It might be difficult, but it is not impossible for the child of strict vegetarians to get enough calcium from a diet that does not include eggs, meat, fish or milk products.
The recommended daily allowance of calcium for children is 600 to 1,000 milligrams, depending on age.
Many fruits and vegetables contain significant and sometimes surprisingly large amounts of calcium, according to estimates from the United States Department of Agriculture and nutrition experts who work in the food industry.
A cup of cooked frozen collard greens contains 357 milligrams of calcium and a medium spear of broccoli has about 205 milligrams, making them comparatively rich sources.
Five dried figs contain about 126 milligrams of calcium, and a medium orange has about 54 milligrams.
It might be easier to get a child to eat blackstrap molasses. Two tablespoons would deliver about 274 milligrams of calcium, more than 25 percent of the recommended allowance.
A cup of cooked fresh spinach has about 245 milligrams of calcium, but it also has oxalic acid, which interferes with calcium absorption.
Oxalic acid is also present in calcium-rich beet. greens, chard and rhubarb, cutting their value as calcium sources.
