Rucking Good Fuel: Eating for Stronger Bones

If you’ve been following the Rucking Good Podcast, you’ll know we love a good chat about all things movement, recovery, and feeling better in your body.

In a recent episode, Adam caught up with Dr. Lisa Vaughan— an Osteo with a serious passion for metabolic health. The plan was to talk about circadian rhythms (and they did, a bit), but ended up jumping into all sorts of health hacks—from inflammation to hormones to how small daily habits really add up.

One thing that kept coming up? How much the way we fuel ourselves matters, especially if you’re getting into rucking or strength training. So, off the back of that convo, Lisa has put together a simple eating plan to help support strong bones and better recovery. Nothing fancy—just solid, feel-good food.

Key Takeaways

Adam chats with Dr. Lisa Vaughan on the Rucking Good Podcast about hormones, recovery, and bone health nutrition.
Fueling properly supports strength, rucking performance, and long-term metabolic health.
Lisa’s simple meal plan focuses on calcium, magnesium, vitamin K2, phosphorus, protein, and collagen for bone support.
Daily staples include eggs, cheese, yogurt, salmon, leafy greens, seeds, and slow-cooked meats.
Small, consistent dietary choices make a big difference in strength, recovery, and overall wellbeing.

Listen/watch the full episode here or find it on your favourite streaming service @RuckingGoodPodcast

What a Day of Eating for Strong Bones Looks Like

DAILY BONE HEALTH NUTRIENTS GOAL:

Calcium: 1000-1200 mg/day
Magnesium: 300-400 mg/day
Vitamin K2: 100-180 mcg/day
Phosphorus: 700-1000 mg/day
Protein: 1.2-1.6g/kg body weight (~90-110g/day)
Collagen: 10-15g/day

MORNING:

Omelette:

2-3 eggs (K2, protein, phosphorus)
Mushrooms & spinach (magnesium)
Hard cheese (calcium ~200mg, K2)
Cooked in grass-fed butter (K2)

Bone broth (1 cup) = 10g collagen, phosphorus

SNACK:

Full-fat Greek yogurt (calcium, protein)
Handful almonds/pumpkin seeds (magnesium, phosphorus)

LUNCH:

Grilled salmon fillet:

30g protein, phosphorus, calcium boost

Salad:

Kale, rocket, avocado (magnesium, calcium)
Olive oil + apple cider vinegar
Sesame seeds (calcium & magnesium)

Grilled Salmon

AFTERNOON:

85% dark chocolate (magnesium)
Handful prunes or figs (calcium + boron bonus)

DINNER:

Slow-cooked lamb shank or beef stew (bone-in) (Collagen, protein (~40g), phosphorus)

Side: Broccoli or bok choy (calcium, magnesium) + sweet potato (magnesium)

Lamb Shanks

OPTIONAL NIGHT:

Cottage cheese/kefir (calcium, protein)
Collagen peptides (10g in herbal tea)

TOTAL = STRONG BONE SUPPORT:

Calcium
Magnesium
K2
Phosphorus
Protein & Collagen