bit concerend about calcium intake

[creations]

The last couple of weeks DS has reduced the amount of milk he will take in a day.  He has never been a milk lover, but it looks like he is trying to drop it altogether. He's down to about 100ml or less in the morning and possibly 3 sips in the evening (half a cup or less across the day).

His calcium intake in other forms:
I can't give yogurt because he is always sick (silent reflux but yogurt always come up).
He does eat cheese but seems to be getting less and less, certainly not a full serving per day.
He does eat sprats (so fish with bones in), but only about once or twice per fortnight.
He doesn't eat green leafy veg despite being offered regularly for 18 months, once in a blue moon he will eat a stem of broccoli.
I am soya intolerant so I have never offered soya beans or soya drinks.
Nuts, well a teaspoon of peanut butter about once per week, not much at all.
Bread he does eat, but I'm not sure how much calcium is in bread and if this is going to be enough, do I need to give him any specific type of bread?

Is there another calcium source I am not covering here?
I've heard of powdered milk being added to foods but have no idea how to go about this.
Any tips on how to make his milk more appetising?  He does like cream but refluxes if I let him have more than a couple of spoons of it, I was thinking about adding a little cream to his milk to make it more yummy?

[ZacsMumme]

Hun what about dairy food? Z loves this and it's thick and tasty, like a custard. I give it as a yummy snack as it is sweet usually, but here they have the heart foundation tick so not to sugary etc.
http://www.meadowfresh.co.nz/products.php?pi_categoryid=16

[creations]

I hadn't thought about custard at all!  I wonder if I could make a sugar free custard, must go looking for recipes.

[ZacsMumme]

You could totally make it yourself - I'm too lazy with 2 now. You could add flavours too, or fruit.

[creations]

It's a great idea.  Making it myself would mean including eggs (rather than thickener) which would be brilliant too as I'm always looking for new ways to get protein into him.
I can't find a recipe yet.  They all have sugar substitute which I don't think is healthy for LOs.  I'd rather a sugar free recipe if possible, just so I wouldn't care if he ate stacks of it!

[Sam-n-Max's Mommy]

I think blackberries, oranges, and raisins are ok sources of calcium.  Each doesn't have as much calcium as milk, but every little bit helps -- BTDT, DS is casein free so getting enough calcium from food sources is always difficult. I think you can also get calcium supplements if you talk to your ped. We do not use them as DS is on a variety of supplements for other reasons and I don't want him on anymore. 

Or what about a smoothie with no yogurt, just milk? Or if he eats scrambled eggs, could you add some cheese to that? (They are very smart so sometimes hiding doesn't always work )

[creations]

Thanks for the ideas.

I think blackberries, oranges, and raisins are ok sources of calcium

He'd happily eat these all day long. I didn't realise they had calcium so that's good to know.  He would eat just fruit if I let him (but would get a very sore tummy!).

I'll look into those supplements too.  Obviously I'd rather he got all he needs from his diet but I don't want him short on calcium and it does look pretty low the way things are going.

Yes, I'll try a smoothie instead of just milk in the morning and see how he responds.  He might go for it where as scrambled eggs with cheese he will not go for 
I do add cheese wherever I can but it's bits here and there, the days when he would just eat blocks of cheese are becoming a distant memory.

[barbaraz78]

Creations, F also isn't a milk lover and doesn't drink more than 150 mL in the morning. It is like that from when he was less than 2... We weaned the bt milk at 14 mo. I think it is quite OK for his age, if he also eats cheese and other calcium sources. I think that mostly this is due to the fact that milk is "boring", as he usually doesn't eat the same food two days in a row, while milk is the same every day. Anyway, to make his morning milk more varied I usually add "barely coffee" (which is an Italian hot drink that seems coffee and is made by barely, so of course no caffeine in there), or cocoa powder. In these case I also add a bit of sugar or honey to make it sweeter. By alternating plain milk with these, I manage to let him drink around 150-200 mL. 

