Can you obtain calcium from foods other than dairy products? There are many other sources and you can get your daily intake from fruits, nuts, beans and vegetables.
There are many ways to get calcium from foods other than dairy products. Some people don’t drink milk for various reasons. Some are lactose intolerant and some are vegans. Others simply want options from sources other than dairy products.
- Many green vegetables contain calcium. Examples are bok choy, kale, mustard greens, dandelion greens, turnip greens, artichokes and broccoli. Out of these options turnip greens have the highest calcium source with 200mg per cup. Bok Choy has 160mg and Dandelion greens 140mg per cup.
- Many beans are also fair sources of calcium including baked beans and soy beans.
- Some fruits offering good calcium levels are figs, papaya and raisins with figs being the most concentrated.
- Sesame seeds in particular are very high in calcium and are so easy to add to a diet. They can be sprinkled over salads, added to casseroles, cereals and more. Tahini, which is a paste made from sesame seeds is very high in calcium with 2 tablespoons offering 130mg of calcium. Tahini is delicious spread on a pita, as an addition to a sandwich or added to falafel or humus. Humus which is made from garbanzo beans (chickpeas) offers 60mg per half cup and makes a wonderful dip.
- Non vegetarian choices for high calcium intakes include canned salmon and sardines.
- Other nuts such as soy nuts and almonds are good calcium alternatives. 1 oz. of almonds provides 80mg of calcium. You can make almond milk from almonds to add to cereal or use in baking. The almonds are ground up and added to water. The easiest way to do this is with a blender. Leave the mixture to sit for several hours so that the almonds steep into the water. There are various recipes, but a general suggestion is to add one part almond to four parts water. You then can add other flavorings if desired such as fruit for an added sweetener or salt and vanilla to enhance the flavors. Almond milk will keep in the fridge for several days.
Daily Recommendations:
The daily recommended intake of calcium varies according to age, but will average between 500mg and 1000mg.(Dietary Reference Intakes, National Academy of Science, 1997)
Obtaining the daily recommended calcium from foods is not that difficult. For example eating one cup of baked beans, four tablespoons of tahini and five figs will give one over 500mg of calcium.
If you’re interested in learning more about vegetarian diets, Joy Butler offers informative lessons with recipes included.
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