Cybrina BhagwatProfessor O’ DayNutrition 51024 March 2014

Calcium & Your Child’s Health

Goal: To educate the parents, adults 25-55 years old, of children at Shelyn elementary, ages range from 5-11 years old, on the importance of calcium in their children’s everyday diet.

Behavioral Objectives: By the end of the class, participants will be able to:

1. Identify at least one role calcium plays in the health of their children.2. Identify three examples of calcium-rich sources, both dairy and non-dairy sources.

Teaching Aids:1. PowerPoint

Handouts:1. Calcium Content of Selected Foods by USDA.2. “The What’s About Calcium” brochure by Cybrina Bhagwat.

INTRODUCTION:

Activity: “What’s the Word?” (Slides 1-6)Instead of me just simply stating our topic for today, I thought we’d play a game first to test your knowledge. The game is called “What’s the Word” where clues of four pictures will be displayed one by one on the screen as hints to the word you will try to guess.

Here comes the first picture…the second picture…the third picture…and the final picture.

Anyone like to guess the word /topic for the day?

Yes, calcium it is!

Questions to ask before the main content of presentation:1. What do these pictures tell us about calcium? It’s a mineral, found in milk, and builds strong bones and teeth.2. Is there anything else you know or have heard about calcium?

MAIN CONTENT:

Slide #7The outline for our session today consists of explaining the role of calcium in your child’s health, the effects on the body when there is a low intake of calcium, the amount of calcium you and your child needs daily, calcium sources both dairy and non-dairy, the role of vitamin D which

assists calcium in its functions, and we will end with an activity, tips for you to take home to your family, and a quick recap.

Slide #8As stated before, calcium is a mineral. It is in fact the most abundant mineral in our bodies.

The role of calcium goes beyond the formation and heath of your child’s bones and teeth but also includes…

-Muscle contraction: keeps your child’s muscles moving when exercising.-Blood clotting: helps your child’s body form a scab when they get a cut.-Nerve transmission occurring in your child’s body-And maintaining a healthy heart rate.

Slide #9So what happens to the body when calcium levels are low?

Building strong bones is like building a healthy balance in your “calcium bank account.” Your bones are a living tissue that are constantly in a state of turnover, making calcium deposits and withdrawals daily. The problem is our bones don’t come with a lifetime guarantee. Without proper nutrients, such as calcium, in your diet the body will take calcium from your bones to keep blood calcium levels normal.

It’s during these early years of life that it is vital to consume adequate amounts of calcium and it’s during adolescence half of the human skeleton is formed.

Researchers have shown that a low calcium intake during childhood and adolescence results in low bone mass and high fracture rates. This loss of bone mass develops into the growing bone disease known as osteoporosis. During osteoporosis your bones become fragile and more likely to break.

Slide #10To the left is a picture of a normal and healthy bone but to the right is what happens to your bones in the case of osteoporosis.

How do the two bones look different?

Any questions so far?

Slide #11So you’re probably wondering now, “How much calcium does my child need in order to build strong bones?”

The recommended dietary allowance for calcium is divided into age groups and gender.

According to these values, how much calcium should your child be consuming daily? How much should you be consuming? Share this with the person sitting next to you.

Slide #12Now that you know how much calcium you and your child need we’ll go over the food sources of calcium by going on a Grocery Store Safari at Trader Joe’s.

Slide #13You probably remember growing up and having your mother say “Finish up your milk,” or you even find yourself saying that to your kids now.

Well, just as the saying “Mother knows best” dairy, or milk, is the food group richest in calcium. In fact, MyPlate recommends consuming 3 cups of milk a day to meet one’s calcium needs.

Slide #14So what counts as a cup?

-1 cup of low-fat or fat-free milk-1 cup of low-fat or fat-free yogurt-1.5 ounces of natural cheese-2 ounces of processed cheese-And 1 cups of cottage cheese

Slide #15I am handing out a copy of a USDA list of calcium content in foods. You may share this with your families and children to better understand calcium sources as well as the amount in those foods.

By using this handout, what is the calcium content in 1 cup of low-fat milk?

Slide #16Exactly, 300 mg. And three cups of milk a day equates to 900 mg of calcium.

Slide #17While we are on the track of talking about beverages, there are some non-dairy beverages that are fortified with calcium.

Can anyone explain what “fortified” means? It’s when vitamins or minerals are added to a food product that weren’t originally in the food. Such as in the case of these beverages, soy milk and orange juice.

These beverages are fortified with 300 mg of calcium for 1 cup, which is the same in 1 cup of milk.

Slide #18Surprisingly, calcium isn’t just found in dairy foods but actually is found in all the other food groups.

So if your child is lactose-intolerant and has a hard time tolerating milk and dairy products, or a vegetarian eater, or simply a picky eater that will have nothing to do with milk, there are other options.

Browsing through the produce section of Trader Joe’s and any other grocery store you’ll find some calcium sources.

