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How to get your fix of calcium
If you steer away from calcium because you think it’s all about eating (fattening) dairy foods, here’s some good news. There’s heaps of low-fat milks, cheeses and yoghurts these days that taste fantastic, boost your calcium AND won’t pack on the kilos! Plus, if you know what to look for, cereals, nuts and vegetables can be packed with calcium too!
So what is calcium?
Calcium is the mineral responsible for keeping our bones strong and healthy. As everyone knows, milk and milk based foods are the best sources of calcium – but did you know that other healthy foods contain calcium too, albeit in lower amounts?
Why we need calcium
As females, we’re especially at risk of osteoporosis - a condition that occurs when bone density is low, and basically leads to weak and brittle bones and fractures. To avoid developing osteoporosis later in life, it’s really important we get our recommended calcium intake as our teenage years are critical for achieving ‘peak bone mass’. The best sources of calcium are milk, cheese and yoghurt – make sure you go for the low fat varieties!
Other sources of calcium include:
- wholegrain bread and cereals
- tofu - choose the firm stuff!
- spinach and other green vegetables
- tinned salmon and sardines (eat the bones, as long as they’re soft!)
- beans (including baked beans) and nuts (like almond, peanuts and sesame)
As you can see, there are plenty of vegetarian friendly foods that are calcium rich!
Tip: If drinking soy milk make sure it is calcium fortified.
Add sunshine for a better effect!
Calcium and Vitamin D work together to keep your bones healthy. Our bodies produce Vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight, and Vitamin D allows the body to absorb calcium. Because of the heightened risk of skin cancer these days, there is no need to bake yourself in the sun! In summer you can get adequate Vitamin D levels by incidental exposure before 11am and after 4pm!
Tip: Fatty fish, like salmon,is a dietary source of Vitamin D.
If you’re worried you aren’t getting enough calcium, talk to your doctor about taking supplements. They’ll recommend the best way to increase your calcium intake to keep your body healthy and your bones good and strong! And make sure you don’t have too much caffeine as this can have a negative effect!
Do your body a favour - take our month 6 healthy eating challenge and make sure you’re getting enough calcium.
Check out more healthy eating articles
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i love natural yoghurt so hope that counts Posted by tkennard "on" 08/12 "at"12:46 PM |
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I enjoy a pottle of yogurt and 1 glass of milk a day:) Posted by Sugaax! "on" 08/08 "at"02:06 AM |
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take this test….... http://www.anchor.co.nz/index.php/pi_pageid/21 Posted by paige.xo "on" 01/15 "at"12:27 AM |
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yuckys i hate dairy food i try to eat yogurt, flavoured milk etc to keep up my calcium bt yuck….. Posted by paige.xo "on" 01/15 "at"12:18 AM |
Best of the rest
