How is your dairy-free teen getting their calcium?

[Anonymous]

13 year old DD has intestinal issues which include a dairy intolerance. Lactose pills have had a diminishing effect, so we suspect there's something else going on. There are so many things she can't eat a lot of - anything rich in fiber, basically, like beans and cruciferous veggies - which greatly reduce her ability to get enough calcium. She hates plant milk, even though I found some with added calcium and vitamin D. She's very small and the pediatrician is worried about her puberty, which is nowhere near happening, and her bone growth.

How do your teens get their calcium? Apart from eating sardines all day Do they take a calcium supplement?

[Anonymous]

My kid with similar issue also has GI issues so her doc recommended tums.

[Anonymous]

(For the calcium).

[Anonymous]

This is a valid concern as your bone density is solidified between 13-20. Super important teens get an enough vit D and calcium.



Can she eat nuts and seeds? Almonds, chia seeds, and sesame seeds are great calcium sources. So is Parmesan cheese (not powdered Kraft) which is also lactose free.

Bok choy is super high in calcium too. Not quite a leafy green, maybe she would tolerate. Also edamame.


But with all her diet limitations I wouldn’t rely on diet alone- and especially not “fortified” foods which the calcium from those is poorly absorbed.



I would supplement with a high quality vitamin like Vitamin Code raw calcium- it is sourced from algae, also has Vit D, K2, magnesium in it. Just an FYI about this one, it is high potency and the bottle recommended dose is 4 per day. I’d give my teen 1, and then another separate Vit D/K2 supplement (Nordic Naturals makes a gummy that has both these).