Calcium Rich Foods for Your Children

As a Paediatric Nutritionist, I know parents like you know how important calcium is to kid’s health. You want healthy kids and you want to make sure your children are getting enough. To build strong bones that last a lifetime, children and teens need lots of calcium. About 99% of the calcium in the body is found in bones and teeth. The rest is found in blood where it performs important tasks such as controlling heart rhythm, muscle contractions, making hormones that contribute to energy production.

Why Calcium Rich Foods Are Important For Kids?

For growing children and teens, getting enough calcium is crucial to building bone mass, which may help guard against osteoporosis and fractures later in life. It is very important for a mother to be careful about her kid’s diet as the right amount of nutrition in the growing years ensures good health and fitness later in life.

If your child’s daily diet is low in calcium, then bones give up their calcium to keep your blood levels normal. If this happens day after day, bones can become brittle and can be broken easily. Throughout childhood, bones get stronger & longer.

How Much Calcium Do Kids Need?                                           

According to RDA, Children’s between 1 – 9 years 600 mg / day calcium is needed. Age 10 – 17 years will need 800mg / day calcium.

How to Add Calcium in Your Child’s Diet?                                      

Here are some tips on how to add calcium in your child’s diet.

Ø  Include Milk & Milk Products: Get your child into the habit of eating paneer, cheese, milk, buttermilk and curd in their diet. Daily include at least milk & curd in their diet. Curd has immunity boosting properties and it’s easily digestible. Include fruit milkshake if he/she is fusing over drinking plain milk. Include Turmeric in milk for boosting immunity. Include cheese for breakfast. Cheese slices on whole grain or whole wheat khakra serves as a tasty snack/breakfast food.

Ø  Include Soy foods: Soya bean is a rich source of protein and calcium. You can give soya biscuits, soya cutlets in their tiffin box as snack. Along with that you can give yogurt or cheese slices.

Ø    Include Pulses & Sprouts as snacks: Green moong sprouts mixed with chopped green salad and dressed with grated cheese & curd can be eaten as a snack when the children come back from school. You can give green moong dosa or chilla for breakfast in the form of franky. Most whole pulses are rich in calcium. You can cook rajma, kabuli chana, black chana and chowli with finely chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumber & carrot. Serve it with rice or chapatti. You can make mix sprouts bhel for snack as well.

Ø  Include Green Vegetables: Green leafy vegetables like methi, spinach, shepu, broccoli and radish leaves are rich in calcium. Children would enjoy a spinach soup made in milk along with a grilled cheese sandwich made from whole wheat bread.

Ø  Include Nuts & oilseeds: Almonds and sesame seeds are rich in calcium. Children could enjoy a rice kheer made with milk, almonds, sesame seeds and jaggery instead of sugar. Walnuts, figs, dates and apricots also make healthy snack foods for children.

Choosing a variety of foods will improve your child’s appetite. For a personalised diet plan for your child book your appointment with us. Mail us at nourish.nurture20@gmail.com