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How can I help my son drink milk or get calcium from another source?

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How can I help my son drink milk or get calcium from another source?
My 17-month-old son will not drink milk. I have tried just giving him milk and water for a week to see if that would make a difference and he is still not interested. He gets some calcium from certain foods but I am afraid it is not enough. What can I do to help him drink milk or get calcium from another source?

This is a fairly common problem in toddlers. Food selection and preference is another way toddlers like to show their independence. But your concern about calcium is certainly legitimate. The current recommendation for calcium intake for 1-3 year olds is 350 milligrams (mg) per day. The following list shows the amount of calcium from foods that can be included in the diet to increase calcium intake. (180ml milk provides 250mg Calcium)
Serving sizes of food equivalent to 250mg calcium.
150g yoghurt
200g milk pudding
35g cheddar cheese
50g sardines in tomato sauce
100g cheese and egg quiche
150g macaroni cheese
150g of cheese and tomato pizza


Other Foods that can help -these will provide 125mg Calcuim:
120ml Custard made with milk.
Large cheese spread triangle
2 tablespoons tahini
16 dried apricots
120g ice cream
300g Baked beans
90g cooked spinach
5 Florets Broccoli


And there are some breads and brands of orange juice that are fortified with calcium. Continue to offer milk or water at meals, and limit juice to 8 ounces per day. Including at least one portion of the above foods each day will go a long way to achieving the recommended intake of calcium for your child.


In order for calcium to be absorbed it is important that your child is getting enough Vitamin D. This is made by the action of sunlight on the skin, but there are also some dietary sources.
These include oily fish eggs, margarine, and fortified breakfast cereals.

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