Breathe Magazine

Ok, so it looks like I’m going to have to step up my calcium game. My first-week tactic of just being more mindful of what I’m eating didn’t really work, as my intake still hovered around 55-60% of my recommended daily dose. There were, however, two good days when I hit 98 and 101%, marked by concerted efforts to eat spinach and some indulgence in the dairy section.

My main mistake seemed to be working off the cuff, rather than off the nutrition labels. Evidently my inner calcium sensor isn’t well attuned, as I appear to have confused foods high in calcium with foods high in protein – all those eggs, chicken, and beef did me no good (bone strength-wise). Most of the high points in my calcium intake were pretty predictable, with a heavy emphasis on dairy. This has been a great justification for indulging in a second cup of coffee (more milk!) and an afternoon snack of cheese and crackers. Plus, I’ve been able to return to my childhood love for a bowl of cottage cheese topped with a sprinkling of seasoned salt (it sounds weird, but everyone in my family loves it). Oh, and my favorite high-calcium treats of the week were a cup of cashew ice cream from The Bent Spoon in Princeton, N.J. and a bowl of homemade lobster bisque courtesy of my epicurean friend Danielle. AH-mazing.

Healthier calcium fixes came in the form of sides of broccoli at dinner and a deliciously easy spinach salad with cranberries, raisins, almonds, and blue cheese. A serving (one filet) of salmon got me 7% of the daily recommended amount, and each slice of whole wheat bread that I love for morning toast and sandwiches gets me 4% closer to the goal.

I realized I forgot to mention anything about me in the first post. So for those who don’t know me – Hi, my name is Brooke, and I’m writing a two-month blog about meeting my daily recommended amount of calcium. I’m a former arts writer who’s now back in graduate school working toward an MA in Cinema Studies at NYU. So this status gives me some advantages and disadvantages in relation to the calcium challenge – I have all the ingredients, fresh vegetables, and tasty pre-packaged food I want at my fingertips in this city (something I definitely didn’t have while working abroad a few years ago, and that still gives me a little thrill when I go to Whole Foods). Unfortunately, as a student in New York I also have limited funds for said food, especially the ready-to-go kind. I love cooking but have two night classes a week, so have to make meals good for portable leftovers or putting into sandwich form.

So the first week break-down is – I need to work on the greens, and think about healthy dairy choices (read: less block cheese, more low-fat milk), and finally get it through my head that eggs for breakfast do not help me on the calcium front. Oh, and I promise to take photos for future posts. Please send any snacking suggestions!