Nutrition label facts

Nutrition Facts labels can tell you a lot about the foods you're eating, including their calcium content. These labels can help you easily find high-calcium foods. Here's how:

• Look toward the bottom of the label where you'll see calcium listed with a percent. (Calcium content won't be listed if the food does not have much calcium).
• This number is the "Percent Daily Value," or how much of one day's calcium that food provides.
• If the Daily Value percents of the foods you eat add up to 100%, you've eaten the recommended calcium for the day! (For girls age 9-18 the total is 130%.)
• Percent Daily Value is based on 1000 mg of calcium/day recommended for 18-30 year-olds.
• Younger women (9 to 18 years) need 1300 mg, or 130% of the total Daily Value.

One easy rule is to look for foods that are "good" or "excellent" sources of calcium.

• A "good" source of calcium is 10-19% Daily Value (DV)
• An "excellent" source is 20% DV or more

Other clues to high-calcium foods: look for terms like "calcium-fortified" or "calcium added."

For more information on Nutrition Labels, go to the FDA