Tweens Who Don't Like Milk

Alternatives to Getting Required Calcium

Mar 15, 2008 Denise Oliveri

You know that calcium is important to growing bones. What can you do if your tween doesn't like to drink milk? Here are some alternatives that you might find useful.

Getting the right amount of calcium is so important for both girls and boys. At this age, kids are growing like crazy and calcium can make the difference in their health. This is especially true for girls. Research shows that the amount of calcium a child receives in her teens may make the difference between developing osteoporosis and staying healthy later in life. In fact, your tween needs at least 1,300 mg of calcium each day! (Reference: Keep Kids Healthy) But, what do you do when your child doesn't like milk? Here are some creative alternatives for your non-milk drinkers.

Calcium Supplements

Calcium supplements are perfect for your tweens that won’t ever drink a glass of milk. These supplements come in a variety of flavors, including chocolate. They have the taste and texture similar to Tootsie Rolls and one supplement can give your child up to 500 mg of calcium. One supplement each day will have your tween on her way to healthy and strong bones.

Yogurt and Yogurt Drinks

Yogurt is packed with calcium and most kids like it. Yogurt drinks are also very popular and these come in small compact bottles perfect for kids on the go. There are many types of yogurt on the market, including fruit flavored and yogurt tubes that can be frozen. Try different types until you find the kind that your tween will eat. These make a great breakfast or pack them in your tween's lunch.

In addition, most kids love ice cream, so why not try frozen yogurt for a change? It is healthier than regular ice cream and will give your child a calcium boost. You might also try a healthy yogurt smoothie made with yogurt, crushed ice and favorite fruits. They are easy to make and are packed with nutrition, too.

Find other milk substitutes at Milk Matters (National Institutes of Health).

Low Fat Dairy Products

There are other dairy products besides milk and yogurt that your tween may devour. How about trying the low fat mozzarella string cheese? How about sour cream or cottage cheese? Look carefully at the labels of these foods and see which ones have the highest calcium content for your tween.

Look Beyond Dairy

Believe it or not, there are other foods besides dairy products that contain calcium. Some of these foods may be hard to get your tween to eat, but experiment with different ways to serve them and see if you can sneak the calcium in. Top non-dairy, calcium rich foods include canned salmon, broccoli, kale, collard greens, oranges, sardines, and green peas. You never know what your tween will eat until you give it a try.

Getting the right amount of calcium is very difficult if you have a child that refuses to drink milk. The good news is that there are many alternatives for your tween. The next time you go to the grocery store, look for some of these alternatives to milk.

Great site: Calcium Rich Kids - Recipes

Find more Parenting Tweens articles on Suite101.

The copyright of the article Tweens Who Don't Like Milk in Parenting Tweens is owned by Denise Oliveri. Permission to republish Tweens Who Don't Like Milk in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Alternative Calcium for Tweens

What do you think about this article?

---

NOTE: Because you are not a Suite101 member, your comment will be moderated before it is viewable.

post your comment

What is 10+6?

Comments

Apr 25, 2008 5:34 PM

Guest :

yay!I can use this.

1 Comment: