Calcium. Where do you find your Calcium? Is it only from dairy products?
Calcium is an important part of our dietary needs for a healthy, strong body! Not only can we find calcium in our dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, but we can also find Calcium in a number of non-dairy foods! Calcium can be found in our dark leafy green vegetables, in an assortment of fish and nuts & seeds. We can also find it in oranges, avocado, tofu and Blackstrap Molasses.
This past week at the Mercyworks Food Pantry we focused on Dairy, especially Power-Packed, Calcium-Rich Snacks! These snacks can help is get the healthy amount of calcium we need to keep our bodies strong and healthy! The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that we have at least 2-3 servings of calcium every day. Not everyone enjoys sitting down and drinking a nice tall glass of milk for a snack, so thankfully we can enjoy our calcium in other ways! Yogurt is a great way, especially topped with fresh fruit and granola or used in a tasty fruit smoothie. Another yummy and nutritious snack would be string cheese wrapped in deli meat or apples and cheese.
Our pantry participants created healthy fruit smoothies using low-fat yogurt, low-fat milk, and an assortment of fresh fruit. These smoothies were packed with flavor and the nutrients needed to help us stay healthy and get us closer to the daily recommended servings! And the best part about these fruit smoothies, they were delicious!
We are looking forward to next week’s class! If you are interested in the recipe we used, please email Becky at fiscus.22@osu.edu.
