
Eating well for strong healthy bones
Te kainga pai e kaha ai ngā kōiwi
Eating well can help you build strong bones from an early age and keep them strong throughout your life.
Stay a healthy weight
Being underweight or very overweight is not good for your bones. Losing weight very quickly or repeatedly gaining then losing weight aren't good either.
If you're struggling to stay a healthy weight, talk to your general practice team. They may refer you to a community healthy eating programme or to a dietitian.
Choose a variety of foods
This is the best way to make sure you get all the nutrients your body needs to build and maintain strong bones.
Have food from all the main food groups every day:
- grain foods – choose mostly wholegrain and those naturally high in fibre
- vegetables and fruit
- milk and milk products
- lean meat, chicken, seafood, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Have calcium-rich foods every day
Calcium is a mineral found in many foods. Your body needs calcium for strong healthy bones.
Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt are the best sources of calcium. They also have other important nutrients such as protein and phosphorous which are important for bone and overall health.
Try to have two to three servings of dairy products every day. One serving is:
- 1 cup (250 ml) of milk
- 1 pottle (150 g) of yoghurt
- 2 slices (40 g) of cheese.
If you're a healthy weight or overweight, have low-fat milk (green or yellow top), low-fat yoghurt and cheeses such as cottage cheese, Edam and Noble.
If you need to gain weight, have whole milk (dark blue or silver top), Greek yoghurt and cheeses like Cheddar and Colby.
If you do not like or can’t have dairy products, there are other foods that are good sources of calcium. These include:
- Green vegetables such as Chinese cabbage and choy sum. Other green vegetables such as spinach and silverbeet have good amounts of calcium. But they also contain oxalate, which makes it harder for your body to absorb the calcium.
- Whole canned fish with soft edible bones, such as sardines and salmon.
- Nuts, especially almonds and Brazil nuts.
- Tofu if it's been set with calcium. Check if the ingredients list includes calcium or calcium sulphate.
- Calcium-enriched soy, almond, oat or rice milk – choose a milk with at least 120 mg of calcium per 100 ml.
Include vitamin D-rich foods
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, so we also need it for strong bones. We get most of our vitamin D from sunlight directly onto our skin but having foods that contain vitamin D can help, especially in the winter.
Food sources of vitamin D include oily fish (salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel), liver and egg yolks. Some wild mushrooms and mushrooms treated with UV light are a good source of vitamin D. Some margarine, dairy and plant milks and yoghurt have added vitamin D.
Include a protein-rich food in every meal
Protein-rich food helps to keep your bones strong and healthy. Lean meat and chicken (with skin removed), fish, eggs, dairy products, tofu, legumes, nuts and seeds and some plant milks such as soy milk are all protein-rich choices.
Eat plenty of different coloured vegetables and fruit
Vegetables and fruits are full of fibre, vitamins and minerals. We aren't sure why vegetables and fruit are good for your bones, but we know that people who eat plenty of them are less likely to break a bone.
Have at least five servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit every day (a serving is about a handful). Try to have vegetables or fruit at all meals. Vegetables and fruit are also great snacks.
Cut down on fizzy drinks
Sugary and diet fizzy drinks aren't good for your bones. We aren't sure why, but we know that children and teens who regularly have fizzy drinks are more likely to have weaker bones. Also, middle-aged women who regularly have fizzy drinks are more likely to break a hip.
Go easy on alcohol
If you drink alcohol, follow national guidelines on how much to drink safely.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed September 2023.
Sources
The information in this section comes from the following sources, some of which may be clinically complex or not available to the general public
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Image and embedded video sources
Image of an elderly couple taking medication from Shutterstock (image ID 489594166). May 2020.
Image of an elderly couple walking dogs on the beach from Shutterstock (image ID 1110534611). May 2020.
Image of healthy food from Shutterstock (image ID 370429847). February 2020.
Image of a man lying in a field in the sun from Shutterstock (image ID 442357036). February 2020.
Image of a grandmother and grandchild gardening from Shutterstock (image ID 1239450052). May 2020.
Image of a woman being diagnosed with osteoporosis from Shutterstock (image ID 181678880). July 2023.
Image of a woman getting a zoledronate infusion from Shutterstock (image ID 2289663465). July 2023.
What is osteoporosis video from Patient.info on YouTube.
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Review key: HIOSP-24517