When you are planning your child’s diet, do consider how much of calcium from the calcium rich food is bioavailable – meaning can your child’s body absorb and use it?
For example, spinach has a decent amount of calcium on paper, but the calcium present is bound to a compound known as oxalate. This unfortunately makes the calcium within spinach unavailable when eaten.
Chinese spinach and rhubarb also have good amounts of calcium, however, only 8% of the calcium present is absorbed. Luckily, Chinese spinach is abundant in calcium so a reasonable amount of calcium is eventually absorbed in the body.
In comparison, at least 60% of the calcium in broccoli and 50% found in kale is absorbed making this a more reliable daily source of calcium for children.
Other non dairy sources of calcium
Porridge oats, 30g, raw (15mg)
Okra, 80g cooked (175mg calcium)
Spring greens, 80g raw (170mg)
3 dried figs, (150mg)
Chickpeas, cooked, 80g (35mg)
Aduki beans, cooked, 75g (30mg)
Black-eye beans, cooked, 75g (15mg)
Broad beans, cooked, 75g (25mg)
Cannellini beans, 75g (70mg)
Butter beans, 75g (25mg)
Baked beans, 75g, canned (30mg)
Mung beans, cooked, 75g (22mg)
Pinto beans, cooked, 75g (35mg)
Tofu calcium-set, 80g (170mg)
Sardines, canned, 75g (340mg)
Pilchards, canned in tomato sauce, 80g (200mg)
Salmon, fresh, 75g, (11mg)
Salmon, pink, canned and drained, 75g (80mg)
Salmon, red, canned with bones, 75g (120mg)
Turbot, grilled, 75g (45mg)
Anchovies, canned, 75g (225mg)
Calcium food sources (20% of quoted calcium is absorbed)
Almonds whole, 30g (80mg)
Almonds, ground, 15g (35mg)
Tahini paste, 1 teaspoon, 5g (35mg)
As children are likely to only eat small amounts of almonds in the form of almond butter and the same for tahini paste, I would classify these as poor choices of calcium for kids.
These are still nutritious foods with protein contributing some calcium, but I wouldn’t rely on these as the main sources of calcium in a young child’s diet.
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This is really an useful post! thanks for sharing