Childhood is the biggest opportunity to build strong bones for life. It sets a solid foundation for future bone health. Most of our bone density is built in childhood and adolescence. The amount of bone we have peaks around the age of 20. As adults, old bones are replaced with new bones, but very slowly. With older age, bones get weaker. Our Dietitians discuss how we can nurture healthy bones in young children at home and within care to protect our bones for a lifetime.
Bones give your bodies shape. They support and protect your organs and systems. Did you know that a baby's body has about 300 bones at birth which eventually grow together to form the 206 bones that adults have.
Bone up kids’ Nutrition!
Adequate nutrition is one of the most important factors to support strong and healthy bones. A balanced diet can help keep children’s weight in a healthy range. Children who are overweight tend to have a higher risk of fractures than other children because they are more likely to be inactive and their bones have more stress.
Weighing too little is also risky for bone health. Dieting, fasting, or exercising too much during adolescence to lose weight can lead to bone loss. A healthy diet is abundant in Calcium and Vitamin D which are key nutrients for building healthy bones.
Give your kids more calcium
Known as essential nutrient for bone development, calcium is also important for the health of the heart, muscles, blood, and nerves. With almost 99% of the body’s calcium found in the bones, they act like a calcium bank. If your diet is low in calcium, the body will take what it needs from your bones. If this happens, bone density will gradually decline, increasing the risk of osteoporosis (bone disease). Low calcium intake also increases the risk of bone fractures in children.
As calcium cannot be made by the body, food is the main source. Eating a calcium-rich diet is the best way to achieve the recommended calcium intake.
You can get calcium from many types of foods such as:
Milk and milk products: milk, yoghurt, cheese and buttermilk. Dairy food is the greatest source of calcium in the Australian diet.
Leafy green vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, Bok choy, Chinese cabbage and spinach.
Soy & tofu: Tofu or tempeh or fortified soy products.
Fish and seafood: trout, snapper, mussels, oysters, prawns, canned sardines or salmon
Nuts & seeds: almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, sesame seeds, tahini paste
Fruits: orange, strawberries, figs, kiwi fruit, date
Calcium fortified foods: breakfast cereals, fruit juice, bread, plant-based milks.
How much calcium do children need?
Calcium needs vary with age. Requirements are particularly high during periods of rapid growth in teenagers.
Some kid-friendly snacks and main dishes that are good sources of calcium include:
A salmon /tuna sandwich made with canned salmon with bones.
A pizza bagel/pita with mozzarella cheese.
Cheese cubes and apple skewers.
Almond butter on apple slices.
Peanut butter banana smoothie.
Mashed potatoes with evaporated milk.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for bone growth and health because it helps the body to absorb calcium, maintains the calcium we need to keep bones healthy and supports healthy muscles and the immune system.
The main source of Vitamin D is through UV levels aka sunshine, but you can also get these through your food such as:
Fatty Fish (Salmon)
Eggs
Margarine And Milk
Cereals
Unfortunately, most kids do not eat these vitamin D rich food and stay indoors which minimal exposure to sunlight. This is where vitamin D supplements come handy to improve bone health.
Encourage kids to exercise for healthy bones
Exercise is important for bone health and goes hand in hand with adequate nutrition. Children and adolescents who exercise regularly gain more bone mass.
The best physical activity options for children’s bones are weight-bearing and resistance exercises. Bone is living tissue and weight bearing activity causes bones to build more cells and become strong.
These types of exercises build strong bones while your kids have fun include:
Hopping, skipping, and jumping (including jumping rope).
Judo.
Running or jogging.
Dancing.
Gymnastics.
Team sports (like soccer or basketball).
A growing concern is increased sedentary lifestyle in children and teens which reduces bone density!
How to protect kid’s bones?
Bones give the body structure. It is important to protect them. Ensure that your kids wear helmet for bike riding and other sports to protect the skull bones and always wear the right equipment when playing sports like football, soccer, or others.
Nutrition for bone healing
A healthy diet can help strengthen bones. Nutritional needs increase during the fracture healing process. To help heal a broken bone and prevent future fractures, it is recommended to increase the intake of:
Calcium to strengthen the bones
Vitamin D to increase the absorption of calcium
Vitamin K Calcium-binding protein is strengthened by vitamin K improving bone density. Green leafy vegetables are a great source of this vitamin
Vitamin C Critical component in collagen formation for bone repair, vitamin C helps bone fracture heal. Sources include citrus fruits, broccoli, tomatoes
Protein essential to build new bone for the repair process.
More resources can be found here.
Our Dietitians are here to help families and childcare centres.
With Dietitians all over Australia, OSCAR Care Group Dietitians are here to support you optimise your bone health and prevent fractures through personalised dietary advice. We can help you with one-on-one consultations at our clinic and via telehealth for parents and families for a tailored nutritional assessment and plan.
Our Dietitians also assist Childcare Centres with menus and recipes to ensure they are offering growing children nutritious and delicious food within long-stay care. We are menu experts! Get in touch for a childcare menu review or development.
Comments