Whether skipping around during playtime at school, going to football training after school or just running around the house, your children are always moving about and being active. If your children are always on the go, it is important that their bodies are strong and healthy. Particularly, their bones are essential for physical activities.

According to Dairy Australia, only 1 in every 5 kids has their 3 servings of calcium per day. Calcium is an important element for strong bones and teeth. A serving of dairy can be a glass (250mL) of milk, 1 tub (200g) of yoghurt or 2 slices (40g) of cheese.

While the dairy products are major sources of calcium, there are some other foods you can add to your child’s diet to boost their calcium levels. Canned fish, soy products like tofu, almonds, beans and vegetables including cabbage, broccoli and bok choy all add smaller amounts of calcium.

Calcium is not the only benefit of dairy foods. There are other nutrients found in dairy products, including vitamins A and B12, magnesium, zinc and proteins, which all play a role in keeping the body functioning.

In the childhood and adolescent stages of your child’s life, it is vital that they gain enough calcium in their diets, so that when they grow into adulthood, their bones are at their strongest.

Osteoporosis Australia says that, in Australia, 1 in 2 women and 1 in 3 men over 60 years will have an osteoporotic facture. Osteoporosis is a condition for aging people where the bones are more fragile and likely to fracture because the bones are losing minerals (mainly the calcium) faster than they can be replaced.

Even in their younger years, kids can suffer tooth decay. While proper oral hygiene is necessary, eating more dairy products can help prevent tooth decay because they contain anti-decay nutrients.

There are some easy ways to add some dairy products into your child’s school lunchbox:
– Add a slice of cheese onto their sandwich
– Make a fruit salad with yoghurt
– After school snacks could be a fruit smoothie with milk, cheese with vegetable sticks or on colder days give them a warm cup of milk with Horlicks

You can be as creative as you want when adding dairy to your family meals.

Remember with all that added calcium, your children are to be growing bigger and stronger so don’t forget the school uniform for boys and girls. If your son or daughter is bursting out of their pants, shorts, skirts or tops, it’s time to get some new ones.

Get school uniform for boys and girls from a company that has been providing quality and affordable school uniforms to Australian children for 40 years at www.stubbiesschoolwear.com.au