Starting your day with plain yogurt topped with chia seeds and almonds can help you reach your calcium needs.
Image Credit: Elena Gonzalez Hontoria/iStock/GettyImages
In This Article
Non-Dairy Foods
Dairy Foods
Getting your fair share of calcium is essential for healthy teeth and bones — in fact, 99 percent of the calcium in your body is stored in your skeleton, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).
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But the body also requires calcium for proper muscle and blood function, and the nutrient helps facilitate the release of enzymes and hormones, too.
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How Much Calcium Do You Need Per Day? The recommended daily intake of calcium is 1,000 milligrams and 1,200 milligrams for adults assigned male at birth and adults assigned female at birth, respectively, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
People ages 9 to 18 should get 1,300 milligrams per day. People who are past menopause are more likely to experience bone loss than younger people due to the fact that their bodies have a more difficult time absorbing calcium, per the NIH. While they require the same amount of calcium per day as younger people, it’s even more essential that they meet their daily requirements.
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People of childbearing age with amenorrhea (period loss), those with lactose intolerance or those who are vegan or just cut out dairy from their diets should also be mindful of their calcium intake.
Good news: Calcium is found in plenty of different foods — both dairy and not. Here’s a complete list of foods with the highest calcium levels to include in your daily diet. Note that the FDA calculates its Daily Value (DV) percentages based on eating 1,300 milligrams of calcium per day.
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Non-Dairy Foods High in Calcium
Sardines: 44% Daily Value (DV)
If you’re looking for the top food highest in calcium, reach for sardines — and make sure to eat them with the bones (because that’s where the calcium is). Image Credit: circlePS/iStock/GettyImages Just 1 cup of canned sardines provides 569.2 milligrams or 44 percent of your DV of calcium (mostly coming from the sardine bones) as well as 37 grams of protein. They’re also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which support heart health, per the Mayo Clinic.
Advertisement Try the briny fish in these delicious sardine recipes.
Fortified Orange Juice: 27% DV Yes, orange juice is particularly high in vitamin C, with 93 percent of your DV in 1 cup. But this calcium-enriched food also has 348.6 milligrams or 27 percent of your DV of calcium as brands often add the nutrient to the juice during manufacturing.
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Advertisement Make sure to check the label of your OJ to see if it’s fortified with calcium. Are There Any Fruits High in Calcium? Fruit is not a particularly good source of calcium, but some fruits do contain a bit of the mineral:
Oranges: 6% DV per large fruit Kiwi: 4% DV per 2 fruits Tangerine: 3% DV per large fruit
Navy Beans: 24% DV Also known as haricot beans, navy beans are an excellent source of many nutrients, including fiber, B vitamins and calcium. In fact, a 1-cup serving of cooked navy beans serves up 305.8 milligrams or 10 percent of your DV of calcium. Navy beans are delicious in soups, vegetarian or beef chilis and mashed into bean burgers.
Advertisement 4. Sesame Seeds: 22% DV
You can use tahini — aka sesame seed butter — in a variety of different sauces and marinades. Image Credit: AlexPro9500/iStock/GettyImages There are several types of seeds that are high in calcium, but sesame — the kind tahini is made of — tops the list. Just 1 ounce of toasted sesame seeds contains 280.9 milligrams or 22 percent of your DV. Sprinkle sesame seeds over salads or toast with avocado or peanut butter, or try them in these tahini recipes that aren’t hummus.
Advertisement 5. Collard Greens: 21% DV This vegetable packs a boatload of vitamins A, C, B6, iron and magnesium — and it just happens to be one of the best non-dairy foods high in calcium. One cup of cooked collard greens has 267.9 milligrams or 21 percent of your DV. Try it in these antioxidant-rich collard green recipes.
