Dinner Diva: The best way to get calcium

When a woman is in her prime, she is more likely to think about keeping in shape and maintaining her figure than broken hips and osteoporosis. However, not thinking about preserving bone health at this age is a big mistake because that’s when something can be done to maintain healthy bone mass. Young women build bone mass until about 25, and after that, it’s all about maintaining that bone mass.

The biggest factor in prevention of osteoporosis is, of course, a calcium-rich diet. Milk products, grains, fresh fruits and vegetables all contain some level of calcium with dairy being the kingpin of calcium. The issue of eating a diet rich in calcium is absorption and while supplements are helpful, food is best.

But if you are looking at getting a supplement, the best supplemental calcium to buy will have magnesium in it, with a 3-to-1 ratio of calcium to magnesium for optimal absorption.

But back to food. Oxalic acid, present in such healthy foods such as spinach and oatmeal, actually blocks calcium absorption. And even though these foods themselves are rich in calcium, the availability of that calcium isn’t viable because of the presence of oxalic acid. That doesn’t mean spinach and oatmeal should be stricken from our diets — we just need to understand that the calcium we THINK we’re getting from these sources are severely limited because of the oxalic acid (and we shouldn’t eat too much of them, either). Chocolate’s also rather high in oxalic acid — not that anyone may have been looking to chocolate to fulfill her calcium requirements!

Another way we lose out on calcium absorption is through consumption of carbonated beverages. Phosphorus, which is naturally present in any drink with carbonation, hinders absorption of calcium as well. It may not be necessary to completely abstain from all soda drinking, but it is a good idea to limit the amount consumed and certainly to not drink it daily.

In the past few years, it has been brought to light that weight-bearing exercise helps with calcium absorption. For so long, so many women have relied heavily on aerobics or walking to be their sole exercise, but that doesn’t cut it as far as bone health is concerned. The very act of lifting weights is what strengthens the bones — it isn’t just exercise itself.

Here are some fun ways to sneak calcium into your diet:

• Sesame seeds have 60 milligrams of calcium per ounce, and sunflower seeds have 33 milligrams. Top your salads liberally with these calcium-rich seeds.
• Powdered milk is full of calcium and a great way to get a creamy soup without the fat. Use broth as the liquid base for the soup, and simply add as much powdered milk as you like to achieve creaminess.
• Oranges, broccoli and tofu all have surprisingly higher levels of calcium and should be considered great snacks.
• Turnip greens, kale and collard greens are also calcium rich, and can be easily mixed in to many meals.

Here’s a recipe that will keep your bones strong!

Chicken and Orange Kale Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• ¹/₂ tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium clove garlic, minced
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 medium orange, peeled and segmented
• 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded 4 cups chopped kale
• ¹/₄ cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• ¹/₄ cup diced red onion

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine coconut oil, garlic, salt and pepper; rub mixture into chicken.

Place chicken in a large baking dish; cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes per side or until chicken juices run clear. Uncover and allow chicken to cool. In a large bowl, toss together remaining ingredients (onion through rosemary). Using two forks, shred chicken; add to the salad; toss and serve.

Leanne Ely is a NYT bestselling author and the creator of SavingDinner.com, the original menu planning website, bringing families back to the dinner table for over 15 years.