10 Best Foods that Build Strong Bones…

When it comes to building strong bones, there are two key nutrients: calcium and vitamin D. Calcium supports your bones and teeth structure, while vitamin D improves calcium absorption and bone growth.

These nutrients are important early in life, but they may also help as you age. If you develop osteoporosis, a disease characterized by brittle and breaking bones, getting plenty of calcium and vitamin D may slow the disease and prevent fractures

Get these nutrients by trying these 10 best foods that build strong bones.

Soy Milk

If you’re lactose intolerant or simply don’t want to eat dairy products, a good alternative is calcium-enriched soy milk. Half a cup has more calcium than regular milk. Not only have that, but recent research shows that plant-based chemicals called isoflavones in the soy may increase boned density.

Yogurt

Most people get their vitamin D through exposure to sunlight, but certain foods, like yogurt, are fortified with vitamin D.

One cup of yogurt can be a creamy way to get your daily calcium. Stony field Farms makes a fat-free plain yogurt that contains 30% of your calcium and 20% of your vitamin D for the day.

Orange juice

A glass of fresh-squeezed Orange Juice doesn't have calcium or vitamin D, but it’s often fortified to contain these nutrients. Try Tropicana's Calcium + Vitamin D to get a boost of these essentials.

Also, studies have shown that the ascorbic acid in Orange Juice may help with calcium absorption, so you may be more likely to get the benefits of this fortified drink.

Egg and You

Eggs got a bad rap for a while, but they’ve been largely exonerated as long as you eat them in moderation. Along with plenty of protein in a whole egg, the yolks give you about 6% of the vitamin D you need each day. Going for the white-only alternative will cut fat and calories but it won’t help protect your bones.

Cheese

Just because cheese is full of calcium doesn’t mean you need to eat it in excess (packing on the pounds won’t help your joints!). Just 1.5 ounces (think a set of dice) of cheddar cheese contains more than 30% of your daily value of calcium, so enjoy in moderation.

Most cheeses contain a small amount of vitamin D, but not enough to put a large dent in your daily needs.

Peanuts and Almonds

Peanuts and almonds are packed with potassium, which inhibits the loss of calcium in urine. Walnuts are rich in alpha linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that slows down bone loss and helps bone formation to continue. Nuts are also good sources of protein and other nutrients that contribute to keeping bones strong.

Salmon

A 3-ounce serving of salmon has over 100% of your daily vitamin D needs. If you choose canned salmon with edible bones, you’ll also be getting plenty of calcium. Either way, heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids are in the mix, so this is a win-win option.

Tuna

Tuna, another fatty fish, is a good source of vitamin D. Three ounces of canned tuna contains 154 IU, or about 39% of your daily dose of the sunshine vitamin. Try these low-cal Tuna-Melt Tacos as a way to sneak in vitamin D and calcium.

Calcium Rich Veggies: Broccoli

Veggies can’t give you all the calcium you need, but broccoli does a great job of adding to your cache of both calcium and vitamin D along with vitamin C, fiber, and cancer-fighting nutrients. Raw or steamed, broccoli does your bones well and keeps you healthy in other ways as well.

Leafy Greens

Dark, leafy greens are arguably the best non-dairy sources of calcium. Try kale, arugula, watercress, and collard greens either cooked or in your salads. However, while spinach gives you iron and other nutrients, it contains oxalic acid. This makes its calcium content unavailable for absorption by the human body.