Sources of Calcium in Food

Any dietary source of calcium will count toward the child’s daily intake, but low-fat milk is clearly the most efficient and readily available. Lactose-free milk, soy and rice drinks have recently become more easily obtainable and less expensive.

In addition to milk, there are a variety of foods that contain calcium and can help children get sufficient levels of calcium in their daily diet. Some examples include:

Dairy foods	Milk, yogurt, cheese
Leafy green vegetables	Broccoli, kale, spinach
Fruits	Oranges
Beans and peas	Tofu, peanuts, peas, black beans, baked beans
Fish	Salmon, sardines
Miscellaneous	Sesame seeds, blackstrap molasses, corn tortillas, almonds, brown sugar

Vitamin D is also necessary to allow the body to absorb the calcium. In the US, milk is fortified with Vitamin D, and a few other foods are sometimes also vitamin D-fortified (such as some types of cereal and bread). This vitamin occurs naturally in only a few foods, such as fatty fish (salmon, sardines) and egg yolks. In addition to dietary sources, sunlight can provide the body with Vitamin D as it is synthesized through the skin.