How do you make sure dc gets adequate calcium?

[Gigi's Mommy]

Hi y'all.

I'll try to be short. DS nursed 3 times a day until about a month ago but now is down to once a day. When he was nursing three times a day I didn't really worry about calcium because I figured he got a bunch of what he needed from me, but that is obviously coming to an end.

He will drink a little bit of fortified rice milk, he loves Orange juice so I could get the calcium one, but I'm trying to limit juice. He loves chocolate soy milk but I THINK chocolate might be a problem for his eczema (which is much better but still flares some).

He does get blackstrap molasses which he likes but I'm not sure if that could possibly be a trigger? Am I off my rocker there?

And he loves sesame seeds, but I'm also not sure about those - he seems to get itchy afterwards. And there's the peanut contamination issue. He'll eat broccoli some.

Do you give your kids a supplement? Is there an allergen free one appropriate for 3 yo?

TIA!

[LBMarie9]

my son hets most of his through a green smoothie.

[nalo]

Originally Posted by LBMarie9

my son hets most of his through a green smoothie.

From what sources?

[changingseasons]

Bone broth.

[LBMarie9]

Originally Posted by LBMarie9

my son hets most of his through a green smoothie.

honestly i don't count all the time--when we went off Dairy I checked a couple of our food logs (for me too) and my smoothie gave me almost all of the calcium I need in a day (as long as it's absorbing correctly)---and so I figured the almost pint my son drinks everyday would cover him as well (my smoothie has KALE (other bitter greens as well)spinach carrots --berries, apples, pears, peaches (alternatively)--
add the Brocolli and green beans that he eats all the time---and salad (he'll eat the middle crunchy part of the leaf---we also have celery and sesame seed often - we use tonz of garlic and he LOVES oranges (would eat them all day if i let him-no I don't) also steamed squash and lots of seasonings (herbs) that have calcium. ---

I sure hope that is enough-- I am blessed to have a very picky and particular eater that doesn't know anything different than how we eat.

if you see problems with this--please let me know-always open for suggestions

[kjbrown92]

Calcium rich foods:
Salmon
Tofu
Rhubarb
Sardines
Collard greens
Spinach
Turnip greens
Okra
White beans
Baked beans
Broccoli
Peas
Brussel sprouts
Sesame seeds
Bok choy
Almonds

We also do bone broth (chicken for everybody but DS, who does beef broth). Also, DS gets 1 Children's Pepto Bismol tablet each day, which is calcium carbonate (children's version of tums). DS/DD2 can't do oranges and DS just got rice back so he's still on a rotation, so he doesn't do rice milk or oj. DD2 has calcium enriched rice milk every day. We do a lot of broccoli, salmon, spinach, almonds, and beans.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

We also do bone broth (chicken for everybody but DS, who does beef broth). Also, DS gets 1 Children's Pepto Bismol tablet each day, which is calcium carbonate (children's version of tums). DS/DD2 can't do oranges and DS just got rice back so he's still on a rotation, so he doesn't do rice milk or oj. DD2 has calcium enriched rice milk every day. We do a lot of broccoli, salmon, spinach, almonds, and beans.

Ooh- I would skip the Pepto!! That's actually a really bad way to get calcium, because the antacid action of the carbonate supresses the stomach acid, which means that it can't properly break down the calcium. So you really aren't getting any calcium that way (is what I've been told by a doc). Calcium citrate is what you want in a supplement, not calcium carbonate.

Also, Pat had a post recently about antacids actually causing allergies because of that stomach acid suppression issue I think (I didn't read the whole post , so hopefully she'll chime in here.)

[FireWithin]

I am looking for a liquid supplement source of calcium. This way I can just squirt some in their morning juice, or his smoothie if they would stop the smoothie strike.:

Does anyone use a liquid supplement? I did a search online and was overwhelmed by the options.

[tanyalynn]

We use Perque Bone Guard Forte 20, a tablet that I whiz around in a coffee bean grinder. I try to do homemade stock regularly as well, for the minerals and because it's so soothing on the digestive system, but that's been hit-or-miss for a while now. : I give the kids about 1/3 tsp per day, I just mix it in a couple teaspoons of juice and the drink it off a spoon.

[kjbrown92]

The doctor is the one who recommended the Children's Pepto. I got Calcium Citrate and the kids won't touch it with a 10 foot pole. I've looked for a liquid numerous times and never found any.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

The doctor is the one who recommended the Children's Pepto. I got Calcium Citrate and the kids won't touch it with a 10 foot pole. I've looked for a liquid numerous times and never found any.

That's weird. A doc told me that, but didn't tell me why... so I asked a pharmacist who told me that the antacid products pretty much kill any chance of you absorbing calcium from them.

[kjbrown92]

Then why do they recommend Tums as a calcium supplement? That doesn't make sense.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

Then why do they recommend Tums as a calcium supplement? That doesn't make sense.

Good marketing. Appeal to people that not only it is an antacid, it's also a valuable nutritional supplement! :

[nichole]

My two year old likes those rhino chews, but now I see that they are calcium carbonate. My kids won't eat a lot of those foods on that list. They get most of their calcium from bone broths cooked in rice, rice milk, smoothies, and fortified foods. We have some hemp seed powder, but I don't know if that is highly allergenic or not. It has a little bit of calcium. Watch out, the hemp seed has a lot of fiber! The also make calcium fortified apple juice and apple sauce.

[Gigi's Mommy]

Well, this got a bit away from the topic. But I did some looking at our HFS this weekend and thought it might help someone else.

Bluebonnet (texas company - not sure if it is available elsewhere) makes allergen free supplements (we have used their probiotics, and I take their calcium tablets, which are calcium citrate) and I found a liquid cal/mag/vit D. It is 200 mg per teaspoon, so since I am just wanting to supplement DS I am giving him a teaspoon a day. The one I have is natural orange flavor. He is eating it off the spoon. However, I did notice on the bottle that it can be added to baked goods to boost calcium content. If he refuses at some point I can do that.

It wasn't with the kid vitamins. The problem there was allergens, or they contained a different form of calcium.

Hope this helps someone! We're continuing to work on triggers - I'd love to include sesame seeds too.

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by Gigi's Mommy

Bluebonnet (texas company - not sure if it is available elsewhere) makes allergen free supplements (we have used their probiotics, and I take their calcium tablets, which are calcium citrate) and I found a liquid cal/mag/vit D. It is 200 mg per teaspoon, so since I am just wanting to supplement DS I am giving him a teaspoon a day. The one I have is natural orange flavor. He is eating it off the spoon. However, I did notice on the bottle that it can be added to baked goods to boost calcium content. If he refuses at some point I can do that.

Did the liquid cal/mag/vit D come in "no flavor"? What was the brand? Unfortunately neither of my (intolerant) kids can have orange. I just got spinach back for DD2 so score 1 for calcium for her (we do alot of salmon, broccoli, bone broths already).

Was the Bluebonnet the company? I was confused and thought that was where you got your probiotics, but upon re-reading it, it sounds like that's the liquid supp?

Never mind. I looked at it, and it has corn in it.

[Gigi's Mommy]

The company is Bluebonnet http://www.bluebonnetnutrition.com/ they make a number of things, including dairy free probiotics, supplements, etc.

Not sure if there was a "no flavor" of the liquid cal/mag/D but the website may tell you.

HTH

[Gigi's Mommy]

http://www.bluebonnetnutrition.com/m...n_citrate.html

Here's the link to the liquid. Also in lemon & blueberry, it looks like.