Advertisement Tip Note that oxalates in green leafy vegetables, like collard greens, can bind to calcium and inhibit it from being absorbed — but boiling or steaming the veggie can help reduce its oxalate content, per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Soybeans or Edamame: 20% DV Soybeans are wonderfully nutritious and tend to be a go-to vegetarian food high in calcium. One cup of cooked green soybeans offers 261 milligrams or 21 percent of your DV. What’s more, that same serving offers 22 grams of complete protein, which means it contains all nine essential amino acids for healthy muscles.
Advertisement While the bean is delicious boiled and sprinkled with a bit of sea salt for a snack, edamame is also great on salads, in grain bowls and even in soups.
Fortified Firm Tofu: 19% DV Tofu is one of the best vegan foods high in calcium with 253.3 milligrams or 19 percent of your DV in a 1/2 cup serving. If you want even more calcium, make sure to look at the nutrition facts label and ingredient list and pick a brand that has calcium sulfate added — most of the time, it’ll contain over 100 percent of your DV. Try the calcium-enriched food in these anything-but-bland tofu recipes.
Canned Salmon: 15% DV
Canned salmon is an affordable way to get your omega-3s and makes for great salmon burgers. Image Credit: a-lesa/iStock/GettyImages You don’t have to score salmon fresh to reap all of its nutritional benefits. Canned salmon, specifically the kind including the bones, is a food rich in calcium — packing 197.2 milligrams or 15 percent of your DV in a 3-ounce serving. You have to eat the bones to get the calcium.
Broccoli Rabe: 21% DV The smaller, skinnier form of broccoli is a tad more bitter but is loaded with calcium with 21 percent of your DV per cup cooked. In comparison, you’ll get just 267.6 milligrams or 7 percent of your DV of calcium in cooked broccoli. You can cook broccoli rabe quite similarly to how you would cook broccoli — and, in fact, it may be even easier to do so thanks to its thin stature.
Advertisement 10. Kale: 15% DV Most leafy greens contain a fair share of calcium, but kale is a top contender. This crunchy, cruciferous vegetable contains 195 milligrams or 15 percent of your DV in 1 cup cooked.
Shrimp: 14% DV Contrary to popular belief, shrimp is quite nutritious and a wonderful source of protein, providing 26 grams per cooked cup. Shrimp is also a high-calcium food, containing 185.6 milligrams or 14 percent of your DV.
Chia Seeds: 14% DV These seeds might be tiny, but they pack a serious nutritional punch and offer up 179.2 milligrams or 14 percent of your DV of calcium in 1 ounce (about 2 tablespoons). Chia seeds make a great addition to yogurts or smoothies thanks to their crunchy texture and high-fiber content.
Bok Choy: 12% DV This cruciferous vegetable is popular in Asian cuisine and is loaded with myriad nutrients, including iron, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin K and calcium, all of which play a crucial role in keeping bones strong. One cup of cooked bok choy contains 158.1 milligrams or 12 percent of your DV of calcium.
Okra: 9% DV
Add okra to your favorite stew for some texture and satiating power. Image Credit: ALLEKO/iStock/GettyImages You’ll often see this tube-shaped, seedy veggie cooked in tomato sauce. Don’t skip it if you spot it in your grocery store — 1 cup of cooked okra supplies 123.2 milligrams or 9 percent of your calcium DV for just 35 calories.
Advertisement Plus, you’ll get 4 grams of fiber (14 percent DV) and 3 grams of protein in 1 cup, making this veggie a wonderful way to get more satiating nutrients in your diet.
Almonds: 6% DV These crunchy, snackable nuts are high in fiber, protein and healthy fat — and they’re also one of our favorite plant-based foods high in calcium with 76 milligrams or 6 percent of your DV in 1 ounce. You can also enjoy the benefits of this sweet nut by buying a jar of almond butter. Dairy Foods High in Calcium
Yogurt: 38% DV
Try to choose yogurts with no added sugar and toss in your own toppings, like fresh fruit, nuts and seeds for flavor. Image Credit: wilatlak villette/Moment/GettyImages Not only is yogurt an excellent source of calcium, but it’s also rich in gut-healthy probiotic bacteria. One cup of yogurt gives you 487.6 milligrams or 38 percent of your DV of calcium.
