Tip of the Day June 4,2013

Most kids are not consuming enough calcium these days. It's important for bone health! Especially for women, it can help prevent/delay the onset of osteoporosis. Consuming enough calcium when you're younger will help you in the long run.

Here are a few tips to increase your calcium intake.

1. Instead of drinking soda, drink low-fat/skim milk. If you're allergic to dairy, almond or soy milk that is fortified with calcium works too. Juices that are fortified with calcium also works. 
2. If you like cheese, you can add it to meals such as burritos or pasta. Eating string cheese along as part of a snack works too. Cheese has calcium. 
3. Do you like smoothies? Make a yogurt smoothie with fresh or frozen fruit. 
4. It's the summer time, so it's okay to indulge in a bit of non-fat frozen yogurt. Watch the sugar content though. You can also eat non-fat greek yogurt with some fresh fruit if you want a more healthier option. 
5. If a recipe calls for sour cream, use nonfat plain yogurt instead. It'll give the same texture to the finished product and it's much healthier. 
6. Do you drink coffee? If you do, add half a cup of warm milk to your coffee. 
7. Remember, don't consume all your calcium needs in one meal/snack. It needs to be consumed throughout the day since the body can only absorb 500 mg at one time. 

As you see, it's easy to add calcium to your diet. If all else fails and you're still not getting enough calcium, go see a Registered Dietitian and see what they can do to help. You may have to take calcium supplements.