An analysis of the nutrients in six types of common breakfast combinations showed an imbalanced calcium-phosphorus ratio, which might cause poor calcium absorption, a nutritionist said yesterday.
According to the Health Promotion Administration’s 2013 National Health Interview Survey, 97.6 percent of people aged seven to 65 do not consume enough calcium.
While many parents are aware that children should eat calcium-rich foods to develop healthy bones, many neglect the importance of phosphorus, the agency said.
The agency suggests that adults consume 1,000mg of calcium and 800mg of phosphorus per day, or a ratio of 1.3-1, to aid calcium absorption, nutritionist Sung Ming-hua (宋明樺) said.
Six popular breakfast foods — toast, meat buns, steamed buns, cereal, egg pancakes (danbing, 蛋餅) and scallion pancakes — are often eaten with milk tea, soy milk and black coffee, but many of these combinations have an imbalanced calcium-phosphorus ratio.
For example, the ratio of a scallion pancake with milk tea is about 0.08-1; that of a ham and egg sandwich with black coffee is about 0.21-1; and the ratio of cereal with milk is about 0.6-1, she said.
While milk has a balanced ratio, that of cereal is not as good and can affect calcium absorption, she said.
Sung suggested that people replace ham in a sandwich or egg pancakes with a piece of cheese and replace other beverages with milk to ensure a more balanced calcium-phosphorus ratio.
Adding small dried shrimps or fish, shallots, or black bean sprouts to food can also increase calcium intake and help achieve a balanced ratio, Sung added.
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