It’s nectar for our bones and teeth. Calcium is one of the key minerals our bodies need most to promote bone and overall health. That makes it even harder to understand why so many of us, particularly teens, don’t get enough of it.

Tweens/teens ages 9 to 18 need at least 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day, according to the United Dairy Industry of Michigan (UDIM), and many of them are not getting it.

We’ve all heard parents lovingly report their teens are “eating them out of house and home.”

Actually, science supports that.

Typically, teenagers eat in response to their bodies craving fuel for their adolescent growth spurts and development.

For older teens, 42 percent of boys and only 10 percent of girls consume enough calcium daily

So why aren’t they eating more of the good stuff?

With grocery aisles, fast-food menus and school cafeterias filled with tempting, calcium-rich foods, from flavored, low-fat milk and tasty yogurts to tempting smoothies and a dizzying array of cheese products, there are enough choices for almost any teen to enjoy.

Getting the recommended three daily cups of low-fat or fat-free dairy foods, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, seems like a small amount for the average teen who consumes, at least, three meals a day, not including snacks.

Still, among youth age 9 to 13 years, only about 15 percent of girls and 23 percent of boys consume the recommended daily amount of calcium. For older teens, 42 percent of boys and only 13 percent of girls consume enough calcium daily, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Yet, as the study shows, teens, particularly adolescent girls, aren’t getting enough calcium. With the new demands of high school or preparation for college and more heavily populated social calendars, they typically enjoy fewer meals with family and nutrition tends to suffer. As a result, an estimated 85 percent of teenage girls fail to meet their daily calcium recommendation.

Promoting dairy can become a big parental challenge, especially when young people in constant motion are involved. The good news is it can be easier than you might think to persuade your teen to increase his or her daily calcium consumption. Not only is it crucial for strong bones and teeth, it also supports a variety of benefits from healthy cells, blood clotting, muscle and nerve functioning to maintaining regular heartbeat.

We asked UDIM’s registered nutritionists/dietitians for tips to help increase milk consumption, particularly among teens. Here’s what they recommend:

• Encourage‘em – Keep dairy-rich, calcium-fortified foods and drinks, like regular and flavored milk, yogurt, and cheese, in your refrigerator and a few dairy-based snack ideas at eye level. That not only uses the power of suggestion, it provides open-door, quick-grab opportunities for your teen to up the nutritional ante. Text or post quick, dairy-based snack ideas alongside other messages. Keeping healthy snack alternatives top-of-mind helps ensure the “good stuff” will go out the door with your teens as they scurry away for afternoon activities. Lots of ideas can be found at milkmeansmore.org.

• Ask‘em– Invite your son or daughter to help with the grocery list. Find out what he or she likes and add a favorite cheese, yogurt or milk product to your cart. It shows them you’re listening and at the same time give them that ever-important sense of independence all teens crave. Let them show off a bit by inviting them to create a family meal or snack using a new, dairy-based recipe they’ve discovered.

• Show‘em – Whether they’re up at dawn for an early morning breakfast before final exams or enjoying a smoothie before softball, showing teens how nutritious choices can fit into their everyday lives is more powerful than a lecture. Remember to take advantage of technology, too. A quick text can remind them the dairy snack you left in the fridge will gives them the edge they need at tonight’s game or help them power through homework assignments.

•Feed‘em – Planning regular, balanced meals at home can help you and your family meet the daily calcium recommendations. You can add milk to your oatmeal instead of water; top steamed or roasted vegetables with your favorite type of cheese; add milk to smoothies along with yogurt’; make yogurt pops for a snack, and top your salad with shredded or grated cheese like feta or blue cheese.

•Connect‘em – Conquerwithmilk.org, which has social media presence on both Instagram and Twitter, offers not only nutritional advice, but insightful, encouraging perspectives from top athletes and role models. UDIM has partnered with these leaders to help spread word about dairy’s importance and help your teenager recognize its importance, too.

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