For the past few years research has been back and forth on the role of calcium in weight loss. A new study in the March issue of the British Journal of Nutrition looked at overweight/obese women who reported consuming less than 600 milligrams of calcium per day. In food terms that’s less than two glasses of milk. One group of women was given supplemental calcium and vitamin D along with their calorie reduced diet and the other placebo group received the calorie reduced diet only. The results indicated that in the group taking the calcium and vitamin D supplements, fat loss increased. This fat loss may be due to a calcium specific appetite control. So as we learn more about the role of calcium in weight loss, it’s a smart idea to consume adequate calcium and vitamin D every day. For most people this need is somewhere between 1000-1300 milligrams for calcium and 400 or more IUs of vitamin D. Many people have low vitamin D blood levels so you may want to ask your doctor to check it with a blood test.

One of my favorite ways to start my day and get a big boost of calcium is to make my favorite peanut butter smoothie. It’s so easy. I keep those bananas that are looking a little ripe, cut them up and put them in the freezer. Then I always have bananas ready to go. Toss about 3 banana pieces into a blender along with 1-2 Tbsp of peanut butter (almond butter works too), ½ cup or so of high calcium/high protein milk and ¼- ½ cup of Greek yogurt. That’s it…blend and drink…yum! Sometimes I use the vanilla Greek yogurt and that’s really tasty.

Some other good calcium sources courtesy of Family Circle (July issue) besides milk, cheese and yogurt include:

Breakfast  

• ½ cup oatmeal made with 1 cup skim milk, 300 mg
• A smoothie made with 1 cup low-fat yogurt, ice, ½ cup strawberries and 1 peach, 400 mg

 Lunch   

• 2 cups tomato soup topped with ½ cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese, 235 mg
• 2 cups vegetable chili made with black beans, 160 mg

 Snack   

• 1 piece of low-fat string cheese and 3 Tbsp almonds, 225 mg
• 1 cup mixed veggies with ½ cup low-fat yogurt dip, 225 mg

 Dinner   

• 3 oz canned salmon with bone, 2 cups mixed greens with 2 Tbsp low-fat dressing, 235 mg
• 1 ½ cups whole-wheat pasta with 1 cup frozen spinach and ½ cup broccoli, 290 mg

Each month Family Circle Senior Health Editor Margit Ragland shares a tasty recipe that we post at the WDBO Nutrition and Health Center. For July, it’s a Sausage & Pepper Hero. Guys, you are going to love us for this recipe and ladies, if your man is a sausage kind of guy who loves an overflowing hot dog bun, we have a healthy version that only you will know is good for him.

Listen to this week’s podcast