How do I help my kids have strong bones?

Nicole Buhler
Apr 23
4 min read

Drinking cows milk is the easiest way to ensure strong bones.

Is there anything you can do to give your kids strong bones?

Yes!

It's actually really simple: offer toddlers a half cup of cows milk at every meal and snack.

Offer older kids a total of 4 cups of milk per day (1 cup at every meal and 1 snack).

Why cows milk?

It's the best source of calcium AND vitamin D in the American diet.

Your body needs them both to build bones, that's why milk is so important.

Toddlers need 700mg of calcium every day: Cow's milk has 300 mg per cup.

Toddlers need 15 mcg vitamin D: Cow's milk has 2.5 mcg per cup.

check this site for older kid & adult needs: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/

If your toddler has two and a half cups of cow's milk per day, they'll get all the calcium they need for the day.

Yogurt is full of calcium, but usually not vitamin D.

What if my child doesn't like to drink milk?

It's easy to get enough calcium from cheese and yogurt. Unfortunately, cheese and yogurt rarely contain Vitamin D.

1 cheese stick: 215mg, no vitamin D

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt: 210 mg, no vitamin D

3/4 cup plain (regular) yogurt: 300 mg, no vitamin D

1 cup cottage cheese: 138 mg, no vitamin D

There is one exception I have found, and that's Gogurt:

1 gogurt tube: 120 mg, 2.25 mg vitamin D (about the same Vitamin D as milk)

Other types of yogurt might be fortified, with vitamin D, you'll need to check labels to see.

Curious about other vitamin D food? Read about it on my blog here: https://www.ddinutrition.com/post/it-s-winter-are-you-getting-enough-vitamin-d

Milk and fortified cereal makes a great breakfast full of vitamin D and calcium. Soymilk is equally nutritious as cows milk.

What if I can't have (or don't like) dairy?

Milk allergies and lactose intolerance are common. Lactaid milk has as much calcium and vitamin D as regular milk. However, people with milk protein allergy need to avoid dairy foods altogether. Sometimes people just plain don't like dairy products.

The following are the best non dairy sources of calcium:

3 oz sardines canned in oil (w/soft bones): 325 mg + more vitamin D than milk!
1 cup soymilk: 300 mg + just as much vitamin D & calcium as cow's milk
3oz canned salmon: 181 mg + a good source of vitamin D
fortified breakfast cereal 130mg + also a good source of vitamin D

Fortified breakfast cereal in fortified soy milk is an excellent way to get vitamin D and calcium! Check the label to make sure your cereal is fortified with calcium and vitamin D.

Check labels and almond and rice milk for their vitamin D and calcium content. I do not recommend oatmilk, almond milk or rice milk for toddlers because they are very low in protein.

You can also get calcium from a variety of different foods.

List of non-dairy foods high in calcium that have ZERO vitamin D:

Remember that your toddler needs 700 mg/day and adults need 1000 mg/day

253 mg: 1/2 cup firm tofu (amount varies by brand and firmness)
131 mg: 1/2 cup cooked soybeans
123 mg: 1/2 cup cooked spinach
99 mg: 1/2 cup cooked turnip greens
95 mg: 1/2 cup cooked white beans
94 mg: 1 cup cooked kale
90 mg: 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
74 mg: 1 cup raw bok choi
70 mg: 1/2 cup great northern beans
54 mg: 1/2 cup pinto beans
46 mg: 1 6" corn tortilla
42 mg: 1/2 cup kidney or black beans
31 mg: 2 Tablespoons sour cream
30 mg: 1 slice whole wheat bread
26 mg: 1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal
24 mg: 1 cup raw kale
24 mg: 1 Tablespoon almonds
21 mg: 1/2 cup raw broccoli
10 mg: 1 medium golden delicious apple
7 mg: 1 Tablespoon walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts

If you can't drink milk, make sure you get enough calcium by including calcium sources into your daily routine (like always having cereal for snack, putting chia seeds in a smoothie, or having a few cups of spinach every day at lunch).

I try to eat a can of sardines every other day. I think they are delicious on crackers or toast, and they are full of many nutrients that most American's don't eat enough of.

For a complete list of foods that contain calcium visit this website from USDA: https://ods.od.nih.gov/pubs/usdandb/Calcium-Content.pdf

Sample NON DAIRY toddler menu with adequate Calcium & Vitamin D

Canned sardines are one of the best sources of Vitamin D and Calcium.

breakfast:

1/2 cup cheerios (130 mg calcium)

1/2 cup soy milk (150 mg calcium)

lunch:

chopped sardines (1/2 can) on rice (160 mg calcium) - chopped finely so all bones are safe for toddlers

1/4 cup broccoli (10 mg calcium)

snack:

soymilk smoothie (1/2 cup spinach, banana, 1/2 cup soymilk, peanut butter) (300mg calcium)

dinner:

chicken nuggets

pasta

apple

green beans

total calcium: 750+ mg calcium

Sample adult menu with adequate calcium and vitamin D

Green smoothies are great for your bones because both spinach and milk are high in Calcium.

Here's how I make sure to get enough calcium and vitamin D for myself:

Breakfast

1/2 cup oatmeal + 1 cup milk (300 mg calcium + vitamin D)

snack

smoothie with 1 cup milk + 1 cup spinach + banana & peanut butter (600 mg calcium + vitamin D)

lunch

sardines on crackers (325 mg calcium + vitamin D)

this sounds gross but is really my favorite snack, I love salty sardines!

snack

mozzarella cheese + apples (325 mg calcium, no vitamin D in cheese)

dinner

varies, but usually contains some type of green leafy veggie

total: 1500 mg Calcium

Other high calcium meal ideas:

3 tacos with chopped spinach (1/2 cup = 123 mg) white beans (1/2 cup = 70 mg) mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup = 300mg), corn tortillas (3 tortillas = 150 mg) total = 643 mg calcium

Rice bowl with 1 cup Stir fried tofu (600 mg) + 1/2 cup edamame (131 mg) over rice with sardines (230mg)= 960 mg calcium

Conclusion

Eating adequate calcium and vitamin D ensure that both you and your children have strong bones for the future.

While it is possible to get enough calcium from leafy green vegetables, seeds and beans, the easiest way is to drink milk every day and eat fatty fish (like salmon or sardines) several times a week.

Happy bone building!