I am always trying to make sure my daughter gets enough calcium in her diet. She won’t eat anything green so we rely on yogurt and beans for her calcium sources. Does your daughter eat anything green? She won't drink green smoothies or eat the heaps of leafy greens on our dinner table. There are two ‘green’ foods my vegetarian daughter will eat on a regular basis and those are broccoli and pesto, both of which must be served with pasta, of course.
We know that leafy greens should play an important role in a vegetarian diet for more than just calcium. However, I have always had an easier time getting my girls to eat carrots, cucumbers and zucchini. Leafy greens are not really of much interest. Maybe some kale chips here and there or a salad once in a while, but that’s about it. Leafy greens should be part of their diet, especially if we are looking to manage calcium intake. I ask my daughter every few days if she has eaten anything green. Lately, she has started adding arugula to her pasta salad which is a step in the right direction.
Though it has been challenging to get her to eat more greens, I can always get her to eat her favourite dairy source of calcium; Chocolate Yogurt.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 oz or 2 squares dark chocolate – depending on how intense a chocolate flavor you are looking for
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp espresso (optional)
Directions:
Melt chocolate, add honey and mix well. Add yogurt to chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Enjoy!
How do you get your daughter or kids to eat her greens? Let me know.
For more information about calcium, why we need it and how to stock a calcium-rich pantry, get a copy of The Calcium Conundrum here.
This post originally appeared on Nutrilicious.ca.
