Super Foods for Bone Health

Children need proper nutrients to grow. The junky diet of chicken nuggets, pizza and french fries doesn’t cut it. Since kids' bodies are constantly changing and their bones are still developing, they need the right fuel to make their bones grow and move properly. Making sure your kids eat a few bone-boosting super foods everyday is an easy way to ensure your child's bone health.

These best foods include... 
Giving your kids beans, especially pinto, black, white and kidney beans, is extremely beneficial to the growth and health of their bones. Beans will give them an extra boost of magnesium and calcium.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that enables the absorption of calcium in the body. There are not too many foods that contain high amounts of vitamin D but some varieties of fish do. Eating salmon, tuna, and mackerel provides vitamin D that the body will store for future use.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and dairy products including milk, cheese and yogurt contain very high amounts of it. Consuming enough calcium is crucial as most of it is in the bones. Eating dairy products which are so rich in calcium promote bone growth and by giving your kids dairy products consistently will keep their bones strong for life. I love organic, and raw dairy products. Many people have allergies, but there are plenty of great alternatives.

Leafy greens such as spinach, kale and swiss chard are packed with bone-building nutrients like Vitamin K and Magnesium. Vitamin K helps to form bone protein and cuts down on calcium loss. Green cocktail are great for your overall health.

Calcium and vitamin D do play a major role in the strength of our bones, but so does magnesium. Magnesium is also stored in our bone and is necessary for the storage of calcium. All seeds are great sources for Magnesium, especially pumpkin and chia seeds.

Soy is a legume that is also very rich in calcium. Soy products like soymilk, miso, tofu, edamame and tempeh are good sources and are easy to prepare or buy in the store. Eating soy foods are good for creating more bone density; denser bones equal stronger bones.

Water is great for the functioning of any part of the body including the bones. Tap water in particular contains fluoride, which is a necessary component of your bones and adds density making them stronger. I am still researching this as there is mixed research on fluoride. I do by my toothpaste with out fluoride.