[We Three]

 I remember thinking that dd wasn't getting enough calcium...until I looked it up and saw that she was having plenty!  Aim for 500 mg as an average. 8 oz of milk has 300mg, so you'd be more than halfway there with a serving of milk, even if he sips it throughout the day.  My dd didn't love milk, but we got it in in other ways too...like adding it to oatmeal and adding it to french toast/eggy bread mixture. You may find that if you really track it, it isn't as bad as you think.   

  Here is something I found for you:

 

How much calcium does your child need?
Ages 1 to 3 years: 500 milligrams (mg) per day

Ages 4 to 8 years: 800 mg per day

Your child doesn't have to get the recommended daily amount of calcium every day. Instead, aim for that amount as an average over the course of a few days or a week.

The best sources of calcium
Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese are some of the best sources of calcium, but you'll also find it in less expected places. Some calcium-rich foods to try:

•1/4 cup raw tofu, prepared with calcium sulfate: 217 mg
(The calcium content of tofu varies, depending on how it's processed. Check the label.)
•1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt: 207 mg
•1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses: 200 mg
•1/2 cup low-fat fruit yogurt: 122 to 192 mg
•1/2 cup calcium-fortified orange juice: 133 to 250 mg
•1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese: 167 mg
•1/2 cup milk: 150 mg
•1/2 cup chocolate milk: 144 mg
•1/2 ounce Swiss cheese: 112 mg
•1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt, soft serve: 102 mg
•1/2 ounce cheddar cheese: 102 mg
•1 slice calcium-fortified bread: 100 mg
•1/2 ounce mozzarella: 91 mg
•1/2 slice cheese pizza (fast food chain): 91 mg
•1/4 cup collard greens: 89 mg
•1/4 cup homemade pudding (from mix or scratch): 76 mg
•1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed butter): 64 mg
•1/4 cup turnip greens: 62 mg
•1 ounce canned pink salmon, solids with bone: 61 mg
•1/4 cup cooked spinach: 60 mg
•1/2 cup ready-to-eat cereal, calcium fortified: 51 mg
•1/2 cup soy beverage, calcium fortified: 40 to 250 mg
 

The amount of calcium a food contains will vary somewhat, depending on the brand, the size of the fruit or vegetable, and so on.

Kids may eat more or less than the amounts of food shown, depending on their age and appetite. You can estimate the nutrient content accordingly.

Tips for maximizing your child's calcium intake
Some experts believe that many children are falling short of their calcium requirement, in part because juice and other nondairy drinks are so popular that kids are drinking less milk. Here are some simple steps you can take to make sure your child gets enough calcium:

•Use milk instead of water when making cereals, hot cocoa, and soups.
•Use evaporated milk in place of regular milk in recipes – it has twice the calcium of regular milk.
•Add yogurt to fruit salads; nonfat milk powder to pancake batter, sauces, and smoothies; and cheese to vegetables, sauces, and mashed potatoes.
•Buy calcium-fortified juice, bread, and cereal.
•Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, so make sure your child is getting enough vitamin D, too.

  Also....look at this list...it isn't too hard to hit the mark when you add some of this up over the course of a day!

  Food Amount of Calcium in milligrams (mg)
1 Tbsp sesame seeds 90
1 Tbsp Tahini 63
1/4 cup Brazil nuts or hazelnuts 55
8 medium sardines (canned) 370
3 oz salmon 180
1/2 cup oysters (canned) 60
1/2 cup shrimp (canned) 40
1/2 cup bok choy 75
1 cup kale 94
1 cup broccoli 178
1 cup celery 54
1 cup cooked green beans 58
1 cup cooked butternut squash 84
1 cup cooked sweet potato 70
1 medium naval orange 56
2/3 cup raisins 53
10 medium dried figs 269
1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice 300
1 cup enriched soy milk 300
1 cup enriched rice milk 300

[creations]

Wow, that's a huge list!  Thanks for taking the time 
Unfortunately DS doesn't eat any of that!  Oh ok there are a couple of things he does, figs, raisins, oranges.
He's only having about 4oz of milk, 150mg of calcium there
possibly/sometimes half an oz of cheddar, so 102mg
and if I add all his fruit up maybe another 100mg

He used to eat sweet potato and butternut squash, he really likes them but has now been refusing them for a few weeks I have no idea why so this calcium has also been cut out.