Slide #19When selecting vegetables containing calcium, think GREEN, such as broccoli, collard greens and spinach.

Using the USDA Calcium Content handout, what is the calcium content for broccoli? 35 mg. What about for spinach? 122 mg. And collard greens? 30 mg.

Slide #20From the fruit group you don’t have as many options but there are a few, some being oranges and figs. The calcium content in these two fruits is 55 mg.

Slide #21 Even the protein group has sources of calcium!

Slide #22 In fact, you have several food options from the protein group. These include salmon, pinto beans, firm tofu, and almonds.

Slide #23In the last and final group, the grains, whole wheat bread and calcium-fortified cereal are sources of calcium. The content of calcium in calcium-fortified cereal depends on the cereal type and brand so you’ll want to check the food labels to see the amount of calcium you will be getting. So don’t just focus on the dairy group but allow your child to get their calcium from the other food groups.

If you don’t know how to read a food label, don’t worry, that is our next activity.

Slide #24Being able to read a food label will assist you and your child in knowing how much calcium they are consuming in that food, and if they’re getting anything at all.

What is on a food label? (Have participants share what they see on the Horizon Milk food label.)

The percent daily value tells us how much calcium is in a food based on the recommended 1,000 mg a day. One important thing to keep in mind is to check the serving size. The serving size may not be the whole package but a smaller portion, such as a cup, teaspoon or ounce.

Slide # 25Let’s do a practice problem using the Horizon Organic Low-fat milk, which is the milk your child may drink at school during lunch.

For this label, what is the % DV of calcium? Hint…look at the red circle.

Slide #26Yes, 30% of the DV for calcium is consumed in one container of Horizon milk.

Slide #27Next question… how many mg would that be? This requires you to do some basic math.

Slide #28Exactly, 300 mg. Just multiply 1,000 mg by .30 (which is 30%) and you end up with 300 mg of calcium.

Any questions in regards to reading a food label?

Slide #29Now you try doing one on your own. What is the % DV of calcium and how many mg?

The answer is 20% and 200 mg of calcium.

Slide #30Now that you know all you need to know about calcium, there is one other nutrient that works alongside calcium… vitamin D.

Vitamin D helps the body more easily absorb calcium into the digestive tract and works with calcium to build stronger bones.

Here are the daily recommendations for vitamin D. Up to 70 years old the daily needs are 600 IU or 15 mcg and 70 years and older it increases to 800 IU, or 20 mcg. Needs increase to prevent the risk of falling and fractures that commonly occurs in the older population.

Slide #31Vitamin D sources include… fortified milk, fortified soy milk, fortified orange juice, fortified cereal, fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel, some calcium in mushrooms, eggs and butter. Vitamin D is also known as the sunshine vitamin because your body can actually obtain vitamin D by sunlight, about 15-20 min a day.

Slide #32We will now move onto our activity where you can apply what we’ve just learned about calcium.

Would someone be willing to read the scenario?

Slide #33

I am handing out this calcium, The What’s About Calcium, handout that you can use and even put up on your fridge for you and your family to reference.

Outlined here is Billy’s intake for one day and it includes what he ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

According to Billy’s age (6 years old) what is his calcium target? 1,000 mg it is.

Based off of the calcium content of the foods Billy ate that day, did he meet the target? No, only consumed 800 mg.

If not, what foods would you suggest to Mrs. Calcium to increase his calcium content to 1000 mg? Add a cup of milk…

Slide 34Here are some tips you can take home and apply with your child and family.

-Explain the importance of calcium in your child’s diet.-Include your child in grocery shopping-And while grocery shopping, take a look at food labels together and explain the content of nutrients, such as calcium.-Also, prepare snacks and meals with your child teaching them about the calcium content in the different food groups. This is also a great way for them to learn how to make simple, but healthy meals.

Review (slide 35):Ask participants to state:

1. One role calcium plays in the health of your child.2. What are the calcium requirements for children 4-8 years old? 9-18 years old?3. Three dairy sources of calcium4. Three non-dairy sources of calcium

Independent practice:Next time you go to the grocery store, look at the calcium content of foods with a nutrition label and determine the amount of milligrams using the % Daily Value. Also, you can keep track of you and your child’s calcium intake by recording it in the table provided in The What’s About Calcium brochure.

CONCLUSION:

In the United States, there is currently 10 million people with osteoporosis, and 18 million more are at risk of developing the disease. As the life expectancy of our country continues to increase, these numbers are also expected to rise. With adequate calcium intake in your child’s diet you’re not only protecting them from osteoporosis but also increasing their chances of a long life of well-being. Knowledge is truly power. And through this new, or reinforced knowledge of calcium you have the power to educate your child and family towards the step towards a lifetime

of good health. Remember, calcium is found in all of the food groups of MyPlate so don’t limit yourself or your child to one group but have fun with your foods.