Bone healthy diet and habits for the whole family
Transcript
Title: Bone healthy diet and habits for the whole family
Good nutrition and regular physical activity is essential for children's growing bones as well as for adults or older people to maintain their bones in good condition.
The best way for parents to help their children to take up a habit of healthy eating and regular exercise is to be a role model themselves.
Parents need to provide milk, dairy products, dark green vegetables and other calcium-rich foods in meals for their families.
When it comes to eating, it is best for parents to enjoy meals with their children.
By consuming calcium rich foods together, parents can lead their children to eat more of these foods.
Various food combinations can help the family get more calcium in every meal.
At breakfast and snack time, parents can drink milk or calcium-fortified soy milk together with their children
If you don't drink milk, then have a slice of cheese and bread. You can make a cheese sandwich or toast with your child.
Serve half a tub of plain yoghurt with your child's favorite fruits. That makes a delicious snack. Or, you can make baked potatoes and let your child top it with yoghurt.
It does not only bring you a yummy snack but fun to both of you.
As for meals, firm tofu matches well with minced meat, fish or soup dishes. A quarter block of firm tofu provides the same amount of calcium as 120 millilitres of milk.
For vegetables, choose the dark green vegetables more .
You can stir fry choy sum, bok choy, or broccoli with beef, pork or chicken
Parent modeling and guidance can help children with eating more vegetables. If your child does not like vegetables, you can encourage and tell him, “I'm eating broccoli, can you try it too?"
In addition to a healthy diet, parents should exercise more and set a good example on being physically active, such as playing ball games, jogging or running.
A lifestyle for healthy bones does not only benefit ourselves, but also helps children shape healthy habits and lay the foundation for the development of strong bones.
To learn more, please visit the website of the Family Health Service, Department of Health
www.fhs.gov.hk