Kid-Friendly Ways to Boost Calcium
Are your kids getting enough calcium in their diets? Chances are they aren’t as reports show that as many as half of all children under the age of 9 are not getting enough calcium. Read on as Truestar shows you ways to boost this bone-building nutrient into your kids’ diets!
Why is Calcium Important?
Calcium is a mineral needed to strengthen bones. As our children grow and develop, ensuring that they receive adequate amounts of calcium is vital for optimum bone mass. This will help decrease the risk for bone disease (osteoporosis) later in life.
Calcium and Vitamin D Requirements
Children aged 4 to 8 require 800 mg of calcium per day and children aged 9 to 18 require 1300 mg per day. Vitamin D is necessary for adequate absorption of calcium. Kids aged 4 to18 need to consume 400 IU per day or 5 ug per day of vitamin D.
Kid-Friendly Ways to Boost Calcium
1. Add milk and milk products such as cheese and yogurt to your kids’ diets so they can receive the most readily available sources of calcium, vitamin D and other bone-building nutrients. Try making them cheese and fruit kabobs by alternating low-fat cheese cubes with apple or other fruits slices on a skewer. Add part-skim cheese strings to their lunches or pack them as an after-school snack. You can make quick and easy calcium-rich snacks such as puddings or smoothies with low-fat or fat-free skim milk, fortified soy milk, rice beverages or yogurt. Also, kids love pizza so allow them to make their own pizza with whole wheat crust, low-fat cheese and veggies. Click here for a Pita Pizzaroni Recipe.
2. Add other foods that contain calcium to your kids’ diets (however, in smaller amounts than dairy) such as fish (i.e. canned salmon eaten with bones or sardines), tofu, vegetables (such as broccoli, bok choy and kale), nuts and legumes. Give your kids broccoli with melted, low-fat cheese for a mega dose of calcium! Or, prepare a stir-fry for dinner and add tons of green veggies and tofu and top it up with low-fat cheese.
3. Add foods rich in vitamin D to your kids’ diets. You can add milk, margarine, eggs, chicken liver, salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, swordfish and fish oils (halibut and cod liver oils) to their meals. The body also produces vitamin D naturally when skin is exposed to sunlight for 20 minutes per day - so get them active outside each day and make sure they’re wearing sunscreen!
Truestar’s Bone-Building Program!
To build bones that are healthy and strong, get your kids moving with the Truestar exercise program. Regular strength-training exercise will help maintain healthy bones and improve bone density as children grow. Exercise can consist of playing sports, cardiovascular activities, strength training using body weights, etc. Also,encourage your kids to eat delicious meals with lots of calcium-rich foods and make sure they take vitamins for optimal health!
