Getting enough calcium on a milkfree diet: information for parents
and carers
This is a diet sheet to help you make sure you and your child are getting enough
calcium from your diet.
What is calcium?
Calcium is a mineral that is important at all ages for strong bones and teeth. The main sources
of calcium in the diet are cow’s milk and dairy products. However, it is still possible to have a
good calcium intake when you are on a cow’s milk-free diet because calcium is present in a
range of other foods.
General tips
1. Always check the cow’s milk replacement you are using is fortified with calcium.
Examples include: soya, coconut, oat, almond, hazelnut, hemp, quinoa and rice milks.
Please note that rice milk is not suitable for children under 5 years of age.
2. Organic products do not have added calcium as there is no organic source of calcium
currently available.
3. Many cow’s milk and dairy free replacement products have their calcium content listed on
the nutrition panel.
4. Meals and snack ideas to increase calcium intake:
• Start the day with a fortified cereal and cow’s milk substitute (with added calcium) for
breakfast.
• For dessert add soya yoghurt or ready made soya custard to fruit or make custard
and milk puddings with a milk substitute.
• Offer baked beans or calcium fortified soya cheese on a jacket potato or crackers.
• Add pulses to soups, stews or on top of a baked potato.
• Offer dried fruit as a snack between meals.
5. In order to use and absorb the calcium we eat we need to get enough Vitamin D. We get
most of our Vitamin D from direct sunlight during the summer months. However small
amounts of Vitamin D come from our diet. Vitamin D containing foods include; oily fish,
margarine and fortified breakfast cereals.
All children aged 1-5 years should have a daily vitamin D supplement (available free of
charge for those eligible for Healthy Start vouchers).
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What is the recommended daily amount of calcium?
The recommended daily amount of calcium is outlined in the table below.
One star equals about 60mg of calcium*.
Age group
Requirements
Calcium stars*
Infants (0 – 12 months)
525mg
9 stars
1 – 3 years
350mg
6 stars
4 – 6 years
450mg
7½ stars
7 – 10 years
550mg
9 stars
Adolescents (11 – 18 years)
Girls: 800mg
13 stars
Boys: 1000mg
16 ½ stars
Adults (19 +)
700mg
12 stars
Breastfeeding mothers
1250 mg
20 stars
Children
The following table shows the calcium content of some dairy and non-dairy foods and drinks.
You can count the calcium stars to make sure that your child is having enough calcium in their
diet.
Food
Cow’s milk (all types)
Calcium in cow’s milk and dairy products
Portion size
Calcium
1/3 pint (200mls)
240mg
Calcium stars
✰✰✰✰
100ml (3oz)
50mg
✰
Yoghurt (plain/fruit)
1 medium pot (120g)
200mg
✰✰✰1/2
Cheese, hard e.g. Cheddar
Matchbox size (30g)
220mg
✰✰✰✰
Cheese triangle
1 triangle (15g)
60mg
✰
Cottage cheese
1 pot (100g)
127mg
✰✰
1 serving (120ml)
120mg
✰✰
28g serving
121mg
✰✰
1 pot (50g)
125mg
✰✰
Infant formula (cow’s milk)
Custard
Clover Additions Strong
Bones
Calcium enriched Fromage
Frais e.g. Petit Filous
Fromage Frais e.g. Plum,
Ella Kitchen, Munch bunch
Horlicks
1 pot (40-55g)
60-90mg
✰
25g serving in 200ml milk
710mg
✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰
Ovaltine
25g serving in 200ml milk
444mg
✰✰✰✰✰✰✰
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Calcium in foods free from milk and dairy
Alternative dairy products
Food
Portion size
Calcium
Calcium fortified milks e.g.
soya/oat/coconut/rice/hazel
200ml (1/3 Pint)
240mg
nut/almond/hemp/quinoa
Calcium fortified soya
1 medium pot (125g)
120mg
yoghurts/desserts/custards
Wot no Dairy (milk and soya
1 pot (125g)
392mg
free yogurt)
Milk/soya free cheese e.g.