It's quite embarrassing to see such a big list of foods that DS doesn't/won't eat or used to eat but now won't.

If I add even a tiny bit of tahini to anything he spots it and refuses the entire batch.
He doesn't eat cereal so I can't add milk there.
I could add some milk powder to pancake mix though, that is good to know.

I understand about adding milk to eggy bread, but I purposely don't add it so that he gets a full slice of bread with a full egg because he eats so little protein too that I really need him to eat a full egg, not reduced down by milk iyswim.  Even then he rarely eats the full slice so it means half an egg.  if I can get one portion of protein in every day I give myself a pat on the back!  He's agreed to eat omelet occasionally so I get a full egg in him then but he refused the one I put cheese in

Looking at how much he gets and how much he should get makes me a bit more worried than I was before tbh 

I will try flavouring the milk.  I do have some 'barley cup' I'll try it (hadn't thought of that).  Recently I tried redbush tea, he won't have one every day but has agreed to it a few times now, this gets maybe half an oz of milk in him once per fortnight or so (I give about 50ml total, a little hot water to make the tea then add full fat milk).
Evaporated milk looks like something worth trying too, double the calcium! And I think he would like the creaminess because he does like cream.  I'll try it with thickener to hopefully prevent refluxing.

And I found a recipe for custard so will be doing that too

[Buntybear]

WOuld he eat cheese on toast or porridge?

[We Three]

 You could sneak some molasses into oatmeal...does he eat oatmeal? DD only likes it when I mix in cinnamon and applesauce...would he go for that?  And celery...my dd only eats that with peanut butter on it! The calcium fortified orange juice is a good one too...!  Will he eat cereal dry as a snack on the go?  Some of those are fortified too. Honestly, all those little bits add up!  Take a close look at your bread...you can get 70-100mg per slice if you read labels and look for one that offers that. Then if he had a grilled cheese sandwich that would be alot!  Also....parmesean cheese sprinkled onto pasta, into soups...!

[Sam-n-Max's Mommy]

It's quite embarrassing to see such a big list of foods that DS doesn't/won't eat or used to eat but now won't.

I have been there.  My DS was an extremely picky eater and still isn't the easiest, but has gotten much better now only that he's nearing age 3 (who knows if this will change again!). It is really hard so I totally sympathize.

Re the sweet potato and butternut squash - my DS has never eaten them on their own except as pureed baby food (closest we have come in recent times is mixing pureed sp or bs into his applesauce), but if he eats pancakes, could you try adding some puree to the batter or would he balk because of the flavor? That is what I do - he eats pancakes, waffles, and french toast (all gluten, dairy, and egg free), but when I make them I always add puree.  DS is fine with it, but I have always done it because he never eats any veggies so it's my only way of getting them in.  I have a great recipe for sweet potato pancakes (regular, not with dietary restrictions) if you are interested. 

Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but what about pizza? Will he eat pizza even though it has cheese on it? I know ordering it in isn't always the healthiest, but it's not terrible to make if you buy the dough pre- made or buy a pre-made pizza shell (thinking of Boboli here, not sure if they have that in the UK).

[ZacsMumme]

Hugs creations. Honestly if you saw how little Z eats ATM you would die! He has turned into the fussy king! I do think a lot of it is age, teething and developmental (ie control) so try not to worry.

I also love the idea of using evaporated milk more. I never thought it had so much calcium in it.

Another sneaky way Hun is to try making little homemade scones using cream in them. Good fats and calcium. I try to add veges to mine to I like that they have no sugar, but Z thinks they are scrum my. Sometimes I sneak finely diced meat in, grated carrot, pumpkin etc. anything really.
I modified this recipe http://www.annabel-langbein.com/cooking/recipes/recipe/?id=396

[creations]

Thank you for all your replies and support xx

WOuld he eat cheese on toast or porridge?

Has accepted cheese on toast a couple of times but only way in the past.  Porridge, no chance.

