Does anyone know how much calcium a day a toddler needs?
And what are some good food equivalents, like 2oz cheese, or 1/4 cup brocolli = 1/2 milk...that type of thing?
DS drinks from a straw cup really well at daycare, but will not at home. Since daycare is closed for a few days, and then we are on holidays, we are looking at very little calcium intake, and I just want to ensure that I am making that up in food. He does eat 4oz of yogurt each day guaranteed, and usually 7ish oz of goat milk at night in a bottle (which we may not be able to do on holiday, so there goes that).
BTW - it doesn't HAVE to be dairy foods that make this up.
Thanks!
ETA:
Nevermind, I found some info at
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/calcium/a/06_calcium_food.htm. But for those that are interested:
The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences recommends:
500mg a day for kids who are 1 to 3 years old
800mg a day for kids who are 4 to 8 years old
1300mg a day for kids who are 9 to 18 years old
Keep in mind that the %DV for calcium on food labels is based on the adult requirements of 1000mg a day. So a cup of milk that was 30% DV for calcium, would be equal to 300mg of calcium, which would actually be equal to 60% of a toddler's calcium needs for the day. But it would be only about 23% of a teen's calcium needs. That means that you can only really use the %DV as a guide to how much calcium your kids are getting from the foods they are eating each day.
High Calcium/non-dairy foods:
Salmon
Tofu
Rhubarb
Sardines
Collard Greens
Spinach
Turnip Greens
Okra
White Beans
Baked Beans
Broccoli
Peas
Brussel Sprouts
Sesame Seeds
Bok Choy
Almonds
and a good chart here:
http://osteoporosis.about.com/od/dietsupplements/a/Calcium_Food.htmSome Good Food Sources of Absorbable Calcium
