And we’re back with another great nutrition tip for our food conscious community! Most of us know that milk is a great source of calcium; however milk and milk made products are not the only sources of getting calcium. For Tasty25 Magazine’s Nutrition Tip #5, we look inside the basics of finding natural sources of calcium outside of milk!
Calcium is essential for healthy & strong teeth and bones, and according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, “Calcium plays an important role in building stronger, denser bones early in life and keeping bones strong and healthy later in life.” So, what are some other good food sources of calcium that we can sneak into our diets outside of milk? Suprisingly, you’ll find it where you least expect! Kale, collard greens, bok choy, broccoli, and oranges are all great natural sources of calcium, along with whole grain pastas & cereals.
The following chart comes to us from the University of Arizona’s “Bone Builders” website, a community based osteoporosis prevention education program for women and older men in Arizona. This charts gives us a look into the nutritional values of some alternative foods sources for calcium:
Black Beans |
1 cup, 120 mg calcium |
Navy Beans |
1 cup, 130 mg calcium |
Fortified Cereal |
1 cup, 300 mg calcium |
Soybeans, cooked |
1 cup, 180 mg calcium |
Spinach, cooked |
1/2 cup, 130 mg calcium |
Bok Choy |
1/2 cup, 80 mg calcium |
Kale, cooked |
1/2 cup, 90 mg calcium |
Corn Tortilla |
1, 6 inch, 50 mg calcium |
Greens, mustard |
1/2 cup, 100 mg calcium |
Fortified Orange Juice |
1 cup, 300 mg calcium |
Canned Salmon w/bones |
3 oz, 180 mg |
Fortified Cereal |
1 cup, 300 mg |
Waffle, fortified |
1, 150 mg |
Soy milk, fortified |
1 cup, 400 mg |
Greens, mustard |
1/2 cup, 100 mg |
Tofu |
1 cup, 40 mg |
Almonds |
2 oz., 150 mg |
Oysters |
3 oz., 80 mg |
Below we’ve also included the recommended daily intakes of calcium, along with the ago bracket associated with each one. Make sure to get the proper intakes of calcium daily to avoid deficiencies & to ensure maximum absorbance!
Recommended Daily Calcium Intake (Age) |
Calcium (mg/day) |
---|---|
0–6 months |
200 |
7–12 months |
260 |
1–3 years |
700 |
4–8 years |
1000 |
9–18 years |
1300 |
19–50 years |
1000 |
51–70 years (male) |
1000 |
51–70 years (female) |
1200 |
71+ years |
1200 |
For more information, visit the University of Arizona’s “Bone Builders” website at: http://cals.arizona.edu/maricopa/fcs/bb/nondairy.htm