Calcium Doesn't Just Come From Cows

How do you get calcium into a child who is allergic to milk? There are milk substitutes, but for the longest time, the only one we could use was soy milk. And for a while, we were concerned that she was sensitive or allergic to soy. There is also the concern of giving her too much soy (a balancing act in any diet). Of the vitamins available, they either bothered her stomach or she was allergic to a flavoring in it. So that meant no actual calcium in her system...or so you might think.

Many foods have calcium in it. Whether its as much as in a glass of milk or piece of cheese is unlikely. However, knowing that you need Vitamin D for absorption for supplements, and supplements are less absorbable than from a natural source, I'm hoping the Babe is getting something from what she eats. Foods richer in calcium include salmon, spinach and broccoli. She won't eat the first two, and presently won't eat broccoli (she used to love it!).

Today I heard, and then confirmed with a quick google search, that chickpeas have calcium. The light bulb went off in my head. My hummus-loving child is getting more calcium than I realized. Not a full sigh of relief here, but a little less maternal guilt. From what I read, 3 Tbsp of chickpeas provides 41 mg of calcium. This led me to check, and an avocado has 23 mg of calcium. The Babe also drinks Motts Plus Light apple juice fortified with calcium and Vitamin D. The label says it provides 10% of the daily requirement of Calcium per 8 oz serving. Not sure what that translates for a toddler's required daily amount, but again, its something. So, while she is probably not getting the 500 mg per day recommended for her age group, she is getting some. Added to my ever-growing list of goals is renewing the search for a vitamin she can ingest and will actually take (a two-part challenge).