I'm well aware of how much calcium I need (1,000 mg is recommended for adult females), and I'm also very aware that my children need a good amount of calcium throughout their day. Every part of them is growing ... bones, muscles, etc. It's common knowledge that calcium is essential.
But just how much calcium?
I wasn't aware of exactly how much my children should be getting until my daughter had a recent check-up. (By the way, for any of you who have been following my blog, my d. is doing wonderfully, is very healthy, and is now weight restored. She still has some eating disorder behaviors, but they are quickly disappearing. Yipeee for that!)
Since my daughter is a "tween," I'm going to focus on the tween to teen age group in this post. At the recent doctor's appointment, I learned that crucial bone density is being built during these years--and with all the growing that's going on, it's no wonder. But according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, only 13.5 percent of girls and 36.3 percent of boys age 12 to 19 get the recommended daily amount of calcium.
Yipes! So what can we, as parents, do about it? A lot, actually -- and it all doesn't have to do with milk.
- We all know how busy mornings can get, and we've heard again and again not to skip breakfast! It's true, but even more so for our kids. A bowl of whole-grained cereal topped with milk provides a great boost in the morning, and is a wonderful way to begin meeting the daily calcium requirement. Yogurt is the perfect on-the-go treat if you're really spacing for time.
- Drink milk at every meal, instead of juice or soda.
- Another great way to get a boost of calcium in the morning is to buy calcium-fortified orange juice instead of the regular stuff.
- Turkey Hill ice cream or frozen yogurt! I love the stuff. It's delicious, and they have a line of products that contain 20% of your calcium RDA per half cup serving. Now that's a great way to get a calcium boost!
Keep in mind that calcium doesn't come from dairy products alone. One cup of milk gives about 316 milligrams of calcium, but there are a lot of foods that are contain a decent amount of calcium--and every little bit adds up.
- one serving (3 oz) of firm tofu has about 400 mg of calcium (depending on the brand, etc). If you think your tween/teen won't eat tofu, think again! There are tons of creative and delicious recipes using tofu. If you're interested in a few, let me know and I can post some.
- 0ne cup of spinach = 30 mg
- one cup of bok choy = 74 mg
- one cup of rhubarb = 105 mg
- one serving (2 oz) sardines = 92 mg
- one serving of collard greens = 100 mg
There are many more food items that are rich in calcium, including many nuts and legumes.
Your tween and/or teen should get at least 1,300 mg of calcium per day. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences has made these recommendations:
500 mg a day for kids who are 1 to 3 years old
800 mg a day for kids who are 4 to 8 years old
1,300 mg a day for kids who are 9 to 18 years old
Another great way to ensure excellent bone density development is --yep, you guessed it -- exercise. Various studies have proved that beginning -- and maintaining -- a steady exercise routine during the teenage years is extremely important in building strong bones.
Physical activity creates forces on the bone that will trigger increased bone density - a natural response to protect bones by making them sturdier (that's why weight training is so fantastic not just for your muscles, but for your bones as well). It totally makes sense that kids who get more exercise will also have stronger bones, so when you pop in a fitness DVD, try to convince Junior to work out with you. If your tween/teen is shy about starting off with weights, ease them into a yoga routine. Yoga is excellent on the joints and bones and is also soothing for the adolescent mind.
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