Home Request Your Free Newsletter Ways to Help Focus on One Sport Risks Injury Fighting a Brain Tumor with Technology and Compassion Flu Protection Sought for More Kids A Cheesy Solution to the Dairy Dilemma The Facts About the Cervical Cancer Vaccine Baby Teeth Deserve Grown-up Care Small Foods Pose a Choking Risk for Young Kids How Risky Are Social Networking Sites?

A Cheesy Solution to the Dairy Dilemma By the glass or the slice, kids and teens need milk's calcium Sayuri Asano, MPH, R.D. Maybe your kids loved milk when they were little. Then came the teen years. Out went the milk and in came the sodas and fruit juices. Since we get most of our calcium from dairy products, 91 percent of teen girls and 69 percent of teen boys do not get enough of this mineral, according to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2002. Here's the problem: Calcium is vital to strong bones, and we build most of our bone mass during the preteen and teenage years. Children need three servings of dairy products a day from ages 4 to 8 and four servings a day as adolescents, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. "One serving is the equivalent of an 8-ounce glass of milk," says Sayuri Asano, MPH, R.D., certified pediatric dietitian at Kapi'olani. But that milk doesn't have to be in a glass. You can give kids calcium in cheese, yogurt, and other foods that contain milk. Try a slimmed-down version of macaroni and cheese in its own portion-controlled baking dish. Use low-fat cheese -- fat-free doesn't melt well. Instead of a butter sauce, evaporated milk adds creaminess. Whole wheat noodles and veggies boost the nutritional value. With a little cheese, even veggies become more appealing. "A Parmesan curl on something has a big burst of flavor," Asano says. If your kids think dairy is fattening, assure them that low-fat milk and cheese offer just about as much calcium as whole milk. Then have a glass of milk yourself. If you're not getting enough calcium, odds are your child won't either. Macaroni and Cheese Cups 4 cups cooked whole wheat elbow macaroni 1 14½ oz. can no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, drained 1 12 oz. can fat-free evaporated milk 8 oz. shredded low-fat extra sharp cheddar cheese 4 tsp. fine bread crumbs Butter-flavored cooking spray Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix macaroni, stewed tomatoes, evaporated milk, and shredded cheese (reserving about ¼ cup for the top). Divide among four individual baking dishes. Top with cheese and bread crumbs. Spray lightly with butter-flavored cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving with a salad or green vegetable of your choice. Serves four. Each contains about 404 calories, 5 g fat, 12 mg cholesterol, 565 mg sodium, 63 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 29 g protein, and 458 mg calcium content.