Eat Well

Opening shot shows a doctor walking through a waiting room. An older patient "Mary" (healthy looking, with good posture) is sitting beside a strong young male patient "Chad" (wearing a sleeveless shirt showing muscles)

Doctor to nurse in exam room. 

"...Let's see Mary's bone density?"

Camera cuts to Mary in the waiting room. She appears confident at what the doctor will see on her x-ray (or dexa bone density x-ray)

Back in the exam room, the doctor is clearly surprised at how strong those bones look on the scan. 

NARRATOR:

"Calcium and vitamin D help build strong bones. And prevent falls."

 Doctor to nurse: 

"...Joan, I think this is...Chad's X-ray??..."

Camera cuts to Chad and then back to the nurse

NURSE'S VOICE:

"...No, that's Mary's!"

Doctor's face looks "impressed". Cuts to Mary looking confident and charming. Animated food icons appear on screen (milk, yogurt, cheese for Calcium; Fish, egg yolk, and vitamin D supplement)

NARRATOR: 

"Eat at least 3 servings of calcium rich food. And, take a vitamin D supplement. Every day."

"For more information, contact Ottawa Public Health."

LOGO

Keeping your bones healthy

Calcium and vitamin D are good for your bones and more...

• Calcium helps your heart, muscles and nerves work properly.
• Your body needs vitamin D to absorb and use calcium.

Get your calcium from food

• Try to eat a variety of foods high in calcium every day.
• Calcium is more enjoyable and more easily absorbed from food than from a supplement (pill).
• You may need a supplement if you do not eat a variety of foods high in calcium a day.
• Talk to your health care provider before taking a calcium supplement. It should not be taken with certain medications. Getting too much calcium can cause health problems like constipation and kidney stones.

Take a vitamin D supplement of 400 IU every day, if you are over 50

• You also need to eat foods that contain vitamin D.
• Vitamin D is not naturally found in many foods but it is in fatty fish, egg yolk and liver. That's why vitamin D is added to some foods like cow's milk, some orange juice, soy, almond or rice beverages, and margarine.
• If you don't eat enough good quality sources of vitamin D, you may need a stronger supplement. Talk to your health care provider about it.

Something you can do...

• Read labels to find good sources of calcium and vitamin D.
• Add skim milk powder or evaporated milk to your recipes.
• Try margarine on your toast and in recipes for added vitamin D.
• Replace a coffee or tea with a latte or hot chocolate for extra calcium and vitamin D. 

Print version [360 KB]

Mission Healthy Bones!

Calcium and vitamin D are important for strong bones and teeth!

How much do you need?

How do you do this?

• Complete your diet by taking a daily 400 IU vitamin D supplement.
• Talk to your health care provider about supplementation if you think your diet may not be rich enough in calcium and/or vitamin D.
• Eating a variety of foods each day will help you reach your required levels. 

Protein Foods

• All cow's milk is fortified with vitamin D and is a natural source of calcium. Some plant-based beverages can be fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Check the label. 
• Canned fish with bones adds extra calcium, as long as you eat the bones! 

Vegetables and Fruit 

• Most vegetables and fruits are not a significant source of calcium and vitamin D.

Whole Grains

• Some cereals are now fortified with vitamin D. Check the label. 

Here are some ways to incorporate calcium and vitamin D into your diet: 

• Add 125 mL (1/2 cup) of low fat milk or yogurt to fruit smoothies.
• Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp skim milk powder onto meals such as pastas, casseroles, soups and stir fries. 
• Replace half the ground beef used in recipes with tofu or chickpeas. 
• Canned fish can be combined with mayonnaise and spices to make a quick and tasty dip.
• Add 1-2 tbsp of poppy or chia seeds to salads, pastas, soups, yogurt, smoothies or puddings.
• Cooked greens such as dandelion and bok choy can be added to stir fries or enjoyed on their own. 

Reference: Canadian Nutrient File 2010, Osteoporosis Canada

Resource updated: Summer 2019

For more information call 613-580-6744 to speak with our public health staff or e-mail us at healthsante@ottawa.ca

Fruity flax smoothies for two

Download PDF [104 KB]

Serves: 2

Instructions:

• Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
• Pour and enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Per serving: 300 calories, 5 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 56 mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium, 56 g carbohydrate, 6 g fibre, 40 g sugars, 10 g protein, 15% DV vitamin A, 70% DV vitamin C, 30% DV calcium, 50% DV vitamin D.

