Some mineral waters can play a role in meeting calcium needs

Q. Can mineral water serve as a source of calcium?

A. Calcium content of mineral water varies, but those with relatively more calcium can play a role in meeting calcium needs.

Unlike spring water and filtered water, which are quite low in calcium, North American mineral water (primarily Canadian) contains an average of about three or four milligrams (mg) per ounce. All European bottled water is labeled mineral water and many are more than double the calcium content of North American mineral waters, averaging about 75 mg in a 12-ounce glass or bottle.

Even the highest calcium mineral waters can't replace concentrated calcium sources to meet the 1,000 to 1,200 mg recommended for adults daily, but several servings a day could help to fill the gap between how much calcium the average American consumes and how much is recommended.

If you want to use mineral water to help meet your calcium needs, check information on the label or the bottler's Web site to find out calcium content.

Note that for people taking bisphosphonate medications to stop bone loss due to osteoporosis or certain malignancies, mineral water's calcium content poses another concern. The absorption of these medications is severely reduced if consumed at the same time as a source of calcium. So it's important that the water that you take with this medicine is not mineral water; later in the day these mineral waters would be fine.

Q. Are schools making any progress in getting children to eat more vegetables, or is it all talk?A. Schools vary in the approaches they use and how widely staff and parents support the goal of increased vegetable and fruit consumption, but many schools are achieving good progress.One strategy is to limit the availability of low-nutrient snack foods during school mealtimes so those foods do not compete with more healthful fruits and vegetables. Some schools are working on arrangements with local farmers to access fresh vegetables and fruits.After that, everything from offering more vegetable options to stocking the checkout (where people linger) with fruit instead of chips and sweets can make a difference. Each school needs the support of parents, students and staff, so ask about what is being done at schools in your area.For ideas, check success stories from around the country and see research on strategies that work from Smarter Lunchroom, smarterlunchrooms.org, which partners with Cornell University and the USDA.bull; Provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research. Learn more about the group and its New American Plate program at aicr.org.