This post has been sponsored through Kitchen PLAY.
Calcium is one of the most important daily nutrients that we take in, especially for children. If your child is unable to get their calcium from milk it is very important to find an alternative so that their developing bones have a constant supply. But due to intolerance, allergies, vegan diets, or just plain old dislike your child may not be able to get it through milk.
There is another alternative that you may not have even considered- calcium-fortified baked goods. That’s right, baked goods from restaurants, fast food, and at the grocery store. No special, expensive food items, just things that you are probably purchasing and eating already. That means whether you are packing lunches, eating a nice dinner at home, or a quick meal on the go you can include daily calcium and stop some of that mom guilt that always creeps in.
Let’s take a look at how much calcium your child needs and where they can get it from…
Do you know how much calcium your child should be getting each day?
USDA.GOV recommends the following amounts …
1 to 3 years -700 mg/day
4 to 8 years-1000 mg/day
9 to 13 years-1,300 mg/day
14-18 years- 1,300 mg/day
How much calcium should be in each meal?
Well, to begin with, the best way to get that calcium is spread out over the day rather than in one big lump. So, this can be covered at each meal and even with snacks. The FDA states that a product containing …
10% of the daily value of calcium is a “good source of calcium”.
20% of the daily value of calcium is an “excellent source of calcium”.
If a product has the same amount of calcium as an 8 oz. glass of milk it is said to deliver a “glass-of-milk-level” of calcium.
How do we get it all in throughout the day?
So now that we have that technical stuff out of the way let’s look at some of the ways we can get those calcium-fortified baked goods in throughout the day. Luckily the added calcium doesn’t affect taste or texture so kids won’t even know they are getting extra! Be sure to check nutritional information to be sure that each serving is at least a ” good source of calcium”.
Breakfast
Try peanut butter toast using Sara Lee’ Soft N’ Smooth White with Whole Grain Bread – it’s an excellent source of calcium.
Lunch
Pinwheels made with La Tortilla Factory’s Smart & Delicious 100 calorie tortillas-an excellent source of calcium, you can use so many fillings to keep the variety interesting-cheese, lunchmeat, PB&J, veggies, and more!
Dinner
6″ Subway Sub- An excellent source of calcium, fortified with Vitamin D. Your child will love choosing the fillings for their own 6″ sub.
Snacks
Blueberry Muffins- Yum!
See mom, you are already probably including these items in their daily diet and making great choices for your kids.
What kinds of calcium-fortified baked goods do you love to serve to your family?
Leave a comment