Calcium recommendations

The food your child eats is the best source of calcium because calcium absorbed from food is more readily absorbed by the body.

The recommended guidelines for calcium your child needs every day are:

Ways to get more calcium into your child's diet:

• Offer milk with meals or use as a snack.
• Offer calcium-fortified juices, cereals or granola bars.
• Try different types of cheeses (such as mozzarella or colby).
• Offer yogurt or frozen yogurt as a snack.
• Sprinkle grated cheese on salads, soups and casseroles.

Examples of foods that contain calcium:

• fruit yogurt (1 cup) - 345 mg
• skim milk (1 cup) - 302 mg
• pizza (1 slice) - 220 mg
• mozzarella cheese (1 ounce) - 207 mg
• spinach (one-half cup, cooked) - 120 mg
• ice cream (one-half cup) - 83 mg
• parmesan cheese (1 tablespoon) - 69 mg
• broccoli (one-half cup, cooked) - 35 mg