Which children are prone to calcium deficiency? To supplement calcium, don't be picky about food

In the process of children's growth, calcium supplementation is something that needs to be done frequently. Once a child is calcium deficient, it will not only affect their height, but also have a significant impact on other developments. The following is a look at which children are prone to calcium deficiency. To supplement calcium, don't be picky about food.

Which children are prone to calcium deficiency?

1. Children with indigestion are prone to calcium deficiency

Many children eat milk, eggs, spareribs, dried shrimps and other aquatic products since childhood. In fact, these foods are rich in calcium. However, the protein content of these foods is high, and protein foods are the most difficult to digest and absorb. If babies cannot digest and absorb them in time, food accumulation will form, which will inevitably damage the spleen and stomach, affect the spleen's transportation and transformation, and reduce the digestion and absorption function of the gastrointestinal tract. In this way, no matter how much calcium is supplemented, little will be absorbed.

2. Children with weak spleen and stomach are prone to calcium deficiency

Children's diet should be mainly warm food. Eating too much cold drinks and raw and cold fruits will cause children's spleen and stomach to be cold, the spleen's functioning ability will decrease, the food that enters cannot be properly digested, and it will also cause calcium deficiency.

3. Picky eaters are prone to calcium deficiency

Whether it is calcium or zinc, obtaining it from food is the easiest for the body to absorb. If a child is picky about food, it will cause nutritional imbalance.

How much calcium do babies aged 6-12 months need?

Babies aged 0-6 months need 300 mg of calcium per day.

Babies aged 6-12 months need 400 mg of calcium per day.

Babies under 1 year old should be given 600-800 ml of milk every day.

In the first year after the baby is born, mothers are particularly worried about whether the baby is calcium deficient. In fact, the main source of calcium for babies at this stage is milk. As long as the baby can drink enough milk and pay attention to supplementing vitamin D within a few days after the baby is born, it is relatively easy to be calcium deficient.

For babies who drink formula milk, it is easy to calculate whether the baby has taken in enough calcium. For example, the calcium on my milk powder is 120mg, which means that 100ml of milk powder contains 120mg of calcium per day. If the baby can drink 600ml of formula milk per day, then the calcium intake per day reaches 720mg, which can easily meet the standard.

Calcium supplementation and exercise should be carried out at both ends

Outdoor exercise is a good way to improve calcium absorption. It can promote calcium absorption and utilization, so that calcium can be better deposited in the bones, and has a positive preventive and therapeutic effect on osteoporosis. During exercise, the human body can also receive sufficient sunlight, increase the level of vitamin D in the body, improve gastrointestinal function and calcium-phosphorus metabolism, and promote calcium circulation in the human body.

How to treat calcium deficiency

Tofu

Because of the presence of substances such as phytic acid and oxalic acid that inhibit calcium absorption, the calcium in soybeans is difficult to be absorbed. After being made into tofu, these substances are removed, and the calcium absorption rate is significantly improved. The calcium content of tofu is very high, and the content of old tofu is higher than that of soft tofu. The calcium content of half a block of tofu (about 200 grams) is roughly equivalent to that of a large glass of milk (300 ml). However, the calcium content of soy products such as lactone tofu, Japanese tofu, and soy milk is not very high, especially Japanese tofu, which basically contains no calcium.

Tahini

Sesame paste has a high calcium content and is a very good food source for calcium supplementation for babies. Its calcium content is even not lower than that of cheese, second only to dried shrimps. Regular consumption of sesame paste is very beneficial to the development of baby's bones and teeth. A large spoonful (about 30 grams) of sesame paste can supplement about 330 mg of calcium. In order to let the baby develop a light taste, babies before one year old should try not to add salt. Babies over one year old should also add less salt and try to be salt-free. At this time, we can use sesame paste instead of salt, which can not only supplement calcium but also season. Whether it is mixed with noodles or vegetables, the taste is super mellow and especially popular with babies. Baby food for 10-12 months is basically inseparable from porridge and noodles. There is definitely no problem in adding some sesame paste when making noodles. However, if sesame paste is added to some rice porridge, it depends on whether the baby can accept its taste. If you don't like this kind of rice porridge, you can make a bowl of grain porridge (rice, millet and oatmeal porridge) for your baby separately, and then boil a plate of vegetables with white water, and mix them with sesame paste to eat (note that the vegetables should be cut into pieces with a food scissors)

cheese

Cheese is condensed milk with a very high calcium content, which is especially suitable for babies who don't like to drink milk powder. After the cheese melts, it tastes as fragrant and delicious as cream. It not only supplements calcium for babies, but also serves as a seasoning. It will definitely save a lot of trouble when making complementary foods for babies. When choosing cheese, we must look at the ingredient list and choose original cheese. It is generally recommended to store cheese in the refrigerator, but because opened cheese is easy to spoil even if it is refrigerated, it is recommended to buy sliced ​​cheddar cheese, which is easier to preserve than shredded cheese and can be stored for about a week. Western-style baked noodles and baked rice are very authentic when paired with cheese.

Shrimp

The calcium content in dried shrimp is particularly high, close to 1000 mg/100 g, which is almost the champion among all daily foods. However, in order to make the dried shrimp stored for a longer time and gain more weight during the weighing process, a lot of salt is added to the dried shrimp processed by traditional technology. So try to choose wild dehydrated dried shrimp, and do not add extra salt during processing. The slight saltiness in the dried shrimp is the saltiness of seafood. If the dried shrimp cannot be eaten within a month, it is recommended to store it in the refrigerator. Dried shrimp that can be eaten in a month can be stored in the refrigerator. Dried shrimp is simply a universal seasoning. It is indispensable for making egg custard, noodles, soup, and pancakes for babies. It can also be made into dried shrimp powder and used to replace salt, which is very delicious. Almost all soup-making complementary foods can be put into dried shrimp before they are served, which has the function of enhancing the freshness.

What to do if your baby doesn't like to drink milk

Babies aged 6-10 months

For babies aged 6-12 months, the main source of nutrition comes from milk, so don’t ignore milk just because your baby starts to add complementary foods. When your baby’s milk intake is really not up to standard, you can try to use other dairy products, such as yogurt, as a substitute. Although babies can only drink milk after one year old, yogurt can be added after 6 months.

Babies aged 10-12 months

Many babies start to lose interest in eating when they are over 10 months old. At this time, we can try to add some ingredients that can both supplement calcium and serve as seasoning, such as sesame paste, cheese and dried shrimps.

I personally recommend sesame paste, because it is difficult to buy shrimp or cheese with low salt content. If you need to add it to your baby's diet, try to choose shrimp and cheese with low sodium content. For babies who like to drink yogurt, you can continue to add yogurt.

Tofu: Special Instructions

If the baby is not allergic to tofu before the age of one, tofu can be added. The hormones contained in tofu are phytoestrogens, which cannot be absorbed by the human body, so there is no saying that tofu cannot be added before the age of one. Tofu is also a very good calcium supplement. We will introduce the specific method later.

How to choose yogurt

When choosing yogurt for your baby, be sure to choose yogurt without additives. For example, the ingredient list in the picture below has no other additional additives except fresh milk and some probiotics needed to make yogurt.

Compared with the grape syrup and agar in the picture below, they are not suitable for babies to eat.