Written by Candace Nelson, MS, CN | Reviewed by Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP
Updated on July 12, 2023
Key takeaways:
Getting enough calcium and vitamin D is key for strong bones. If your calcium levels become too low, your body takes it from your bones.
Adding foods high in calcium and vitamin D to your diet will help with calcium absorption and bone strengthening. These include leafy greens, dairy products, and protein sources, like eggs and tofu.
Limiting foods like sugar, alcohol, and heavily processed foods is also important for maintaining healthy, strong bones.
Along with a bone-healthy diet, weight-bearing and resistance training exercises can promote better bone health.
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Strong bones give you support, allow you to move without pain and stand up straight. But, just having bones isn’t enough. They need to be strong because everyone’s bones naturally weaken with age. It’s especially important for adolescents to eat plenty of bone-healthy foods because up until your 20s, you can build up your bone mass. After your 30s, the balance tips and you start to lose more than you build.
In women, who start with less bone mass than men, bone loss speeds up right after menopause. After that, loss of bone mass is made worse because older people tend to absorb less calcium from their diet.
Breaking down more bone than you build is called osteopenia, which is a precursor to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition that occurs when bones lose mineral density, which makes them fragile and at risk of fractures — even with minor stumbles and injuries.
The good news is — along with weight-bearing and resistance exercises — you support bone health by prioritizing bone-strengthening foods. Many of these foods form the basics of any healthy diet. This includes eating various vegetables (especially greens) and lean protein while keeping sugar, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol to a minimum.
Let’s take a closer look at how to eat for a healthy skeleton.
What vitamins and minerals do your bones need?
Certain micronutrients are especially key to building strong bones. If your diet prioritizes fruits and vegetables, chances are you are getting adequate amounts of these minerals and vitamins. Here are the nutrients you’ll want to pay particular attention to.
Calcium
Calcium is the most common mineral in the body. Most commonly associated with bone health, calcium also creates hormones and enzymes and assists in muscle contraction and moving blood around the body. When the body does not have enough calcium, it pulls calcium out of the bones.
Vitamin D
Long-term vitamin D deficiency has been associated with bone loss. This is mainly because without adequate vitamin D, the body struggles to absorb calcium from food. As a workaround, the body releases calcium from the bones into the blood.
Natural ways to get vitamin D include sunlight exposure and vitamin D-rich foods. There aren’t many foods that are naturally rich in vitamin D. Some foods, like breakfast cereals and milk, are fortified with vitamin D.
If you are low on vitamin D, a healthcare provider may recommend you take a vitamin D supplement or cod liver oil.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A helps support healthy bone density and is protective against osteoporosis. But too much vitamin A has been linked to bone pain, lower bone density, and a higher risk for fractures. You’re unlikely to get too much vitamin A through dietary sources, but if you’re taking supplements, make sure to take a safe dose. Adults over age 19 should limit preformed vitamin A to 3,000 mcg per day.
Other micronutrients to consider
Beyond the above vitamins and minerals, other micronutrients also play a role in keeping your bones strong:
Magnesium
Omega-3 fatty acids
Phosphorus
Zinc
Potassium
Vitamin C
Vitamin K
Folate
Most people are able to get these micronutrients from a healthy, balanced diet. This means eating various fresh and whole foods. Here is how to do that for stronger bones.
What are the basics of a bone-healthy diet?
In general, the best bone-strengthening foods include those that will supply the above vitamins and minerals. These are:
Fruits
Vegetables
Whole grains
Poultry
Fish
Nuts and legumes
Low-fat dairy products
For an easy-to-follow framework, consider adopting the Mediterranean diet, which focuses heavily on plant-based foods, as opposed to the “Western” diet, which includes bone-damaging soft drinks, fried foods, and ultra-processed foods.
Best foods for bone health
Here is a list of foods to prioritize as part of a bone-healthy diet, broken down by nutrient.
Foods rich in calcium
Dairy foods might be the first that come to mind when you think of calcium, but plenty of plant foods also contain calcium.
Yogurt
Milk
Cheese
Green vegetables, like kale, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage
Soft-boned fish, like sardines and salmon
Grains, like quinoa
Tofu
Nuts and seeds, like sesame seeds, almonds, and hazelnuts
Fortified bread, cereal, and tortillas
Fortified orange juice
Fortified plant-based milk
Calcium can be tricky to get in the diet because many foods have antinutrients that may lower your body’s ability to absorb calcium. These include:
Phytic acid, found in beans, wheat bran, and nuts
Oxalic acid, found in spinach, collard greens, and sweet potatoes
Note, that these foods are very healthy for many other reasons — but it may not be the best bang for your buck if you’re looking for calcium-rich foods. That’s why eating various plant foods that provide you with a range of different nutrients is key. You can also talk with a healthcare provider about whether you need a supplement.
Foods rich in vitamin D
Most people get most of their vitamin D from fortified milk, juice, and cereal, but direct food sources include:
Fatty fish, like sardines, trout, and tuna
Fish liver oil
White mushrooms
Egg yolks
Foods rich in vitamin A
Fruits and vegetables with an orange or red color often contain vitamin A. Here are some good sources:
Beef liver
Sweet potato
Pumpkin
Tomatoes
Mangoes
Summer squash
Baked beans
Foods to avoid for better bone health
Limit foods and beverages that can negatively affect bone health, such as:
Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages
Alcohol
Fried foods
Meat
Processed foods
Sweets
Refined grains
How much calcium and vitamin D do you need?
If you follow a healthy eating pattern that includes some dairy, meeting your daily calcium goals can be possible from diet alone.
Here is a breakdown of how much calcium you need each day.
| Age | Male | Female |
| 0–6 months | 200 mg | 200 mg |
| 7–12 months | 260 mg | 260 mg |
| 1–3 years | 700 mg | 700 mg |
| 4–8 years | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg |
| 9–13 years | 1,300 mg | 1,300 mg |
| 14–18 years | 1,300 mg | 1,300 mg |
| 19–50 years | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg |
| 51–70 years | 1,000 mg | 1,200 mg |
| 71+ years | 1,200 mg | 1,200 mg |
Below is a breakdown of how much vitamin D you need each day.
| Age | Recommended daily intake |
| 0-12 months | 10 mcg |
| 1-70 years | 15 mcg |
| 71+ | 20 mcg |
Keep in mind that these recommendations change for pregnant and breastfeeding people. Make sure to discuss how much calcium and vitamin D you need with your healthcare provider.
The bottom line
Diet along with regular exercise and other osteoporosis-prevention strategies, like avoiding alcohol and smoking, can help keep bones healthy. While vitamin D and calcium are most commonly linked to better bone health, plenty of other nutrients also play a role in building strong bones. You can get these nutrients from a healthy diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.
If you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, make sure to aim for a variety of nutrient-dense foods. You can also talk with a healthcare provider to make sure you’re getting the vitamins and minerals you need to support your bone health.
References
Jennings, A., et al. (2018). A Mediterranean-like dietary pattern with vitamin D3 (10 µg/d) supplements reduced the rate of bone loss in older Europeans with osteoporosis at baseline: Results of a 1-y randomized controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Laird, E., et al. (2010). Vitamin D and bone health; potential mechanisms. Nutrients.
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