Prairie Fare: Boning Up on Calcium Needs

March 18, 2004

Prairie Fare: Boning Up on Calcium Needs

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

We’re all born with a natural liking for sweet flavors. It’s no wonder many children gravitate toward soda pop over calcium-rich milk when given the opportunity.

So, what’s the big deal? Surely kids can make up for calcium shortages over time, right?

Avoiding milk and other calcium-rich foods and beverages can have short-term and long-term effects.

A recent study reported in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association showed that children who avoided milk over time had more than twice the rate of bone fractures expected for their age. Many of the fractures resulted from minor trauma that would not be expected to cause a break.

Millions of people are falling short of calcium needs and could face the long-term debilitating effects of osteoporosis, a condition of weakened, fragile bones.

A reported two-thirds of children and 90 percent of teenage girls and women do not meet current calcium recommendations. This puts an entire generation at risk for osteoporosis.

Men, too, are at risk for osteoporosis. In the U.S. an estimated 2 million men and 8 million women have osteoporosis.

Could you be at risk for osteoporosis? Consider these questions.

Are you female?
Do you have a family history of osteoporosis?
Are you of Caucasian or Asian decent?
Are you older than 35?
Do you smoke cigarettes?
Do you consume more than two alcoholic beverages daily?
Are you stressed?
Is your diet low in calcium (less than 1000 mg daily)?
Do you limit dairy foods?
Do you have a high protein intake?
If female, are you post-menopausal or have you had your ovaries removed?

Are you or your children or grandchildren meeting your calcium needs? These are the current recommendations:

Ages 1-3: 500 milligrams (mg)
4-8: 800 mg
9-18: 1300 mg
19-51: 1000 mg
over 51: 1200 mg

Check Nutrition Facts labels to learn more about your calcium choices. Nutrition experts promote eating “3-A-Day” of dairy to help meet calcium needs. A cup of milk, for example, has about 300 milligrams of calcium.

Here’s an easy-to-make calcium-rich snack to nourish bones and energize kids of all ages.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

3 6-ounce containers low-fat or nonfat vanilla or strawberry yogurt
1 10-ounce package frozen sweetened strawberries
1 medium banana, sliced
1/4 cup low-fat or nonfat milk

Place all ingredients in a blender. Cover and blend on high speed until smooth (about 30 seconds). Pour in glasses and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains about 250 calories, 3 grams fat, 50 grams carbohydrate and 20 percent of the daily recommendation for calcium.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu

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