Calcium ideas & recipes

You're probably already fighting osteoporosis by eating some favorite calcium-rich foods, and there are easy ways you can make sure you're getting all the calcium you need! Pick up single-size servings of calcium-rich drinks and snacks, add a little calcium to foods you already eat, or cook some high-calcium foods at home. And try some new things:

• Flavored lowfat milk or soy milk (chocolate, strawberry, vanilla)
• Yogurt drinks and smoothies
• Calcium-fortified foods like orange juice, energy bars, animal crackers, and hot cocoa
• Or other calcium-rich foods you've never tried before

Getting calcium on the go

• Keep calcium-fortified cereal bars or energy bars in your bag
• Buy single-serving sizes of yogurt drinks, flavored milk or soy milk, calcium-fortified orange juice, pudding, or yogurt at the grocery or convenience store
• For a snack, buy low-fat frozen yogurt or a smoothie (made with milk or yogurt)
• For lunch or dinner, eat a slice of cheese pizza or a sandwich with a slice of cheese

Get more "calcium on the go" tips for the convenience store or fast food restaurant

Easy ways to add some calcium to the foods you already eat:

• Add yogurt to cut-up fruit, or use the blender and turn fruit and yogurt into a smoothie.
• Add a slice of cheese to a burger or sandwich, or shredded cheese to soup, pasta, or potatoes.
• Add almonds to dried fruit.
• Add nonfat powdered dry milk to cocoa, a glass of milk, hot cereal, or homemade pudding (each tablespoon has 52 mg of calcium).
• Look for calcium-fortified versions of foods you already like: cereals, bread, english muffins, crackers, cocoa.

Recipes

• Strawberry smoothie
• Banana walnut oatmeal
• Spicy hot potato soup
• Layered broccoli salad
• Macaroni & cheese
• Easy Italian Vegetable Pasta Bake
• Lemon yogurt bars

For more ideas go to 3-A-Day or Powerful Bones

Check the Calcium Calculator
See how much calcium you can get to build healthy bones!