Categories: Parenting

Bone Health: What Food Sources Contain Vitamin D, Inulin & Calcium?

As parents, we want to make sure our children are receiving enough vitamins and minerals for good bones and all around good health. We also need to keep ourselves as healthy as possible to run after those kids. Maintaining good bones as we age can be tricky. While supplementing is an option, try pairing foods together to ensure the food sources your eating will work their best together inside your body to do the jobs needed for good bone health.

Good for Bones

We all know the phrase “Milk…It does a body good,” but do you know how to get the most out of your milk? Let’s begin with foods that contain milk such as: yogurt, cheese, and ice cream. Even the youngest child will know these. Consider for a moment that you cannot eat dairy. How will you get the calcium needed for bone heath?

Did you know that vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and almonds are all good calcium sources? When pairing these food sources with other food sources, you’ll increase the chances of good bone health. For instance, pairing calcium with vitamin D has been a good pair for years and can be found in milks, orange juices and other food products.

Food Sources

When calcium is paired with inulin, the two will help build good bone health along with helping with tummy troubles. Below is a list of foods that can be paired together to promote good bone health.

Inulin and Calcium:

bananas (inulin) and almonds (calcium)
whole-wheat flour (inulin) with milk and cheese (calcium)
asparagus (inulin) and pepper jack cheese (calcium)

Calcium and Vitamin D:

fortified orange juice (calcium and vitamin D) with eggs (vitamin D) and kale (calcium)
canned light tuna (vitamin D) and yogurt (calcium)
broccoli (calcium) and salmon (vitamin D)

Other food sources containing inulin include onions and garlic. Calcium and vitamin D are found in many different food sources. On the calcium list, these foods are included: cottage cheese, okra, chickpeas, red kidney beans, figs, and oranges. When trying to find a good source of vitamin D, look no further than the sun. The sun supplies vitamin D and can be obtained from several minutes of sunlight a few times a day. If you are looking for food sources that contain vitamin D, the list includes: oysters, cod, mushrooms, herring, chocolate milk, clam chowder and puddings.

Other Bone Health Food Sources

Most of our lives we have been taught to stay away from fatty foods. While this is true in the case of deep frying, there are some good fats that our body needs to function properly and just like we discussed, by pairing these food sources together, you’ll receive better benefits and better bone health.

Vitamin K is yet another great food source for building bones. Our bodies need the vitamin K, but the vitamin will not work properly unless there is another element paired with it – fat. Below are several food source combinations that will help build good bone health.

olive oil (good fat) with spinach, kale, and turnip greens (vitamin K)
sesame seeds (good fat) with cabbage (vitamin K)
flax seeds (good fat) with Brussels sprouts (vitamin K)

Green tea is also a good source of vitamin K. By drinking green matcha tea, which is ground up green tea leaves, you’ll be getting the most out of the tea. Other foods on the vitamin K list include: avocados, kiwifruit, navel oranges, potatoes and soy beans. Other foods containing good fats include black olives, green olives, pistachios, pine nuts and pecans.

Tips for Good Food Sources

Don’t limit yourself to boring foods. Mix-and-match different food sources for good bone health combinations. Cook, saute, grill, broil, or toss any of the best foods together to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner good for bones and all around health. Remember that most foods will lose some of their nutritional value if cooked too long. Eat raw fruits and veggies when possible.