The calcium-rich diet is important to ensure strong and healthy bones preventing diseases, such as osteoporosis and osteopenia, especially in women with a family history of the disease. Calcium also helps to improve the ability of muscles to contract and is useful for improving the individual's quality of life.
To follow a diet rich in calcium, foods such as milk and dairy products such as cheese, yogurt and butter, for example, should be eaten daily.
Some tips for eating a calcium-rich diet are:
- Drink milk for breakfast or before bedtime; Take 1 yogurt a day; Place a slice of Minas cheese on bread or toast; Add grated cheese on pasta and white cheese on salads; Add a little cream in soups and sauces; Eat calcium-rich fruits like mango, orange, kiwi, pear, grape, prune and blackberry; Regularly eat dark green vegetables like spinach and broccoli because they are also good sources of calcium.
For more examples of foods rich in calcium see: Foods rich in calcium.
To find out what you shouldn't eat to ensure a good amount of calcium, see:
Calcium-rich diet menu
This example of a calcium-rich diet menu is a simple option for anyone looking to increase calcium in their diet.
- Breakfast - 1 French bread with Minas cheese and a glass of milk. Lunch - stewed tofu with rice and spinach cooked with grated cheese. For dessert, grapes. Snack - natural yogurt with granola, blackberries and to accompany a mango and orange juice. Dinner - baked sardines with baked potatoes and broccoli seasoned with olive oil. A pear for dessert.
Consuming calcium through plant foods is a very important strategy for people who are intolerant to milk sugar, lactose, or just don't like the taste of milk and its derivatives. However, these foods also have oxalates or phytates that hinder iron absorption and, therefore, it is important to vary dietary sources of calcium. To learn more about increasing calcium absorption see: 4 tips to improve calcium absorption.
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