Following a paleo diet requires you to eat primarily meat and seafood, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats. However, you aren’t going to be eating much dairy, if at all. While milk and other dairy products are often looked at as the best source of calcium, they are not the only source. In fact, you can build strong bones with foods that are approved under the paleo diet.
Eat Your Green Veggies
A lot of the paleo-friendly foods that contain a good amount of calcium are green vegetables. This includes dark leafy vegetables, like kale, turnip greens, collards, arugula, and watercress. These vegetables have an excellent amount of calcium while also being very nutritious for children and adults. Some other green vegetables you should feed your child to get the right amount of calcium include green cabbage, broccoli, and green snap beans. The great thing about these is that they are often ideal for snacking, added to your favorite salads, or added as a side dish to your child’s favorite meals.
Add Nuts to Your Meals and Snacks
Another great option for getting calcium each day is to start incorporating more nuts into your meals and snacks. These are not only healthy and nutritious, but kids often enjoy the crunchy addition to their meals. Some of the protein-rich nuts to include are almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans. The good thing is that there are endless possibilities. You can make your own nut butter for dipping other vegetables in, add a variety of nuts to salads and to top soups, or you can grab a handful of them as a healthy snack. You can also use nuts to make your own trail mix and other snack mixes.
Load Up On Meat and Seafood
You not only get a lot of protein from meat and seafood, but they also contain a good amount of calcium. Make soup broth with meat bones, and you will have the start of a great meal. Some other options include organ meat, canned salmon with the bones still in, oysters, shrimp, and sardines. When you are on a paleo diet, just make sure your meat is grass-fed only and that the fish is wild and not farmed. This ensures the animals and fish are treated fairly and that there are no chemicals, hormones, additives, or unwanted grains in your foods. With a little research, you can find many meat and seafood recipes that your child will love.
Calcium is important for people of all ages, from young children to older adults. It is important that you continue getting enough calcium with a paleo lifestyle, especially if you are a growing child.