You could sneak some molasses into oatmeal...does he eat oatmeal? DD only likes it when I mix in cinnamon and applesauce...would he go for that?  And celery...my dd only eats that with peanut butter on it! The calcium fortified orange juice is a good one too...!  Will he eat cereal dry as a snack on the go?  Some of those are fortified too. Honestly, all those little bits add up!  Take a close look at your bread...you can get 70-100mg per slice if you read labels and look for one that offers that. Then if he had a grilled cheese sandwich that would be alot!  Also....parmesean cheese sprinkled onto pasta, into soups...!

No he won't have oatmeal, or any cereal.  He won't eat anything that is mushy or liquidy (unless it is icecream which gives him extreme tummy pain, or cream which makes him reflux), he did eat baby muesli in a 'sloppy' form maybe twice when he was little but then refused and I always made it with a tiny amount of milk and rolled it into balls.  Won't eat celery.  Won't eat dried cereal.  I've never tried orange juice, never planned giving him any juice at all, just water and milk, maybe I need to try the juice.  Off to shop tomorrow so will look for juice and the bread (I buy the bakery bread which doesn't have ingredients listed and I doubt is fortified in any way, but I can change the bread).  It must be about a year since he accepted a grilled cheese sandwich or cheese on toast.  Even pizza he has one mouth full and leaves the rest.  He will have a max of half oz of cheese in cubes or grated on or with pasta, it's a tiny amount.  Won't eat soup, closest we get is about a tablespoon of it if I call it 'dip' and give him bread to dip in it

I know all the little bits must add up but it really seems to me that there aren't any little bits to add up.

I have a great recipe for sweet potato pancakes (regular, not with dietary restrictions) if you are interested. 

Yes please!
I do make pancakes and muffins, and he will accept some veg in them (sweet pot muffins he loves but it is a really small amount of sp and I couldn't give him more of them or he won't have any appetite for 'proper' meals.
We usually make pizza with flat bread and do our own toppings.  he doesn't eat more than a bite of the cheese though.
It's really weird because in my mind he LOVES cheese but when I really look at how much he is eating it's hardly any at all.  Tonight he ate one noodle at dinner time, said he was full.  After leaving him for a bit I asked if he wanted some cheese, he said yes, came to the table for it and ate a piece about 1cm cube then said he was full and played with the rest.

I never think of him as a fussy eater because he usually has a good appetite and a balanced diet even if his likes are somewhat limited.  But looking at all these suggestions of foods which I know he won't eat, well, makes me feel sad.  I cook every single day, I use almost no pre-packed foods (just things like dried pasta, canned beans and lentils in water, tom puree that sort of thing - and I now buy sausages and frozen fish fingers because he'll eat them), I usually cook 2 to 3 meals per day and make batches of home made snack foods too.  I put so much damn effort into feeding him well, but it's pointless

I know right now his appetite seems lower than usual, and he does appear to be teething on and off, we've had a couple of awful naps and nights but also some brilliant naps and nights, some days he is in lots of pain and I wouldn't expect him to have a normal appetite, but it's longer term than that.

Thanks for the recipe link Sara, I will definitely make some of those.  We did a cheese scone recipe together a couple of weeks ago, they've ended up in the freezer because he wasn't keen to eat them, but maybe he will when I try him on them again. And making scones with cream sounds much tastier than the ones we made!

I made a custard type pudding this evening after dinner (after he ate that 1 cm cube of cheese for dinner).  I made it very thick so it was like a firm pudding rather than a liquid custard as he won't have anything runny. It was truly disgusting when I tasted it but DS ate half the bowl I gave him at supper time which I'm guessing was equal to 50ml of milk, something at least.  I've another 3 tubs in the fridge.  I'll have to explore this sort of pudding a bit more and get some different recipes and make with cream or evaporated milk.

I try to keep in mind that even with a good appetite (scoffing down a pile of mange tout one day a pile of carrots the next kind of thing) he is a small boy, very small, and he is never going to eat the recommended guidance portions or daily intake for a toddler because he doesn't need it and just can't fit it in.  As a baby he took half the guidance milk, worried me so much, but he survived.  Even so, if we don't turn around pretty soon I'll have to make an appointment with the GP for calcium testing and maybe supplements because it's totally crazy that so many people can give me so many ideas for calcium rich foods and yet I know he won't have most of them.  the up-side of a supplement is that I can continue to offer reasonably normal meals.

Must remember to breath