Calcium is a very important mineral for the human body. Our bones are made of large amounts of calcium to make them strong. Calcium is also needed for other functions of the body besides building strong bones. It is needed for nerve and muscle function and blood clotting. The recommended daily dose of calcium is 1,000 milligrams for people who are 18-50 years old. (You need more if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you are more than 50 years old.)
Most of us know that we can get our daily calcium from dairy and some fish sources such as tuna and sardines, but what if you are lactose intolerant or perhaps you don’t eat fish? Where do you get your calcium then? We know that we can get it from a multivitamin or a supplement, but how about food sources? Getting enough calcium in your daily diet is easy if you know what to eat. Here are some of my top sources of calcium whether you are vegan or not.
*The below food items are estimated portions per serving
Dark Leafy Greens
• Cooked turnip greens (450 mg)
• Cooked bok choy (330 mg)
• Cooked collards (300)
• Cooked kale (200 mg)
Cooked Beans
• Black-eyed peas (211 mg)
• Navy beans (140 mg)
• Soybeans (130 mg)
• Pinto beans (100 mg)
• Garbanzo beans (95 mg)
• Lima and black beans (60 mg)
Sea vegetables
• Nori (1,200 mg)
• Kombu (2,100 mg)
• Wakame (3,500 mg)
Nuts and Seeds
• Almonds (75 mg)
• Hazelnuts (45 mg)
• Walnuts (45 mg)
• Sesame seeds (280 mg)
• Sunflower seeds (260 mg)
Fruit
• Dried figs (162 mg)
• Rhubarb (145 mg)
• Dates (64 mg)
• Kumquats (62 mg)
• Dried apricots (54 mg)
Other
• Fortified orange juice (200 mg)
• Fortified coconut milk (38 mg)
• Fortified cereals (200 mg)