Calcium in Your Child's Diet

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Disclaimer: This material is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it. It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, nor does it replace the advice or counsel of a doctor or health care professional. Reference to a specific commercial product or service does not imply endorsement or recommendation of that product or service by CPCMG.

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

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