Building Strong Bones For Life: Calcium And More

(Source: IOM, 1997)

Vitamin D is also important for strong bones because it helps the body absorb and use calcium. Doing certain types of physical activities, such as walking, running and jumping, helps kids build stronger bones, too.

Read on for ideas to help your kids build strong bones for life.

• Meet Milk Group servings. MyPyramid says kids 2 – 8 need two cups of Milk Group foods daily and kids 9 – 18 need three cups daily. Milk Group foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt are rich in calcium that is easily absorbed and used by the body. To trim fat and calories, choose low fat (1%) and fat free varieties of Milk Group foods. Learn about MyPyramid.
  
  
• Make it milk at mealtime. If your kids don’t like “plain” milk, serve chocolate- or strawberry-flavored milk instead. Enroll your kids in the lunch milk program at school. Keep “grab and go” milk bottles handy for lunch boxes or when they’re on the run.
  
  
• Work Milk Group foods into meals and snacks. Serve cold or hot cereal with milk at breakfast; prepare a pizza for lunch; offer yogurt or cheese sticks for snacks; and top salads, soups, casseroles or tacos with reduced fat shredded cheese at dinner.
  
  
• Sneak in some milk. Use it in place of water when preparing hot cereals, soups, pudding, rice and baking mixes.
  
  
• Look for kid-friendly fortified foods. Some cereals, juices and snacks, such as TEDDY GRAHAMS are fortified with calcium. Milk and some cereals, juices and cheeses, such as KRAFT 2% Milk Reduced Fat Singles, are fortified with vitamin D, too.
  
  
• Serve green veggies such as broccoli and spinach, which can contribute to calcium intake while providing other important nutrients.
  
  
• Let the Nutrition Facts panel lead you to calcium. A food with 10%-19% of the Daily Value for calcium per serving is a “good” source; a food with 20% or more of the Daily Value is an “excellent” source. You might also see phrases such as “good source of calcium” or “excellent source of calcium” on the front of the package.
  
  
  • Quick trick to figure calcium content: Find the Percent (%) Daily Value for calcium (it's based on 1,000 mg); drop the percent sign and add a zero—there’s your answer! For example, a serving of cheese with 20% of the Daily Value has about 200 mg of calcium.
    
    
• Make an impact with physical activity. Kids and teens need at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. To help strengthen their bones, encourage them to include activities that “make an impact” on their bones such as walking, running, jumping, dancing, volleyball and push-ups.
  
  
• Set a good example! Let your kids see how important strong bones are to you by making healthful food choices and getting plenty of physical activity. They’re likely to follow in your footsteps.