Chapter 4 - How to Add Bone-Healthy Foods to Your Diet
This article shares practical ways to include bone healthy nutrients into your diet, whether you eat animal foods and dairy or are vegetarian or vegan.
How to Add Bone-Healthy Foods to Your Diet
If you have had cancer treatments that affect your bone health, you may be more at risk of fractures and developing osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones and makes them more likely to break.
A bone-healthy diet includes enough protein, calcium, vitamin D, and other essential nutrients, which help build bones. This article shares practical ways to include these important nutrients into your diet, whether you eat animal foods and dairy or are vegetarian or vegan.
If you’re struggling to prepare bone-healthy meals…
Experiment with different recipes and cooking methods to make bone-healthy foods more enjoyable and appealing. Consider meal prepping and batch cooking to have nutritious meals readily available throughout the week, or think about getting healthy food delivered to keep in the freezer for convenience. We recommend Field Doctor.
If you want to incorporate more bone-healthy protein into your diet…
Plan your protein sources across the day and week. Your body needs approximately 1g of protein per 1 kg of body weight.
Consider that:
- A small chicken breast or fillet of salmon provides approximately 30g of protein
- Two eggs give 16g of protein
- A portion of cheese provides around 10g of protein
If you want to meet your protein requirements from plant-based sources…Aim for a variety of sources across the day to meet your needs.
- 100g of tempeh provides nearly 20g of protein
- Tofu, veggie burgers, or Quorn pieces provide 7–15g of protein, depending on the manufacturer
- Half a tin of baked beans, chickpeas, or lentils provides around 10g of protein
- A handful of nuts or two tablespoons of nut butter will give about 7–10g of protein
If you’re not sure you’re meeting your calcium requirements…
Use an online calcium calculator to quickly and easily calculate your intake. Seeking personalised advice from a qualified dietitian can also be helpful.
If weight reduction or management is a goal for you…
Choose low-fat natural yoghurt (avoid products with sweeteners added), kefir, cottage cheese, and mature cheddar in moderate portion sizes.
If you have plant milks…
Ensure you’re choosing ones that are fortified with calcium, vitamin D, and preferably other important nutrients such as iodine. Make sure you shake the container well, as vitamins and minerals can settle as sediment at the bottom, meaning you can miss out on these important nutrients.
You may also be prescribed calcium and other bone-supportive supplements.
What might a bone-healthy day of eating look like?
Breakfast
Greek yoghurt with berries and mixed nuts.
A slice of wholegrain toast with avocado, sprinkled with pumpkin seeds.
Mid-Morning Snack
Veggie sticks and hummus.
Lunch
Grilled salmon with a quinoa salad, including leafy greens, chickpeas, and sesame seeds.
Afternoon Snack
A handful of nuts with dried fruit.
Dinner
Chicken stir fry with broccoli, kale, and wild or brown rice.
Add tahini to a vegetable stir-fry for added creaminess. Combine with soy sauce and ginger for extra flavour.
Evening Snack
Tahini over wholegrain toast, topped with banana.