Matchbox size (30g)
60mg
Redwoods cheezly
Hypoallergenic formula
Food
Calcium stars
✰✰✰✰
✰✰
✰✰✰✰✰✰
✰
Portion size
Calcium
Calcium stars
100mls (3oz)
50-70mg
✰
100ml (3oz)
60-95mg
✰
Portion size
2 small (120g)
Calcium
80mg
Calcium stars
White Bread
2 medium slices (72g)
80mg
✰
Wholemeal Bread
2 medium slices (72g)
80mg
✰
Hovis Best of Both
Instant porridge (fortified)
e.g. supermarket own brand
Ready brek (may contain
milk)
Fortified cereals e.g. Rice
Krispies Multigrain Shapes,
Cheerios
Swiss Muesli
2 medium slices (72g)
382mg
✰✰✰✰✰✰
1 tbsp dry cereal (15g)
180mg
✰✰✰
1 medium portion (30g)
137mg
✰✰
3 ½ tbsp (50g)
55mg
✰
1 plain scone (50g)
89mg
✰1/2
Portion size
1 small tin (50g)
Calcium
150mg
Calcium stars
1 medium portion (60g)
66mg
✰
10 pieces (150g)
315mg
✰✰✰✰✰
1 small can (120g)
363mg
✰✰✰✰✰✰
Infant formula: Nutramigen 1,
Aptamil Pepti 1 Althera,
Alimentum, Neocate LCP,
Nutramigen AA, Infasoy,
Wysoy
Follow on formula: Nutramigen
2, Aptamil Pepti 2
Breads and cereals
Food
Chapatti/Pitta bread
Plain scone
Protein sources
Food
Anchovies
Prawns
Scampi in breadcrumbs
Tinned Salmon (inc. bones)
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✰
✰✰
2 tbsp (50g)
56mg
✰
1 heaped tsp (20g)
1 sardine or pilchard
(25g-55g)
1 small portion (50g)
130mg
✰✰
125mg-138 mg
✰✰
430mg
✰✰✰✰✰✰✰
Fruit and vegetables
Food
Broccoli
Portion size
3 spears (boiled) (135g)
Calcium
60mg
Calcium stars
Curly Kale
1 medium portion (70g)
90mg
✰
Spring Cabbage
1 medium portion (90g)
50mg
✰
Spinach (boiled)
2 tbsp (90g)
145mg
✰✰ 1/2
Okra (stir fried)
1 medium portion (60g)
132mg
✰✰
68mg
✰
2 heaped tbsp (50g)
47mg
✰
3 tbsp (75g)
54mg
✰
2 dried figs (40g)
100mg
✰✰
8 dried apricots (66g)
60mg
✰
1 medium (160g)
75mg
✰
Beans and lentils
Food
Baked Beans
Lentils (cooked)
Red Kidney Beans
Portion size
2 tbsp (80g)
5 tbsp (200g)
2 tbsp (60g)
Calcium
42mg
30mg
43mg
Calcium stars
Soya Beans
2 tbsp (60g)
50mg
✰
Miscellaneous
Food
Almonds or Brazil nuts
Portion size
1 handful (30g)
Calcium
72mg
Calcium stars
Black Treacle
2 toffees (20g)
100mg
✰1/2
Tofu (Soya bean curd)
Tahini (sesame seed paste)
Tinned Sardines or
pilchards (including bones)
Whitebait
Watercress
Currants
Dried Mixed Fruit
Dried Figs
Dried Apricots
Orange
½ a bunch (40g)
✰
✰
½
✰
✰
Liquorice Allsorts
1 small bag (56g)
95mg
✰1/2
Orange Juice (fresh)
1 large glass (300ml)
32mg
1/2
Orange Juice enriched with
1 medium glass (200ml)
244mg
✰✰✰✰
calcium e.g. Tropicana
Ribena Plus (healthy bones)
1 carton (200ml)
120mg
✰✰
PLEASE NOTE: if avoiding Cow’s milk, always check ingredient labels every time you buy
as ingredients and manufacturing processes can change
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What if my child is not meeting their recommended daily amount
of calcium?
If your child is unable to meet their calcium requirements from food, they will need a calcium
supplement. There are a wide range of calcium supplements available from your doctor (or
chemist). Please ask your dietitian or doctor for more information.
Contact us
If you have any questions or concerns about the information covered in this leaflet, please
telephone us via the following details:
• Paediatric allergy dietitians on 020 7188 8494, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
• Paediatric dietitians on 020 7188 4568 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
• Children’s Allergy Service on 020 7188 3300, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
For more information leaflets on conditions, procedures, treatments and services offered at
our hospitals, please visit www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/leaflets Pharmacy Medicines Helpline
If you have any questions or concerns about your medicines, please speak to the staff caring for
you or call our helpline.
t: 020 7188 8748 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
To make comments or raise concerns about the Trust’s services, please contact PALS. Ask a
member of staff to direct you to the PALS office or:
t: 020 7188 8801 at St Thomas’
t: 020 7188 8803 at Guy’s e: [email protected]
Knowledge & Information Centre (KIC)
For more information about health conditions, support groups and local services, or to search the
internet and send emails, please visit the KIC on the Ground Floor, North Wing, St Thomas’
Hospital.
t: 020 7188 3416
Language support services
If you need an interpreter or information about your care in a different language or format, please get
in touch using the following contact details.
t: 020 7188 8815
fax: 020 7188 5953
NHS Direct
Offers health information and advice from specially trained nurses over the phone 24 hours a day.
t: 0845 4647
w: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
NHS Choices
Provides online information and guidance on all aspects of health and healthcare, to help you make
choices about your health. w: www.nhs.uk
Leaflet number: 2294/VER2
Date published: January 2014
Review date: January 2017
© 2014 Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
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