Calcium and Bone Health

Healthy bone growth and maintenance requires adequate calcium intake. Calcium needs can be met from foods, beverages, and if necessary, supplements. Adequate intake for calcium is: 500mg/day for children 1-2 years old, 800mg children 4-8 years old, 1300mg for adolescents and teenagers 9-18 years old, and adults 19 and older need at least 1000-1200mg/day.

In order to determine if a food is a good source of calcium, look for the milligrams of calcium per serving under the Percent Daily Value listed on the Nutrition Facts panel of the food label. To find the milligrams of calcium in a standard food serving, drop the % sign from the Percent Daily Value for calcium and add a zero. For example, 40% Daily Value = 400mg. (Note: this only works with calcium) A good source of calcium contributes at least 100mg of calcium in a standard serving. Reduced fat milk, calcium fortified orange juice, canned salmon, and Blackstrap molasses are examples of foods that are good sources of calcium and relatively low in calories.

Sources of Calcium Contributing 100mg per Serving or More: