Calcium-Rich Foods for Casein-Free Diets
Calcium is an important nutrient. It’s essential for strong bones, as well as supporting muscle contraction, heart function, and neurotransmitter release. Studies show that children with autism are often deficient in calcium. There are also studies showing that children with autism on special diets are even more deficient in calcium. While some might make the case that children with autism shouldn’t be on dairy-free diets, I say, “Make the dairy-free diet healthy and calcium rich.” For those who say dairy is essential for adequate calcium intake, remember—If someone is unable to digest dairy and unable to absorb the nutrients in the food, it wouldn’t do them any good to eat dairy even though it contains calcium, as they would not be able to absorb it. Instead, it’s best to avoid dairy and get your calcium from elsewhere. Here are some foods rich in calcium and how to include them in your family’s diet:- Kelp
- Dulse
- Kale, collard greens, and other greens
- Almonds and other nuts
- Sunflower seeds (for nut-free schools)
- Dried figs
- Broccoli
- Rutabaga
- Olives
- Quinoa and amaranth
- Fortified non-dairy milk
Hi Julie,
We saw you a number of years ago for a consultation for Noah. How much calcium should a 13 year old dairy free ASD boy take? We have been using ionic but Noah can swallow capsules now. I have calcium citrate and magnesium citrate capsules. Thanks.
Hi – I was just wondering – I know that SOME non-dairy Calcium rich foods are ALSO high in Vit K – ie. kelp and I think Kale to??? … is there a correlation b/w Calcium content and Vit K content? … I only ask because I’ve been told to restrict my intake of Vit K (or if NOT – at least even it out – so it’s the same every day) Also – I use calcium fortified Rice Milk – I’m assuming that’s ALSO s good source of calcium in my dairy-free diet??? Thanks. Jess.
Julie,
Great article! Here is a link to a wonderful green smoothie toy….it’s an app that works on a computer or phone that supports apps, and not only tried-and-true green smoothie recipes but also nutritional information about every ingredient listed.
http://greensmoothiesblog.com
The author, Victoria Boutenko, shares her family’s journey with eating a raw diet inn her books “Raw Family” and “Green For Life.” {She has other books as well but those are the ones I’ve read} This link is actually to her website, which is loaded with great information about green smoothies. In the right margin is the link to the app. I’ve got it saved in favorites on my computer and my partner has it on his fancy telephone so we can reference it when we’re at the store to create great recipes based around whatever’s growing in our garden.
Enjoy!