Te kainga pai e kaha ai ngā kōiwi Eating well for healthy bones

It is not good for your bones if you:

• are underweight
• are very overweight
• lose a lot of weight very quickly
• repeatedly gain and lose weight.

If you are struggling to maintain a healthy weight, talk to your healthcare provider. They may refer you to a community healthy eating programme or to a dietitian.

Eating a variety of foods is the best way to make sure you get all the nutrients your body needs to build and maintain strong bones.

Have food from all the main food groups every day:

• vegetables and fruit
• grain foods – mostly wholegrain and those naturally high in fibre
• milk and milk products such as cheese and yoghurt
• fish, chicken, lean red meat, eggs, nuts, seeds or legumes (cooked dried beans, split peas and lentils).

Calcium is a mineral found in many foods. Your body needs calcium for strong healthy bones.

Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt are good sources of calcium. They also have other important nutrients such as protein and phosphorous which are important for bone and overall health.

Try:

• making porridge with milk instead of water
• having milk and yogurt with breakfast cereal
• using lots of milk in your hot drinks
• adding plain yoghurt to a creamy soup or curry
• making a milk-based smoothie
• topping toast with cheese and tomato.

Non-dairy foods for calcium

If you do not like or can not have dairy products, there are other foods that are good sources of calcium. These include:

• green vegetables such as Chinese cabbage and choy sum
• other green vegetables such as spinach and silverbeet have good amounts of calcium — but they also contain oxalate, which makes it harder for your body to absorb the calcium
• whole canned fish with soft edible bones, such as sardines and salmon
• nuts, especially almonds and Brazil nuts
• tofu that has been set with calcium — check if the ingredients list includes calcium or calcium sulphate
• calcium-enriched soy, almond, oat or rice milk — choose a milk with at least 120 mg of calcium per 100 ml.

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, so we also need it for strong bones. We get most of our vitamin D from sunlight directly onto our skin but having foods that contain vitamin D can help, especially in the winter.

Getting your daily vitamin D (internal link)

Protein-rich food helps to keep your bones strong and healthy. Protein-rich choices include:

• fish, chicken and lean meat
• eggs
• dairy products
• tofu, nuts, seeds and legumes such as dried cooked beans, split peas and lentils
• some plant milks such as soy milk.

You should also eat plenty of different coloured vegetables and fruit. These are full of fibre, vitamins and minerals. We are not sure why vegetables and fruit are good for your bones, but we know that people who eat plenty of them are less likely to break a bone.

Have at least 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit every day — a serving is about a handful. Try to have vegetables or fruit at all meals. Vegetables and fruit are also great snacks.

Sugary and diet fizzy drinks are not good for your bones. We are not sure why, but we know that tamariki and rangatahi who regularly have fizzy drinks are more likely to have weaker bones.

Also, middle-aged women who regularly have fizzy drinks are more likely to break a hip.

If you drink alcohol, follow the national guidelines below on how much to drink safely.