Which food group is mostly consumed by teenagers to get more calcium?

Concept: Among the standard food groups — grains, meats and beans, dairy, and fruits/vegetables — dairy foods (milk, curd/yogurt, cheese, paneer) are naturally rich in calcium and carry far more of it per serving than the others, and lactose in milk further helps the body absorb that calcium efficiently.

Application: Teenagers are in a rapid bone-growth phase and need close to 1300 mg of calcium a day. Nutrition survey data on teen diets consistently show that most of this calcium comes from dairy foods — a single glass of milk or serving of curd supplies far more calcium than an equivalent serving of grains, meat, or beans. So among the four groups offered, dairy is the group teenagers rely on most to meet their calcium needs.

• Grains mainly supply carbohydrates and energy; their calcium content is low unless a product is specifically fortified.

• Meats and beans are valued for protein and iron, but their calcium content per serving is modest next to dairy.

• All of these overstates the comparison — every group offers some nutrients, but calcium intake is concentrated heavily in one group rather than spread evenly across all four.

Because per-serving calcium in milk, curd, and cheese vastly exceeds that in grains, meat, or beans, Dairy is the food group teenagers mostly consume to get more calcium.