Non-Dairy ways of getting enough calcium and vitmin D ?

[samy23]

Are there other foods out there, which are a good source of calcium and vitamin D, besides dairy? (we are dairy free and im worried we aren't getting enough, especially my growing child)

[ursusarctos]

For vitamin D, fatty fish (don't know if you're vegetarian) - salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines... Also eggs contain some.
Calcium is in a lot of things, esp. all kinds of leafy greens, well cooked. Also nettle infusion. Bone broth is good too if you're up to it. Almonds, canned salmon and sardines with the bones, some beans... if you do a google search of calcium sources non dairy you'll get a lot too.
But don't worry too much about getting large amounts of calcium... bones need all kinds of minerals and vitamins and calcium intake is only one factor in strengthening them.

[deditus]

Well, in my research I have come to the conclusion that we don't need anywhere near as much calcium as the RDA calls for, but we do need the cofactors like boron, magnesium, vit d, silica, etc. Nourishing herbal infusions made from nettles, oatstraw, red raspberry leaf are great, as are green vegetables like collards and broccoli, sesame seeds, bone broth, etc.

[kjbrown92]

bone broth (24-36 hours for chicken, 48 hours for beef) is high in calcium and other nutrients
broccoli
canned salmon with bones (much higher calcium content than fresh salmon)

[Holiztic]

cod liver oil (D)
liver (D)
bone broth (Calcium)

if you are not into traditional foods, you may now run screaming from the room!

we are tf-ers and take clo (in capsule form!!) and cook with good gelatinous bone broth at least twice a week!

Still working on the liver, might be forever!

[snowbunny]

Fatty fish is a great source for vitamin D. Cod liver oil, which I know has been mentioned, mackerel sashimi, raw oysters, sardines, lard from pastured hogs and even raw pastured egg yolk are good dietary sources. Most people get their vitamin D from sunlight.

[EMS]

What about calcium/magnesium supplements? I realize that supplementation is not ideal, and it's better to get it from food, but my nursling is sensitive to dairy, and many of the good foods (fatty fish, herbal infusions, bone broths) are not accessible here for various reasons.
The dairy products are also kind of sketchy (for other family members)--how would one go about supplementing for kids?

[MommyDOK]

Eggs and dairy are not good sources of vitamin d. THey have so little that it is nowhere near the optimal level. Even salmon doesn't have enough. You'd have to eat over 3 ounces to get 360 iu and that's hardly enough.

I use carlson's drops of vitamin d. They are very cheap and the children/dh don't mind taking them.

I go in the sun every day--for at least 2 hours. My children play in the sun all day. I had my dd tested as well as myself. We were dangerously deficient. You can read more about vit d at www.vitamindcouncil.org They do not recommend cod liver oil, bc the vit a/vit d levels are not in the right proportions. Read more and decide for yourself.

More and more, people are realizing the rda for vit d sucks. this usatoday article shows proportions of food: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...itamin-d_x.htm