Sunday, May 6, 2007

List of calcium high food

Following my quest for calcium rich food, I have listed down a list of calcium high food most favourable to my picky eater. Those are now necessities in her diet.

1. cheese
2. flavoured milk ( I would be lucky if she takes more than 3 sips of those
flavoured milk)
3. Mac and cheese, quiche, pizza, flaked salmon with cheese sauce, cod poached in
milk,
5. oatmeal cooked in milk
6. Calcium fortified breakfast cereal, am still looking for those which have 100%DV
of calcium per serving.
7. Calcium fortified orange juice
8. Calcium fortified soy milk
9. calcium fortified Instant oatmeal
10. milk shakes and ice creams, yes, ice creams
11. tuna sandwiches and sardines sandwiches including bones
12. Broccoli and deep greens, although calcium contents in them are lower and less
readily absorbed.

13. calcium fortified biscuits and wafers.

In between tempting her with calcium high food and calcium high dishes, i give her a break every alternate meals with other savoury non cheesy dishes. It can be dreary having cheesey milky dishes ALL the time.

I have tried these calcium high veges below but she rejects ALL of them, save for brocolli.
• Spinach
• Ladies fingers/Okra
• Baked Beans
• Broccoli
• Peas
• Brussels Sprouts


I have also tried chocolate flavored formula (Pediature)and obtained all kinds of chocolate or flavoured formula milk sachets from my pediatricians. She has also turned up her nose at every single one of them at the second offering. Sneaked milk or cheese into sauces or soups, some work , some didnt.

My only consolation is that she likes smoothies and milkshakes. Probably because these are served cold. So, its better than nothing. This is one of her favourite shake. It's a shake by whymilk.com and is a quick and cool calcium rich dessert which you can make in minutes.

Apples & Cream Shake

Ingredients

2 cup Vanilla low-fat ice cream
1 cup Unsweetened applesauce
1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon or apple pie spice ( I omitted the spice)
1 cup Fat-free skim or 1% low-fat milk
Ground cinnamon (optional)

Preparation

In a blender container combine low-fat ice cream, applesauce, and the 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice. Cover and blend until smooth. Add fat-free skim or 1% low-fat milk. Cover and blend until just mixed. Pour into glasses. If desired, sprinkle each serving with additional cinnamon. Serve immediately. Makes 4 (8-ounce) servings.

Thie has 31 g Carbohydrates, 4 g Protein and 177 mg Calcium per serving. I normally halved or quartered the recipe.

I am also constantly checking out the labels at the aisles. Anything with high calcium goes in to the shopping basket.

You will find that there are a lot of calcium rich snacks being offered on the shopping aisles and your only barrier is getting the picky kid to eat them. If you are not sure, anything on the food labels that says 20% DV or more per serving is high calcium. These are what i found for Ashley.

1. calcium high yogurt (Calci-yum is a good choice, if your kid likes them, mine
only takes them in hot weather),
2. calcium fortified orange juice,
3. yogurt drinks (Yakult has a high DV% of calcium),
4. biscuit sticks with cheese dips (laughing cow's brand offers this)
5. calcium high biscuits (Tiger’s milk biscuits and Manna is another good choice, very high
in calcium, for those kids who doesn’t mind them although mine doesn’t fancy it)
6. cookies like Ritz’s cheese mini sandwiches,
7. calcium high wafers etc.

The list could go on.

Sad to say, Ashley turns up her nose at most of them, unlike most other kids. I guess she has been exposed to so much variety of food that nothing much interest her anymore. Perhaps she is just super duper heavy duty picky.

I am actually sneaking milk into hot chocolates and milo for her. I mean, she is not even suppose to be taking hot chocolate or milo at this tender age, but when in the face of adversity, I do whatever I can, as long as the calcium gets in there !!!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I just came across your blog while looking for new high calcium recipes, for my 17 months old boys who now refuse milk from a sippy. They are big bottle milk drinkers!
I just wanted to ask, how to you serve the shake, in a cup or a sippy? I've been working on giving my kids cups, but most ends up on them or the floor.
Thanks!

allthingspurple said...

Hi Fenella, I serve them in a cup. My little one is a careful person. The type who eats noodles with her chopstick or her fork careful of spillage (She is 3 now). She has always finds it easier to drink from a cup than a sippy.

By the way, I was thinking that if your twins are big bottle milk drinker, you actually have it easy *grin* since you worry less about calcium intake? But it's nice to give little babies a treat every now and then.