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This article provides information about the importance of calcium and how to increase calcium in your child’s diet.
Click here to learn how much calcium your child needs.
Click here to learn about food and drink sources of calcium.
What is calcium?
A mineral important for many body parts.
Its main job is to build strong bones and teeth.
Calcium also helps muscles move and helps control blood pressure.
Calcium needs are highest in stages of rapid growth, especially between the ages of 9-18 years old.
Who is at risk for having low calcium?
Children following a vegan diet.
Children whose parents make homemade formula.
Children with certain medical conditions like DiGeorge syndrome, hypoparathyroidism, and rickets.
Signs of a low calcium level include weakness, feeding difficulty, spasms of muscles in the face, numbness, feeling jittery, and seizures.
If you are worried about your child’s calcium level, please discuss this with their pediatrician.
What if my child doesn’t get enough calcium?
Not getting enough calcium while young, can affect the strength of the bones later in life.
When young, the body can store calcium in bones – this decreases with age.
As an adult, bones have already become as packed with calcium as they will get—for life. After that, the body uses the calcium stored in bones to meet its needs.
People who do not have enough calcium stored in their bones can get osteoporosis when they get older. This is a disease that can cause bones to break very easily. By this time, it is usually too late to undo the damage to their bones.
Is calcium all that is needed for strong bones?
Your body also needs other minerals, such as phosphorus and magnesium, and vitamins, such as vitamins D and K.
Physical activity is important too.
Regularly doing weight-bearing activities such as walking, running, jumping, and playing tennis, basketball, or soccer helps you build strong bones.
If you do these activities outdoors, your body can make vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight.
How much calcium does my child need?
Infants | Birth-5 months 6-12 months | 200mg per day 260mg per day |
Children | 1-3 years 4-8 years | 700mg per day 1000mg per day |
Males | 9-18 years 19-70 years | 1300mg per day 1000mg per day |
Females | 9-18 years 19-50 years | 1300mg per day 1000mg per day |
Pregnancy/Lactating | 14-18 years 19-50 years | 1300mg per day 1000mg per day |
How can I get calcium in my child’s diet?
Foods and Drinks
Milk, cheese, yogurt, and other dairy and soy beverage products.
Dark-green, leafy vegetables - like kale and turnip greens. But spinach is not a good source of calcium.
Broccoli, tofu, chickpeas, lentils, split peas.
Fish with bones, such as canned salmon and canned sardines.
Calcium-fortified cereals and breads.
See how much calcium is in certain foods:
Excellent Food Sources of Calcium
Food | Serving Size | Amount of calcium per serving |
Milk and Milk Products | ||
Cheese | 1 oz | 200mg |
Cottage Cheese | ½ cup | 75mg |
Cottage Cheese, calcium fortified | ½ cup | 300mg |
Milk | 1 cup | 285-300mg |
Milkshake | 12 oz | 415mg |
Yogurt, fruit | 1 cup | 315mg |
Yogurt, plain | 1 cup | 415-450mg |
Milk Substitutes and Calcium-Fortified Beverages | ||
Almond Milk | 1 cup | 450mg |
Coconut Milk | 1 cup | 450mg |
Hemp milk | 1 cup | 300-500mg - depends on brand |
Calcium-Fortified Orange Juice | 1 cup | 300mg |
Pacific Foods Oat Non-Dairy Beverage | 1 cup | 350mg |
Rice Dream Original, enriched | 1 cup | 300mg |
So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt | 1 cup | 250-300mg |
Soy Milk | 1 cup | 240mg |
Good Food Sources of Calcium
Food | Serving size | Amount of Calcium per Serving |
Breads and Cereals | ||
Calcium-fortified bread | 1 slice | 100mg |
Dry infant cereal | 1 Tbsp | 20mg |
Quaker Instant Oatmeal | 1 packet | 100-160mg |
Quaker Life cereal, dry | 1 cup | 130mg |
Tortilla corn | 1 each | 40mg |
Total Corn Flakes | 1 cup | 750mg |
Waffle, frozen | 1 each | 80mg |
Meat and Protein Rich Foods | ||
Egg | 1 each | 25mg |
Salmon, canned | 1 oz | 65mg |
Sardines, canned with bone | 1 oz | 90mg |
Tofu | 1 cup | 260mg |
Vegetables | ||
Broccoli | 1 cup | 90mg |
Dark green leafy vegetables | 1 cup | 75-150mg |
Rhubarb | ½ cup | 175mg |
Nuts, Seeds, and Legumes | ||
Almonds | 1 oz | 80mg |
Filbert | 1 oz | 55mg |
Lima beans | 1 cup | 50mg |
Navy beans | 1 cup | 125mg |
Pinto beans or refried beans | 1 cup | 90mg |
Sesame seeds | 1 oz | 90mg |
Miscellaneous | ||
Molasses, blackstrap | 1 Tbsp | 170mg |
Note that this is a general list and does not account for your child’s specific food allergies/intolerances.
Calcium supplements
Children that eat a well-balanced diet may still not meet their calcium needs. Talk to a registered dietitian or your primary health care provider about calcium supplements.
This publication was adapted from information from American Academy of Pediatrics Patient Education materials and Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego Nutrition Department.
Reviewed by: AR D.O., YL M.D. CPCMG Nutrition Committee | 02/2024