Milk: 23% DV One cup of low-fat or skim milk has 292.8 milligrams or 23 percent of your calcium DV (whole milk has slightly less, with 21 percent DV). Milk is fortified with both calcium and vitamin D during manufacturing. If you don’t drink dairy milk, look for a plant-based milk alternative that’s fortified with calcium (and vitamin D) by checking nutrition labels for daily values.
Kefir: 23% DV Kefir is a fermented milk drink made from kefir grains. Think of it like drinkable yogurt — it’s tart and thinner than yogurt but a bit thicker than milk. One cup of plain, low-fat kefir gives you 294.8 milligrams or 23 percent of your calcium DV.
Cheese: 17% DV Most types of cheese are excellent sources of calcium — namely, hard cheeses such as Parmesan. Soft cheeses like ricotta and cream cheese have less calcium.
Parmesan: 226.8 mg or 17% DV per 1 ounce Provolone: 214.7 mg or 16% DV per 1 ounce Cheddar: 201.6 mg or 16% DV per 1 ounce Mozzarella: 143.4 mg or 11% DV per 1 ounce Ricotta: 77.2 mg or 6% DV per 1 ounce Cream cheese: 27.5 mg or 2% DV per 1 ounce
Note that most hard cheeses are very low in lactose and are often tolerated even by those people with lactose intolerance.
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Starting your day with plain yogurt topped with chia seeds and almonds can help you reach your calcium needs.
Image Credit: Elena Gonzalez Hontoria/iStock/GettyImages
Image Credit: Elena Gonzalez Hontoria/iStock/GettyImages
- Non-Dairy Foods
- Dairy Foods
The recommended daily intake of calcium is 1,000 milligrams and 1,200 milligrams for adults assigned male at birth and adults assigned female at birth, respectively, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH). People ages 9 to 18 should get 1,300 milligrams per day.
People ages 9 to 18 should get 1,300 milligrams per day.
If you're looking for the top food highest in calcium, reach for sardines — and make sure to eat them with the bones (because that's where the calcium is).
Image Credit: circlePS/iStock/GettyImages
Image Credit: circlePS/iStock/GettyImages
Fruit is not a particularly good source of calcium, but some fruits do contain a bit of the mineral:
Oranges: 6% DV per large fruit Kiwi: 4% DV per 2 fruits Tangerine: 3% DV per large fruit
Oranges: 6% DV per large fruit
Kiwi: 4% DV per 2 fruits
Tangerine: 3% DV per large fruit
You can use tahini — aka sesame seed butter — in a variety of different sauces and marinades. Image Credit: AlexPro9500/iStock/GettyImages
Image Credit: AlexPro9500/iStock/GettyImages
Note that oxalates in green leafy vegetables, like collard greens, can bind to calcium and inhibit it from being absorbed — but boiling or steaming the veggie can help reduce its oxalate content, per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Canned salmon is an affordable way to get your omega-3s and makes for great salmon burgers.
Image Credit: a-lesa/iStock/GettyImages
Image Credit: a-lesa/iStock/GettyImages
Add okra to your favorite stew for some texture and satiating power.
Image Credit: ALLEKO/iStock/GettyImages
Image Credit: ALLEKO/iStock/GettyImages
Try to choose yogurts with no added sugar and toss in your own toppings, like fresh fruit, nuts and seeds for flavor.
Image Credit: wilatlak villette/Moment/GettyImages
Image Credit: wilatlak villette/Moment/GettyImages
15 Foods High in Vitamin D for a Healthy Immune System
by
Jenn Sinrich
23 Top Foods High in Vitamin K for Blood and Bone Health
by
Heather Mayer Irvine
Want to Age Well? Eat These 8 Foods for Strong Bones
by
Patricia Bannan
