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Eunice Kennedy Shriver
National Institute of Child Health & Human Development
      
 
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How much calcium do kids need?

Tweens and teens can get most of their daily calcium from:

  • 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk (900 mg of calcium), AND
  • Additional servings of calcium-rich foods to get the 1,300 mg of calcium necessary to build strong bones for life.
 
3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk (900 mg of calcium)
+  
additional servings of calcium-rich foods (400 mg of calcium)
line
 
1,300 mg of calcium!

Starting around age nine, young people need almost twice as much calcium as younger kids.

Each glass of milk shown equals 300 mg of calcium.
From birth to 6 months of age, babies need 210 mg of calcium each day.
From 6 months to 12 months of age, babies need 270 mg of calcium each day.
From 1 to 3 years of age, children need 500 mg of calcium each day.
From 4 to 8 years of age, children need 800 mg of calcium each day.
From 9 to 18 years of age, young people need 1,300 mg of calcium each day. 

Source: DRI for Calcium, NAS 1997
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