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Kids and Calcium
Vicki Koenig, MS, RD, CDN

Clients often ask me how much calcium their kids should be getting for optimal growth and development and to build strong bones. While adults need 1000 mg of calcium per day (1200 mg for those over 50), kids aged 9 to 18 years need 1300 mg!  That’s a lot of calcium. This is the time when kids are building their skeleton for life, so it’s really important to ensure that their diet contains foods that are high in calcium.

While your kids may not eat sardines with bones, providing 350 mg of calcium, they’re likely to love foods like yogurt, grilled cheese or refried bean quesadillas. Take a look at how you can be sure your kids are getting enough calcium, and you are too.

How to get calcium into meals
Good breakfasts
Healthy whole grain cereals with milk or yogurt: 250 mg or more
Multigrain waffles with yogurt, fruit and maple syrup: 268 mg
French toast with yogurt topping: about 200 mg
Easy oatmeal: 400 mg

Good lunches to pack
Stonyfield Farm Smoothie (400 mg), carrots and yogurt dip with pita chips: 479 mg total
PBJ sandwich with 6 oz Stonyfield yogurt (250 mg): about 368 mg total
Whole grain quesadillas: homemade or healthy pre-made versions: 350 mg
Hummus plus 1 oz cheddar cheese in a pita: 378 mg

After school snacks
Berry-licious Parfait : 350
Waffle cone with YoKids yogurt and cut-up fruit: 300 mg
Stonyfield Farm YoCalcium apricot mango: 500 mg
Apple Cobbler a la Mode: 250 mg
 
High Calcium Parts of Dinner
Grilled Chicken Breast Cutlets with Honey Mustard Yogurt Dressing : 400 mg
Vegetable Pot Pie with Biscuit Crust* : 468 mg
Vegetable cheese quiche: 250 mg
Phyllo Pizza Greek Style: 200 mg
Stir-fried tofu with bok choy over brown rice: 190 mg
Mediterranean Couscous Salad : 150 mg

Additional calcium options to add in:
6 oz. Stonyfield Farm fat free or lowfat yogurt: 250-300 mg
1 cup milk: 300 mg
1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice or soy milk: 300 mg
1 4 oz YoKids yogurt: 200 mg
½ cup part-skim ricotta: 200 mg
1 cup cooked greens: turnip, collards, etc: 197-266 mg
1 oz. cheese: mozzarella, Muenster, cheddar, Swiss: 203 – 225 mg
1 cup cooked beans: white, black eyed: 124-191 mg
1 Mozzarella stick: 103 mg
1 oz or 23 whole almonds: 83 mg

For more detail of how to enhance calcium absorption, click here.

Exercise and Stretch to Prevent Back Pain
Advice from Certified Fitness Trainer Dawn Bonic

Experts say 80% of all Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. There are many different causes of back pain. If you suffer from it, talk with your physician to determine its cause and the best remedy.

A good way to help prevent this common ailment is to strengthen your back muscles and stretch both your back muscles and hamstrings (muscles on the back of your upper leg). Tight, inflexible hamstrings generally cause the pelvis to tip forward, tightening and shortening the muscles in the lower back and possibly leading to back pain.

Strengthening the lower back is simple. Lie face-down on the floor with your hands resting naturally by your thighs. As you inhale, lift your head, neck, and shoulders slightly off the floor, then lower them back down as you exhale. Keep your neck straight, and eyes looking continuously at the floor, as you lift and lower. Repeat this movement ten to fifteen times, two to three days per week.

You can stretch your lower back by curling your body into a ball either while lying on the floor or resting on your hands and knees. You can stretch your hamstrings while sitting; straighten your legs in front of you, then lean gently toward your toes while keeping your back straight. As with all stretching exercises, stretch to the point of slight tension, but no pain, holding the stretch for twenty to thirty seconds. You should stretch two to three times per week.