Calcium does the body good. Not only does it build strong bones and teeth, it aids with muscle function and helps keep your heart beating regularly. While there are plenty of food sources for this bone-building mineral other than dairy, I am not sure I have been meeting the recommended daily intake (RDI) of 1,000 milligrams. Supplements are always an option, but getting calcium from food sources is better for your bones. With all this in mind, I decided to track what I ate for a day to see if I was meeting the RDI.
See how I did when you read more.
| Meal | Food | Calcium |
| Breakfast | Two whole grain waffles | 100 mg |
| 1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt | 200 mg | |
| 1/4 cup lowfat milk in coffee | 78 mg | |
| Snack | 1 ounce of almonds | 70 mg |
| 1 cup whole strawberries | 23 mg | |
| Lunch | 1 spinach and jack cheese tamale | 320 mg | 1/2 cup carrots | 22 mg |
| 2 ounces avocado | 3 mg | |
| Dinner | Grilled chicken breast | 12 mg |
| 1 cup steamed broccoli | 45 mg | |
| 1 cup arugula | 45 mg | |
| 1 ounce goat cheese | 85 mg | |
| 1 slice whole grain bread | 20 mg | |
| TOTAL CALCIUM INTAKE | 1,023mg |
While I did hit the magic number of 1,000 milligrams, I feel like I just barely made it. I drink a fair bit of milk in my coffee in the morning, and coffee can decrease the amount of calcium absorbed, but only two to three mg per cup. Of more concern is spinach. While it is relatively high in calcium, it contains oxalic acid, which may bind to the mineral preventing absorption.
Nike
NARS
Anne Weyburn
i eat a slice of cheese with my apple, to increase calcium intake
1Actually, this is something that's been worrying me quite a bit.
I'm lactose intolerant but have a family history of osteoporosis. My soy milk is "enriched with calcium" but my mum's nutritionist has advised that non-natural suppliments are not as effectively absorbed.
The non-dairy foods you've posted up are interesting, but are still quite low in calcium content. Are the real big-hitters really only dairy? Please can you advise on any non-dairy, natural sources of calcium that I can eat on a daily basis?
2Did you know that sesame seeds have 1160 mg of calcium in 100 grams! Granted that's a lot of seeds but, if you spread them over a day it might not seem like so much. Other good non-dairy sources: parsley, sardines, oysters, mussels, dried figs, tripe, almonds, brazil nuts & kale
3Post New Comment
Please share your opinion with our community, but make sure it is on topic and follows our Community Rules. We moderate comments and prohibit personal attacks, threats, spam, lewd images, or the promotion of your personal website.