This year National Healthy Bones Week 
will run from 4-8 August. This event, run by Dairy Australia, aims to raise awareness of the importance of dairy and other calcium-rich foods in maintaining healthy bones and preventing osteoporosis later in life. A diet rich in calcium, along with weight-bearing activity such as walking, is essential for developing and maintaining strong bones.
Stuck for ideas about ways to consume calcium-rich foods? There are plenty of great recipes in The Food Book that include a variety of dairy products, such as milk and cheese.
For a quick meal, try making a rich, creamy alfredo sauce (The Food Book p. 243) to serve with wide fettuccini or the store cupboard classic, tuna mornay (The Food Book p. 265) – both recipes contain parmesan, which has an intense and sharp flavour.
For those with a bit more time on your hands, try making some hearty and comforting fish pies with milk (pp. 272-273). Or you could make a deliciously smooth cheese sauce (p. 429) to serve over cauliflower or broccoli.
If you are feeling like something sweet, custard sauce made from custard powder and milk (p. 449) makes for a simple yet sumptuous addition to many desserts. You could add it to old-fashioned winter favourites such as stewed apples (p. 324), baked apples (p. 329) or the steamed jam pudding (p. 347). What ideas do you have for ‘saying cheese’ and consuming foods high in calcium during National Healthy Bones Week?
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May 30, 2014 at 12:24 pm
Lucy
I believe raising awareness of alternatives to dairy based calcium-rich foods is a great idea, yet many people still remain blissfully unaware of just how important calcium is for your body. As a child I suffered from lactose intolerance (and have since grown out of it), so my Mother was very proactive in ensuring I was getting enough calcium from my diet. Since I have been able to eat lactose foods again, one of my favourites is home made macaroni cheese! My Mother, brother and I call it ‘sooky la la’ food. I love the texture and flavour (especially with a good parmesan included), and it reminds me of when I was sick as a child and Mum would care for me.
May 29, 2014 at 11:16 am
Eleni
I agree, the majority of people do know that milk is a good source of calcium. However, not everyone can consume milk, whether it be for health reasons such as lactose intolerance or just because they choose not to. Calcium-fortified products are a good alternative to regular milk such as soy milk and breakfast cereals as well (although a lot are high in sodium). Green leafy vegetables are also great sources of calcium if you are vegetarian or vegan; some popular ones are spinach and kale which you can whip up into a juice with other veggies to get your calcium intake for the day.
May 26, 2014 at 3:30 pm
alisalex
I actually think that most people aware that dairy is a rich source of calcium. Placing emphasis on lesser know valuable sources of calcium is a great idea, though! Dried figs, kale and poppy seeds contain very high amounts of calcium and are great for vegans too.
July 26, 2013 at 10:31 pm
lealc
Reblogged this on My Blog.