Encouraging calcium consumption
There are many things you can do, as a health care provider, to encourage your patients to get calcium including:
Provide parents with copies of the
Milk Matters booklet,
For strong bones…For lifelong health…Milk Matters. To order free copies, call 1-800-370-2943 or visit
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk.
Encourage your patients to consume at least 3 8-ounce cups of low-fat or fat-free milk every day, and to have additional servings of other calcium-rich foods. If they don't like milk, suggest other foods containing calcium.
Raise awareness among your patients about the importance of drinking milk by displaying a
Milk Matters poster in your waiting area or office. To order free posters, call 1-800-370-2943 or visit
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk.
Consider sharing information about pediatric bone health with your colleagues and encourage them to discuss calcium with patients.
Seek out opportunities to talk with interested groups about the importance of calcium for young people ages 11 to 15. These could include Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings, church or synagogue youth groups, and YMCA and community center gatherings.
Milk Matters Publications
Milk Matters also offers patient education materials for parents of tweens and teens. You may want to order free copies of these materials to give to your patients or to have in your waiting room or office. You can view, download, or order Milk Matters health publications.
Nutrition Resources
Looking for more nutrition information? Check out these nutrition resources.