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Best for Bones Foods

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Recipes & Tips

Tips

Cooking at Home
Breakfast Ideas
Lunch and Dinner Ideas
Eating Out
Pressed for Time
For Your Girl On-the-Go
For Your Health-Conscious Girl

Cooking at Home

To boost the amount of calcium and vitamin D in foods you make:

  • Add fat-free or low-fat milk to soups or baked goods.
  • Make hot chocolate with fat-free or low-fat milk or with calcium- and vitamin D-fortified soy drink.
  • Add foods with calcium and vitamin D into dishes that kids already enjoy.
  • Try some of these yummy recipes you can make in a snap.

Breakfast Ideas

  • Add some berries to calcium- and vitamin D-fortified cereal or oatmeal with low-fat or fat-free milk or calcium- and vitamin D-fortified soy drink.
  • Pair calcium-fortified orange juice with a calcium- and vitamin-D fortified cereal bar.
  • Make a fruit smoothie with low-fat or fat-free yogurt or milk.
  • Serve breakfast burritos by filling calcium-fortified, whole-grain tortillas with scrambled eggs, melted low-fat or fat-free cheese, and salsa.
  • Mix low-fat or fat-free vanilla yogurt with fruit and granola.

Lunch and Dinner Ideas

  • Create an Italian feast by combining low-fat cottage and mozzarella cheeses, garlic, and basil with cooked pasta, and cover it with your family's favorite sauce. Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Make a sesame stir-fry by combining pieces of tofu (look for calcium sulfate on the ingredient list) with your daughter's favorite calcium-containing vegetables, such as bok choy and broccoli, in a skillet and cook. Then, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  • Steam and chop broccoli, and top it with low-fat dressing.
  • Make tomato or mushroom soup with fat-free or low-fat milk.

Eating Out

Point your daughter toward menu items with calcium and vitamin D. Here are some delicious ideas:

  • A tall glass of fat-free or low-fat milk (plain, chocolate, or strawberry flavor)
  • Salad bars where you can serve up half a cup of low-fat cottage cheese and a cup of broccoli
  • A slice of pizza topped with broccoli and low-fat cheese
  • Half a cup of macaroni and cheese with half a cup of cooked collards on the side
  • Half a cup of low-fat or fat-free frozen yogurt or smoothies made with low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt (they make a delicious dessert or snack)
  • A cup of fruit juice with added calcium — some delis or cafes may sell these in bottles or cartons

Pressed for Time

Give your daughter one of these quick and easy foods with calcium and vitamin D for meals and snacks:

  • A cup of cereal with added calcium and vitamin D and fat-free or low-fat milk
  • A cup of fat-free or low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese topped with a handful of almonds and fruit
  • Almonds and low-fat cheddar cheese cubes with apple slices
  • A toasted whole wheat English muffin, spread with half a cup of low-fat ricotta cheese and topped with tomato or salsa
  • A cup of broccoli florets drizzled with melted low-fat cheese
  • A wrap with her favorite sandwich fillings, plus:
    • Low-fat cheese
    • Low-fat cottage cheese
    • Tofu with calcium

For Your Girl On-the-Go

Your daughter may skip meals with her busy schedule. Introduce her to the many foods with calcium and vitamin D she can eat on the go, such as:

  • A cereal bar with added calcium and vitamin D
  • A juice box with added calcium
  • A whole-wheat waffle with peanut butter
  • A handful of almonds — add dried fruit for added flavor and toss in a bag (you can make several bags in advance)
  • A cup of low-fat or fat-free plain or fruit-flavored yogurt
  • A small container of low-fat or fat-free pudding made with milk
  • Low-fat string cheese

For Your Health-Conscious Girl

If you're concerned about the fat content in your daughter's diet, there are several delicious, low-fat foods with calcium and vitamin D to eat for meals or snacks.
Choose low-fat or fat-free versions of foods such as yogurt, milk, cheese, pudding made with milk, tofu, and calcium- and vitamin D-fortified soy and rice beverages. Vegetables such as collards, broccoli, kale, and bok choy are naturally low in fat and calories, and can be prepared in many delicious ways.

Talk to your doctor if you are concerned that your daughter might have unhealthy eating or weight loss habits, such as anorexia nervosa. In addition to greatly damaging her overall health, eating disorders may result in bone loss.

Content last updated September 2009

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