Why is diet important for developing healthy bones and teeth?
Bones and teeth are living tissues that grow, strengthen, and even repair themselves. There is a critical window in childhood and adolescence for bone and enamel growth so it’s essential you offer the right nutrients to optimise your child reaching their own potential for building bones, growing taller and developing strong and healthy teeth.
What are the key nutrients for healthy bones and teeth?
Calcium – the main building blocks
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and the key ingredient in bone and tooth structure. During growth, children need plenty of calcium to reach their full bone mass potential.
Vitamin D – the Calcium helper
The body needs vitamin D to help absorb the calcium in the diet so it’s a crucial nutrient. It also plays many roles in the body including maintaining a healthy immune system and muscle function.
Phosphorus – Calcium’s partner in crime
Phosphorus works hand-in-hand with calcium to build strong bones and teeth. It also supports energy production and cell repair.
Magnesium – the balancing act
Magnesium helps regulate calcium and vitamin D levels, keeping bones dense and healthy.
Vitamin K – the support system
Vitamin K helps regulate calcium in the body and supports bone metabolism
Where can I find these nutrients in the diet?
Dairy foods – milk, cheese, yoghurt e.t.c
These are naturally rich in calcium and phosphorus so a great addition to the diet if tolerated.
Wholegrains (wheat, spelt, oats, brown rice) – good source of phosphorus and magnesium.
Nuts and seeds – rich in phosphorus and magnesium (care with whole nuts in under 5’s, ensure nut butters are not too claggy to reduce choking risk)
Meat, poultry & seafood – good source of phosphorus
Pulses (legumes, beans and lentils) – another good source of phosphorus and magnesium
Green leafy veg – kale, cabbage, spinach, broccoli – great for magnesium and vitamin K
Eggs – good for vitamin D, especially the yolks
Oily fish (salmon, mackeral) – another good choice for vitamin D
Fortified products – cereals, plant-based milks – great for calcium and vitamin D
Calcium requirements
A balanced diet can provide all the nutrients the body needs for healthy bones and teeth however calcium remains the main focus as this is the main building block for bones and teeth. Below you can see the daily calcium requirements by age.
Practical examples
A 100ml glass of cow’s milk or fortified plant drink such as soya or oat milk will provide 120mg calcium.
A matchbox sized piece of cheese offers ~220mg calcium
A small pot of fromage frais provides ~100mg calcium
A tablespoon of instant hot oats (e.g. Readybrek) is 200mg calcium
2 large slices of white bread offers 155mg calcium
An orange is 29mg calcium
Offering a fortified cereal in the morning made with milk/fortified plant-based milk is a good start to the day. If you have a cheese sandwich for lunch and a yoghurt or an orange you will have exceeded 500mg calcium.
What if my child doesn’t like these foods?
Whizzing up smoothies can disguise alot of nutrients, for instance a handful of spinach into a fruit smoothie made with milk, yoghurt or fortified alternative provides an easy option with lots of bone-healthy ingredients.
You could try baking with wholemeal flour, adding in some ground flaxseed or smooth nut butters or making savoury muffins with cheese and spinach or cooked broccoli Broccoli and Cheese Muffins – Kidgredients.
Adding a handful of cooked lentils to dishes like shepherd pie or casserole or soup is another creative idea to boost not only bone health but protein and fibre too.
Giving a daily vitamin D supplement (drops for infants and toddlers, chewable vitamin for children) is a good idea, especially in the months between October and March where we can’t make vitamin D from the sunshine (in the UK). Aim for 10 micrograms a day.
It is likely that non-dairy foods containing calcium will sneak into the diet without too much planning so don’t worry too much!
The British Dietetic Association (BDA) have a good diet sheet which is free to access and provides more information on calcium-containing foods.
References