CU SPORTS MEDICINE
Boost Your Calcium Intake
Sample Menu (* High calcium sources)
Breakfast
Orange juice
Whole grain cereal
Fresh banana
* 8 oz. low fat milk
Coffee or tea
Lunch
Vegetable soup with saltine crackers
Turkey and *cheese sandwich on whole grain bread,
sliced tomato, lettuce and mayo or mustard
Fresh fruit salad
* ½ cup low fat vanilla yogurt
Snack
Apple
Graham crackers
*4 oz. low fat milk or *1/2 cup
part-skim ricotta cheese mixed
with cinnamon for spread on
crackers
Dinner
Tossed salad with vinegar and oil dressing
Broiled chicken breast
Herbed brown rice
Steamed spinach with lemon
Whole grain roll with margarine
*1/2 cup low-fat pudding
High Calcium Snack Ideas
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8 oz. hot chocolate made with steamed milk
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8 oz warm milk with a few drops of almond or vanilla extract and cinnamon
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8 oz low fat fruit yogurt
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1 cup low fat frozen yogurt
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1 oz hard cheese and crackers
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Crunchy cereal topped with creamy yogurt
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Take a break with a latte made with 8 oz of milk instead of black coffee
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Refresh with a yogurt-juice drink
Tips for Increasing Calcium Intake
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Stir 2 Tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder into regular milk or your favorite beverage.
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Whip up a breakfast drink using lowfat milk, nonfat yogurt, fresh fruit, some sweetener and 3 ice
cubes.
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Make hot cereal or soups with milk instead of water.
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Use plain yogurt as a substitute for sour cream or mayonnaise in recipes or on a baked potato.
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Use canned salmon with bones in place of tuna in sandwich spreads, fillings, or on a bagel.
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Top pasta with tomato sauce and 1/2 cup ricotta cheese or some part skim mozzarella.
(OVER)
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Chop tofu or tempeh into a green salad, grill with herbs or add some to your favorite stir-fry dish.
Use broccoli, kale, okra, and turnip greens regularly.
Recommended Calcium Intake (Mgs/day)
Age Group
0-6 months
6-12 months
1-3 years
4-8 years
9-18 years
19-50 years
51-70 years
With estrogen replacement
No estrogen replacement
Pregnancy
18 years and under
19-50 years
Breast-feeding
18 years and under
19-50 years
Adequate Intake (AI)
210
270
500
800
1300
1000
1200
1000*
1500*
All figures apply to male and
females except for those relating to
pregnancy and breast-feeding. To
avoid harmful health effects, do
not take more than 2500 mgs a day
of calcium, or 2000 IU a day of
vitamin D. More is not always
better!
1300
1000
1300
1000
* NIH 1994 Consensus Conference Recommendations
Source: NAS National Research Council – 1997 Adequate Intakes
Recommended Intakes of Vitamin D
Age Group
Birth – 50 years
51-70 yrs.
71+ yrs
*1997 NAS
200 IU
400 IU
600 IU
** 1994 NIH
400 – 800 IU
400 – 800 IU
* NAS, National Research Council – 1997 Adequate Intakes
** NIH 1994 Consensus Conference Recommendations
Vitamin D is critical for the absorption of
calcium. Unfortunately, the American diet is
poor in vitamin D. It is found only in fortified
foods, especially milk, and some fatty fishes.
Our bodies can manufacture vitamin D through
exposure of our face, hands and arms to the sun.
You need to be in the sun 5 to 15 minutes 3 times
a week. This is not always possible so you may
need to take a supplement.
Most women require a minimum of 3 to 4 calcium (dairy) equivalents every day. A calcium
equivalent equals 300 mgs of calcium. A dietitian can help you determine your exact calcium needs.
Calcium Equivalents ( each 300 mgs calcium)
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Skim, 1%, 2%, whole milk
Yogurt (low fat, nonfat, regular)
Cheese, hard
Ricotta cheese, part skim, regular
Cottage cheese
Powdered skim milk
Frozen yogurt, milk based
Pudding, low fat, nonfat, regular
Ice cream
University of Colorado Hospital, Denver
November 2003 (Reviewed 1/10)
Calcium_SM
DOD:PED02149
1 cup
1 cup
1 ½ ounces
½ cup
2 cups
¼ cup
1 ½ cups
1 cup
1 ¾ cups
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Calcium fortified soy milk
Calcium fortified orange juice
Soy beans
Canned salmon with bones
Sardines with bones
Tofu processed with calcium
Broccoli, kale, okra, mustard greens
Unfortified soy milk
1 ¾ cups
1 cup
1 ¾ cup
5 ounces
6 average
6 ounces
1 ½ cups
30 cups