Calcium question about my toddler

[matey]

I have concerns about calcium concerning my son. He is 26 months.

I cannot place us in a vegan or vegetarian category, but we dont eat dairy, eggs, and very limited meat/fish. My son also cannot eat nuts/peanuts.

For a while ds drank soymilk, maybe 4 ounces a day. I know soy in controversial. He stopped drinking any type of soymilk about 3 months ago. He only drinks water or calcium fortified oj. I continously offer veggies for calcium, but he refuses. I have made smoothies of varying flavor, but he drinks a sip and refuses any more. I do make things like bean loafs, and try to fill them with veggies. I make bone broth for him too. He eats lots of beans, and loves them, but I dont know how much this is getting him. He eats a lot of black beans, red beans, and pinto beans.

So, I'm concerned that due to his refusal of veggies, that he is not getting enough calcium. Do you have any ideas for getting more into him? Is there a supplement that any of you feel ok about giving to a 2 year old? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Sayward]

Beans, especially black beans, are great for calcium. Will he eat hummus? Both chickpeas and tahini are high in calcium. Also blackstrap molasses, if you can find a way to get that into him, is a good source.

Luck!

[matey]

Yes, he will eat hummus. I need to get more regular about making it. I do add black strap molasses to hearty soups. I also put it in a rye bread I have made, but the bread kinda sucks. I guess I could add it to bean loafs too. What are ways others get black strap molasses in?

[Sayward]

I don't know honestly, I just take a tablespoon a day, straight up! The only cooking application I know of is cookies, and that's not necessarily where you want to be going.

But Molasses are sweet, so . . . I wonder if you just stirred some into a glass of milk/alt milk with some cocoa, if you could convince him it was special chocolate milk? Might be worth a shot?

[matey]

I actually just got him to drink chocolate milk yesterday for the FIRST TIME. Maybe I will try that. Thanks for the idea.

Now, is there any reason to look into a calcium supplement, or should I not worry about it?

[aris99]

Blackstrap molasses in gingerbread cookies

http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbreci...p?RecipeID=196

[matey]

Thanks for the link! I made some cereal bars this morning, and threw some black strap in them.

Still wondering if anyone sees need for a calcium supplement. I did put him on D the other day. I kept looking for info on calcium, and was running into a lot of vegan/veggie eaters being on d. I figured with his lack of d fortified foods and also are cooking from scratch ways, he probably wasnt getting all he should be, expecially during this time of year where the sun was out for like one day this week.

[tbone_kneegrabber]

my opinion is that a supplement isn't going to hurt anything, as long as you don't go super over board.

we got some calicum/vitamin d supplments for ds. We never remember to give them to him daily so he probably gets 3-4 a week. I figure its not going to hurt anything if he takes them so why not?

We were doing kinderlove floradix but he kinda hates it and will only drink it in a smoothie so we got him some gummy ones from trader joes