cereals for children are also fortified with calcium. That is why, you should choose foods for kids that naturally have a high dose of calcium and Vitamin D. While having calcium rich foods, it is important to make sure that your kids get Vitamin D too.

Without Vitamin D, calcium is not deposited in your bones. So, make sure that your growing kids have calcium rich foods with Vitamin D. All kinds of foods are not ideal for kids. Calcium is found in seafood like prawns and oysters too. But these foods can also cause allergy. That is why we have deliberately left them out from this list.

Here are some of the most suitable calcium rich foods that growing kids must have.

Milk

There is absolutely no replacement for milk as far as calcium is concerned. Your kids have a high rate of metabolism. So give them 2 glasses of whole fat milk every day for calcium and proteins as well.

Cheese

Cheese is a milk product that is very high on calcium. Unlike butter, cheese retains the calcium content of milk even as it changes form. The best part is that kids usually love cheese anyway.

Sardines

Sardines are cold water ocean fish that are very rich in calcium. Smoked sardines can be used to make delicious lunchbox sandwiches for your kids.

Kale

Kale is a dark green leafy vegetable that has plenty of calcium in it. You can make kale salads because having it raw is most beneficial.

Yogurt

Apart from being a really rich source of calcium, yogurt is good for your kid's appetite and digestive system.

Almonds

Along with calcium, almonds will also give your kids Vitamin E and essential omega-3 fatty acids.

Spinach

Spinach has large supplies of Vitamin K along with calcium and iron. Fussy eaters may not be too keen on having spinach. But its your job to make spinach tasty for your kids.

Soy Milk

It is not rare to find kids who are lactose intolerant. They cannot digest the lactose sugar in milk. For such kids, soy milk is a great option.

Brazil Nuts

Brazil nuts are considered superfoods because they are rich in many nutrients. Calcium is one of the major nutrients found in Brazil nuts.

Herring

Herring is also a cold water fish like sardine that is rich in both calcium and Vitamin D. Having grilled herring may be a treat for your kids.

Tofu

Tofu is a soy product that has plenty of calcium and Vitamin D. Make tofu chunks curry so that your kids eat this healthy food.

White Beans

You may be wondering how legumes can be rich in calcium. Most people are not aware that ½ cup of white beans can give your growing kids 100 grams of calcium.

Oatmeal

Oats is an excellent breakfast for your children. When you mix oatmeal with milk, it becomes all the more calcium rich.

Dried Herbs

Some herbs contain calcium in the dried form. Thyme and rosemary are good examples of such calcium rich herbs. Add these herbs to the foods your kids love like noodles, pasta, pizzas etc.