Fonterra’s top tips for Healthy Bones Action Week
At Fonterra, we live and breathe dairy. It’s one of the world’s natural superfoods, packed with nutritional benefits for people of all ages.
This week is Healthy Bones Action Week in Australia, and we’re focusing on bone health and the role dairy plays as a source of calcium for strong, healthy bones.
A recent survey by Dairy Australia found that 94% of young women are not aware of the recommended daily dairy intake*, highlighting the need to focus on women aged 18–25 and the importance of calcium in their diet.
Monash University nutrition students Madi Wee (left) and Helena Qian (right) are currently spending three days a week with Fonterra's Nutrition and Regulatory team on a work placement.
Fonterra Oceania nutrition intern Helena Qian, 22 years, shared her experience of maintaining healthy eating routines around a busy schedule.
“I often find it hard to meet the recommended two and a half serves of dairy products each day, especially when juggling a busy university semester and work placement days,” she said.
“After learning in class about the importance of calcium and its excellent bioavailability in dairy products, I’ve started to increase dairy in my meals and have made it a priority for my diet.”
To help increase awareness this Healthy Bones Action Week, we asked Helena and fellow nutrition intern, Madi Wee, 21 years, to share their top tips for incorporating dairy into a daily diet for busy young women.
Tip #1: Prep meals rich in calcium
Helena recommends preparing meals in advance for busy days, focusing on recipes with a high source of calcium.
“Always have some meals prepared with calcium rich foods like dairy, and also to a lesser degree, nuts, and leafy green vegetables.
“A lentil, mushroom and spinach lasagne contains a good balance of different food groups, including a serve of dairy, providing one third of your daily calcium intake,” she said.
Tip #2: A touch of parmesan can go a long way
Don’t forget, dairy doesn’t have to be the primary ingredient in your dish. Using parmesan cheese as a garnish adds the benefit of nutrition and flavour.
“One of my favourite adjustments to increase dairy in my diet is to add parmesan cheese to a tofu tempeh salad, transforming it into a delightful new dish,” Madi said.
Tip #3: Leverage your breakfast choices
Madi highlighted the connection with traditional breakfast choices and their high use of dairy.
Fonterra's Perfect Italiano brand offers up a range of recipes on their website. This one, a lentil, mushroom and spinach lasagne, can be prepared in advance, and provides one third of your daily calcium intake.
“Many breakfast options include dairy, like fresh milk on cereal or porridge. Fresh cow’s milk is a complete protein source with nine essential amino acids, which can sometimes be challenging to obtain from plant-based alternatives,” she said.
“I love starting my day with a bowl of cereal topped with low-fat milk or Greek yogurt mixed with chia seeds and strawberries.
“If you pair this with a milk-based coffee, you can achieve two serves of dairy easily in one meal,” she added.
Tip #4: Ricotta is versatile (and delicious)
Helena’s use of ricotta in both sweet and savoury dishes is a reminder that there are many different ways to enjoy dairy and avoid food waste by incorporating it across multiple meals.
“I often enjoy half a cup of light ricotta cheese with roasted vegetables as a light and nutritious dinner,” she said.
“At breakfast, I spread ricotta cheese on whole grain toast with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
“Ricotta is also great as a snack, you can use it as a dip with apple and celery slices or wholegrain crackers,” she finished.
Since 2015, Fonterra and Monash University have partnered to provide industry placement opportunities for third-year nutrition science students, offering valuable, hands-on experiences in the Australian dairy and food industry.
Madi and Helena are currently spending three days a week with Fonterra's Nutrition and Regulatory team. They get to work on a variety of nutrition projects, spending time with different business units and teams, gaining exposure to industry projects and what a career in the food industry really looks like.
Healthy Bones Action Week is an annual initiative of Dairy Australia, taking place this year from 12–18 August 2024. It aims to educate Australians about the importance of bone health and encourage them to take action to protect their bones throughout life.
*Omnibus research – Calcium intake in men and women aged between 18-25 years old, conducted by Lewers on behalf of Dairy Australia, between 12-16 June 2024, survey sample size of 387.