Tofu stir fry for two

Download PDF [111 KB]

Serves: 2

 Instructions:

• In small bowl stir together soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil (if using), garlic, salt, pepper, ginger. Set aside.
• Wash and chop or slice all vegetables. Set aside.
• Heat oil or broth in large skillet or wok. Stir in vegetables that take longer to cook (for example, carrots, celery, onions). Cook and stir over high heat until vegetables begin to soften.
• Stir in quick cooking vegetables (for example, snow peas, bean sprouts) and tofu. Cook and stir until all vegetables are crisp and tender.
• Add the reserved soy sauce mixture to the vegetables and stir until the sauce thickens.
• Spoon mixture over hot cooked brown rice or whole wheat noodles.

Nutrition Information:

Per serving: 490 calories, 18 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 55 g carbohydrate, 7 g fibre, 1 g sugars, 24 g protein, 45% DV vitamin A, 15% DV vitamin C, 35% DV calcium, 0% DV vitamin D.

Adapted from "Pam Cooks - Favourite Recipes from the Trillium Cooking School".

Quick macaroni and cheese

Download PDF [109 KB]

Serves: 3

Instructions:

• Cook macaroni in boiling water for 10 minutes, stirring several times. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt margarine in a medium saucepan. Stir in flour and mustard. Add milk slowly, stirring all the time. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens.
• Turn stove to low heat. Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.
• Add drained macaroni. Mix gently. Stir over low heat until mixture is hot. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition information:

Per serving: 400 calories, 21 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 0.5 g trans fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 418 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 1 g fibre, 5 g sugars, 15 g protein, 15% DV vitamin A, 0% DV vitamin C, 35% DV calcium, 17% DV vitamin D.

Recipe adapted from The Basic Shelf Cookbook, First Edition 1994 with permission of the Canadian Public Health Agency.

Salmon burgers

Download PDF [132 KB]

Serves: 4

Instructions:

• Combine all ingredients except buns and topping in bowl. Mix well.
• Divide mixture into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a patty.
• Cook in non-stick skillet over medium heat until patties are nicely browned and firm to the touch, about 5 minutes per side.
• Serve in buns, garnished to taste.

Toppings:

Choose from lettuce, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, mayonnaise, etc.

Nutrition Information:

Per serving: 270 calories, 6 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 95 mg cholesterol, 490 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 4 g fibre, 5 g sugars, 20 g protein, 15% DV vitamin A, 3% DV vitamin C, 20% DV calcium, 170% DV vitamin D.

Permission to reproduce this recipe was given by Pam Collacott, Trillium Cooking School 2010.

Cream of cauliflower and parsnip soup

Download PDF [113 KB]

Serves: 4

Instructions:

• Prepare all ingredients.
• In a medium saucepan, sauté the onion in margarine until soft.
• Add broth and water, cauliflower and parsnips. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool until it is warm.
• Transfer the soup to a blender or purée the vegetables in the soup with a hand potato masher until smooth.
• Adjust seasoning if necessary. You may add milk if soup is too thick.
• Sprinkle with parsley, a pinch of paprika and top with 2 tbsp of grated cheese.

Nutrition information:

Per serving: 210 calories, 9 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 0.2 g trans fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 680 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 5 g fibre, 11 g sugars, 11 g protein, 20% DV vitamin A, 100% DV vitamin C, 30% DV calcium, 26% DV vitamin D.

Chocolate pudding

Download PDF [106 KB]

Serves: 4 to 6

Instructions:

• Microwave chocolate chips at low-medium until just melted. Add cocoa powder to melted chocolate and stir to make a paste.
• In a medium saucepan, add milk and bring to near boiling on medium heat. Reduce heat. Add the chocolate paste to the milk mixture and stir gently to combine.
• Measure sugar and cornstarch and put into a small bowl. Stir well together. Gradually stir the sugar/cornstarch mixture into the hot chocolate/milk mixture.
• Cook and stir until thickened (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat.
• Add vanilla and stir well.
• Pour into dessert serving dishes and refrigerate about 4 hours before serving.

Nutrition information:

Per serving: 260 calories, 6 g fat, 3.5 g of saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 6 mg cholesterol, 125 mg sodium, 50 mg carbohydrate, 3 g fibre, 40 g sugars, 6 g protein, 4% DV vitamin A, 0% DV vitamin C, 15% DV calcium, 30% DV vitamin D.

Adapted from Chatelaine Magazine Website.