Food Hall has joined forces with the Practical Dietitians, LLC, two RDNs who focus on nutrition for better bone health. They developed nutrition criteria and devised ratings for many of my recipes so you can choose meals that support your bones.
Grace Rivers, RDN, CDCES, and Stephanie Turkel, MS, RDN, CPT, have a website with science-backed nutrition information highlighting good choices that prevent bone loss and improve bone mass.
Their book, Advancing to a Healthier You!, is an excellent read that contains nutrition advice and lifestyle strategies that assist women in being prepared as they face their individual circumstances and challenges.
Since I have osteoporosis, eating for better bones is a consideration with each meal and snack.
What nutrients are important for bone health?
The key nutrients that support skeletal health are:
- Calcium
- Fiber
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Protein
- Vitamin C
In addition to making these a part of your daily eating plan, it's important to keep salt (sodium) at or below the daily limit of 2,300 mg since heavy salt use may increase calcium loss. This can lead to a decrease in bone density.
A recipe's rating is determined by the amount of the above nutrients it contains and its meal-time purpose.
Note: Ratings are not influenced by the amount of magnesium in a recipe because it's difficult to find this on most labels.
Not all the recipes on the Food Hall website have been evaluated. But, those reviewed by the Practical Dietitians will sport these pink circle images and their rating as good, better, or best.
Of course, some recipes may not earn any rating!
Recipes that have:
- 3 out of 5 = GOOD
- 4 out of 5 = BETTER
- 5 out of 5 = BEST
| Course | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium (Ca) | Fiber | Potassium (K) | Protein | Sodium (Na) | Vitamin C | |
| Main | 50 mg | 5 g | 300 mg | 21 g | <500 mg | N/A |
| Breakfast | 30 mg | 4 g | 200 mg | 15 g | < 400 mg | N/A |
| Salad, Soup, Starter | 20 mg | 2 g | 300 mg | N/A | <300 mg | 10 mg |
| Sides | 20 mg | 2 g | 300 mg | N/A | < 300 mg | 10 mg |
| Snacks | 10 mg | 2 g | 300 mg | 7 g | < 300 mg | N/A |
| Beverages | 20 mg | 2 g | 300 mg | N/A | < 300 mg | 10 mg |
It's a sad fact that the majority of women older than age 50 have low bone mass or osteoporosis. Men can also suffer from declining skeletal density particularly after age 65.
We hope this rating system helps you choose and plan tasty meals to improve your bone density and reduce your risk of fracture.
Let us know if this helps you. In addition, you may enjoy reading about exercises for better balance, and how to hang onto your muscle mass as you age.
Copyright © 2025 Jani H. Leuschel
