(All information provided by the Institute for Functional Medicine.)

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. It plays important roles in bone health, transmission of nerve impulses and muscle contractions. Although dairy is an obvious source of calcium, many people do not tolerate dairy products and some people believe that dairy can be harmful to us (it is a source of saturated fat). By paying attention to your food choices, it is possible to obtain recommended amounts of calcium without consuming dairy products. In fact, Almond milk has more vitamin D and calcium than cow’s milk. Who would have guessed a nut could give you more calcium than a cow? 

Depending on gender and age, the recommended daily intake of calcium varies from 800 mg to 1,500 mg. Use the chart here to help you increase your calcium without increasing your saturated fat content. (Amounts are in milligrams.)

Soy Products

Tofu with Ca sulfate, firm 3-4 oz 600

Tofu with Ca sulfate, regular 3-4 oz 350

Westsoy® Plus Soymilk    8 oz 360

Edensoy® Extra Soymilk 8 oz 240

Tofu with nigari 3-4 oz 122

 

Vegetables

Broccoli 1 cup 178

Wax beans 1 cup 174

Bok choy 1 cup 160

Collards 1 cup 148

Dandelion greens, raw 1 cup 104

Mustard greens, boiled 1 cup 104

Kale, boiled 1 cup 94

Acorn squash, baked 1 cup 90

 

Grains

Amaranth ½ cup 138

Teff (grain), cooked ½ cup 138

Amaranth flour ¼ cup 102

Teff flour ¼ cup 102

Quinoa flour ¼ cup 81

Garbanzo bean flour ¼ cup 81

Tortilla, lime treated 1 tortilla 60

 

Beans

Navy ½ cup 60

Black turtle ½ cup 52

 

Nuts and Seeds

Tahini 2 Tbsp 125

Sesame seeds 1 Tbsp 104

Almond butter 2 Tbsp 86

Almonds ½ oz (8-10 nuts) 40

 

Sea Vegetables

Kelp 1 cup, raw 134

Wakame 1 cup, raw 120

Kombu 1 cup, raw 134

Nori 1 cup, raw 131

 

Fish with bones

Atlantic sardines, canned 3 oz 324

Salmon, canned 3 oz 134

 

Miscellaneous

Blackstrap molasses 1 Tbsp 140

 

FYI- here are the calcium contents for common dairy products:

 

Dairy Products

Yogurt, skim 8 oz 375

Goat milk 8 oz 326

Cow milk, 1% 8 oz 300

Yogurt, whole 8 oz 274

Swiss 1 oz 272

Provolone 1 oz 214

Monterrey 1 oz 212

Mozzarella 1 oz 180

Feta 1 oz 140

Parmesean, grated 2 Tbsp 138

Cheddar 1 oz 103