For many, milk is what we drink to have strong, healthy bones. But milk isn’t the only way to get this vital mineral in your diet. A number of vegetables, legumes, and even fruits are rich in calcium, and they also offer a more robust portfolio of minerals and nutrients within. For example, these non-dairy sources of calcium offer long-term bone health.
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Benefits of Non-Dairy Sources of Calcium
Milk is the preferred source of calcium in the standard American diet. An 8-ounce serving of milk (or of yogurt) provides 300mg of calcium, just about one-third of the 1000mg recommended for healthy adults. If milk were your only source of calcium during the day, you’d be aiming for at least three full glasses per day.
Yet some nutrition experts criticize drinking milk for calcium, as it can lead to magnesium deficiencies. Having an imbalance of calcium and magnesium in the body is a popular explanation for the fact that many individuals who consume large amounts of dairy still get bone fractures and osteoporosis later in life. Bones need both calcium and magnesium (along with a host of other trace minerals) to stay strong and flexible.
If you have allergies, follow a non-dairy diet, or just don’t like milk, know that you have options. Calcium is abundant in many other food sources, from animal to vegetable. You need to be aware, however, that simply looking at the calcium info on the nutrition label of a certain food may not indicate how much calcium your body will actually get out of it. It all boils down to the idea of bioavailability.
The term “bioavailable” refers to how much of a certain substance actually reaches its target. In the case of calcium, certain components in different foods inhibit your body’s ability to absorb and utilize that calcium. Take oxalic acid, for example. It’s a strong inhibitor of calcium absorption and is in high amounts in spinach, chard, and beet greens, for example. This doesn’t mean you should never eat such foods; rather, just don’t count on them as major calcium sources.
Taking into account the different foods’ bioavailability of calcium, here are seven notable choices that compete with milk. You’ll find how much of each food it takes to equate to the calcium found in an 8-ounce serving of milk.
1. Bok Choy
This Chinese leafy green vegetable would appear to be most similar to lettuce: it’s tender, light, watery, crisp, and would seem to be low in nutritional density. But just 1 cup of cooked boy choy equals the same amount of calcium as an 8-ounce glass of milk.
2. Kale
The beloved “superfood” green vegetable boasts calcium as just one of many minerals found inside its chewy, dense leaves. In 1 ½ cups of cooked kale, you’ll get the same amount of calcium as an 8-ounce glass of milk.
3. Turnip Greens
Turnips are popular with squash, potatoes, and root veggies in winter dishes; don’t throw out their greens. They are also rich in bioavailable calcium; just 1 cup of cooked greens gives you the calcium of an 8-ounce glass of milk.
4. Sea Vegetables
Sea vegetables seem to do only good for the body. They flush out toxins and heavy metals from our system and supply ample amounts of trace minerals. Pile your lunch bowl with a large heaping of alaria (or wakame) and kelp for a calcium boost; 4 cups of the seaweed equals the calcium of an 8-ounce glass of milk.
5. Tofu
Tofu isn’t as hot as it used to be with health nuts in the ‘90s, but it does still deserve credit when due. With most tofu varieties, just a ½-cup serving has the same amount of calcium as an 8-ounce glass of milk.
6. Dried Figs
Believe it or not, these dried fruits are an excellent source of dietary calcium. Ten fruits supply the same amount as an 8-ounce glass of milk.
7. Sustainable Bony Fish
You don’t have to be strictly vegan to be dairy-free. If you ever eat fish, check out Alaskan salmon, sardines, and mackerel (all sustainable choices) for a serious calcium boost. A 3-ounce serving contains the same amount of calcium as an 8-ounce glass of milk.
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