Calcium blinalization in a child on a diet – Dietetics – Articles |

If we have a small allergy sufferer at home and we have to give up dairy products, there is a problem. Of course, we can find milk substitutes in stores which are enriched with calcium, e.g. oat, rice or soy milk, but we will pay for them several times more than for cow’s milk. For comparison, a liter cow’s milk is about 2 zlotys, and a liter of oat milk is about 13 zlotys. Assuming that our child drinks 2 glasses of milk a day, such a carton will be enough for 2 days – the expenses for dairy products alone will definitely increase.

However, there is an alternative to plant-based milk available in stores – such milk can be prepared at home, using “Ordinary products” that often do we have in our cupboards. Various natural ones can be added to plant-based milk additives that will make its taste more attractive. Below are some examples of recipes for milk vegetable.

Oat milk:

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons of oatmeal, 0,5 liters of boiled water

Execution:

1. Flakes Oatmeal Pour with water and mix for about 1 minute.
2. Transfer liquid through gauze – the resulting liquid is oat milk.

Vanilla almond milk

Ingredients:

A handful of almonds, boiled water, and vanilla pod

Execution:

1. Almonds pour water overnight, then rinse well and peel.
2. Defence Pour twice the amount of water over the almonds and blend them.
3. Transfer the liquid through the gauze, then heat it over low heat for 10 minutes with a vanilla pod.

Cocoa Coconut Milk:

Ingredients:

0,5 cups of coconut flakes, 2 cups of boiled of water, 0,5 teaspoon of cocoa, 2 dried dates

Execution:

1. Heat it up water to about 80 degrees C and pour it over the chips.
2. Add cocoa and dates, blend thoroughly.
3. Squeeze the whole thing through gauze.

Self-made plant-based milk is definitely cheaper than the store’s one and this is its undoubted advantage. His preparation is not it also requires a lot of work. Apart from this, such homemade milk contains only natural ingredients, it does not take into account no thickeners, preservatives or artificial colors. Unfortunately it won’t it’s also fortified with calcium, but we have a way.

A dairy-free diet is not just a problem with calcium, but also possible deficiency of phosphorus, protein, vitamin D. It should so remember about legumes, groats, nuts in your diet, vegetables. The search for food should be a priority unprocessed and of the best quality to take full advantage of it with the values ​​it carries.

Justyna Piechocka, a dietitian

So how do you ensure your toddler has an adequate supply of calcium in the diet?

While dairy is by far the richest source of calcium, it is this element is also found in many other foods. Below, I present a picture of how much of a given product should be eaten to provide the amount of calcium contained in 1 glass of milk. I would like to remind you that the full calcium requirement of a child will be covered by drinking 3 glasses of milk or eating 3 portions of the substitutes listed below.

Kale

White beans

Oat flakes

Sardines in tomato sauce

Jaja

Almonds

However, it should be borne in mind that the bioavailability of calcium from Vegetable products are worse than dairy products. Affects it the presence of oxalates and phytates in plant products that bind calcium and hinder its absorption by the body. Therefore, the mere preparation of milk with almonds or oatmeal is not enough. To cover the daily requirement for calcium with plant products, you just need to include more servings plant products in the diet. Dietitian Justyna Piechocka wrote about it in in the article “Calcium in a dairy-free diet, or how to avoid deficiencies?”.

Marta Tomaszewska Dietician

Dietitian, nutritional educator, co-author of the e-book on nutrition for children “Every bite makes sense”. I am particularly interested in the nutrition of infants and children, especially in the context of eating disorders, as well as the influence of the gut microbiota on health. Privately, I love traveling, mountain climbing, cycling and walking in the woods.

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