How to Get Calcium Without Milk
Eat your greens., Include plenty of seeds in your diet., Add seaweed to your diet., Eat more canned fish., Sweeten with blackstrap molasses., Snack on dried figs., Eat more white beans., Avoid excess salt., Use non-dairy milk alternatives.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Eat your greens.
Dark, leafy greens such as collards, turnip greens, spinach and kale are rich in calcium.
In fact, collards are one of the best sources of calcium in all foods, with a whopping 268 milligrams (27% of your daily needs) of calcium in one cup of cooked greens.Collards are also low in oxalates, which can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb calcium.
Leafy greens are also rich in other nutrients, including vitamin A, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. -
Step 2: Include plenty of seeds in your diet.
Chia seeds are a powerful source of calcium, packing 177 milligrams (18% of your daily needs) of calcium into two tablespoons of seeds.
Simply adding a tablespoon or two of chia seeds into your morning smoothie will ensure that you’re receiving your daily intake of calcium.Sesame seeds are also full of calcium, which contain 88 milligrams (9 percent of your daily needs) per tablespoon.
If you’re not used to including seeds in your diet, start by sprinkling them on vegetables, or adding them to smoothies.
Tahini, or sesame seed paste, is another terrific source of calcium. , Seaweed is a good source of calcium, fiber and iodine.
The most calcium-dense variety of seaweed is hijiki, which contains nearly one and a half times the recommended daily allowance of calcium in a ¼ cup serving.In general, dried seaweed contains 4-7% calcium by weight, so in order to get the US Recommended Daily Allowance of approximately 1,000mg, you would require only about a tablespoon or two.
Fresh seaweed contains more water, and consequently less calcium by weight, but can still be a good source of your daily calcium. , Canned fish is precooked, so requires little preparation.
Canned fish is an excellent source of calcium in your diet because of the soft fish bones that are found in canned fish.
For example, pink salmon and sardines are rich in calcium, Omega 3s, and vitamin D.Canned mackerel is another fish that’s less familiar to most people, but contains just as much calcium as canned salmon.
You can include canned fish in tasty casseroles, sandwich fillings, soups and salads. , Two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses contain 400 milligrams of calcium.
It’s also rich in other minerals, such as iron, magnesium, manganese and potassium.
You should be aware that regular molasses, including sorghum molasses, doesn’t contain calcium.
Replace sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses to increase your calcium intake.
For example, try using molasses in your coffee or baked goods. , Figs are an excellent source of calcium, and dried figs are available year-round.
Eight to 10 dried figs contain as much calcium as one glass of milk.
They’re also an excellent source of iron, fiber and potassium.You can enjoy dried figs on salads, in smoothies, or softened in your morning bowl of oatmeal.
Figs are also a good source of antioxidants. , White beans, such as navy beans, chickpeas, or other white legumes, contain a healthy supply of calcium.
A one-cup serving of baked beans, for example, contains 102 milligrams of calcium.These foods also contain magnesium, which works together with calcium to build bone in your body.
Because it's made from soy beans, white tofu is another good source of calcium. , The calcium in bones will slowly dissolve into the bloodstream, before passing through the kidneys into the urine.
Sodium (or salt) in the foods you eat will increase calcium loss.By reducing your sodium intake to under two grams per day, you’ll retain your intake of calcium better.
Avoid salty snack foods and canned goods with added sodium.
Rinse your canned vegetables well, as they’re stored in a salty brine.
Do not use salt before, during, or after cooking. , Soy milk, rice milk, hemp seed and almond milk all have a high level of calcium.
Check their labels to compare the calcium levels in each.Make sure you shake the carton well, as the calcium tends to settle at the bottom.
Many juices contain added calcium.
Look for the labels that advertise calcium. -
Step 3: Add seaweed to your diet.
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Step 4: Eat more canned fish.
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Step 5: Sweeten with blackstrap molasses.
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Step 6: Snack on dried figs.
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Step 7: Eat more white beans.
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Step 8: Avoid excess salt.
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Step 9: Use non-dairy milk alternatives.
Detailed Guide
Dark, leafy greens such as collards, turnip greens, spinach and kale are rich in calcium.
In fact, collards are one of the best sources of calcium in all foods, with a whopping 268 milligrams (27% of your daily needs) of calcium in one cup of cooked greens.Collards are also low in oxalates, which can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb calcium.
Leafy greens are also rich in other nutrients, including vitamin A, potassium, iron, and vitamin C.
Chia seeds are a powerful source of calcium, packing 177 milligrams (18% of your daily needs) of calcium into two tablespoons of seeds.
Simply adding a tablespoon or two of chia seeds into your morning smoothie will ensure that you’re receiving your daily intake of calcium.Sesame seeds are also full of calcium, which contain 88 milligrams (9 percent of your daily needs) per tablespoon.
If you’re not used to including seeds in your diet, start by sprinkling them on vegetables, or adding them to smoothies.
Tahini, or sesame seed paste, is another terrific source of calcium. , Seaweed is a good source of calcium, fiber and iodine.
The most calcium-dense variety of seaweed is hijiki, which contains nearly one and a half times the recommended daily allowance of calcium in a ¼ cup serving.In general, dried seaweed contains 4-7% calcium by weight, so in order to get the US Recommended Daily Allowance of approximately 1,000mg, you would require only about a tablespoon or two.
Fresh seaweed contains more water, and consequently less calcium by weight, but can still be a good source of your daily calcium. , Canned fish is precooked, so requires little preparation.
Canned fish is an excellent source of calcium in your diet because of the soft fish bones that are found in canned fish.
For example, pink salmon and sardines are rich in calcium, Omega 3s, and vitamin D.Canned mackerel is another fish that’s less familiar to most people, but contains just as much calcium as canned salmon.
You can include canned fish in tasty casseroles, sandwich fillings, soups and salads. , Two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses contain 400 milligrams of calcium.
It’s also rich in other minerals, such as iron, magnesium, manganese and potassium.
You should be aware that regular molasses, including sorghum molasses, doesn’t contain calcium.
Replace sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses to increase your calcium intake.
For example, try using molasses in your coffee or baked goods. , Figs are an excellent source of calcium, and dried figs are available year-round.
Eight to 10 dried figs contain as much calcium as one glass of milk.
They’re also an excellent source of iron, fiber and potassium.You can enjoy dried figs on salads, in smoothies, or softened in your morning bowl of oatmeal.
Figs are also a good source of antioxidants. , White beans, such as navy beans, chickpeas, or other white legumes, contain a healthy supply of calcium.
A one-cup serving of baked beans, for example, contains 102 milligrams of calcium.These foods also contain magnesium, which works together with calcium to build bone in your body.
Because it's made from soy beans, white tofu is another good source of calcium. , The calcium in bones will slowly dissolve into the bloodstream, before passing through the kidneys into the urine.
Sodium (or salt) in the foods you eat will increase calcium loss.By reducing your sodium intake to under two grams per day, you’ll retain your intake of calcium better.
Avoid salty snack foods and canned goods with added sodium.
Rinse your canned vegetables well, as they’re stored in a salty brine.
Do not use salt before, during, or after cooking. , Soy milk, rice milk, hemp seed and almond milk all have a high level of calcium.
Check their labels to compare the calcium levels in each.Make sure you shake the carton well, as the calcium tends to settle at the bottom.
Many juices contain added calcium.
Look for the labels that advertise calcium.
About the Author
Sara Moore
Writer and educator with a focus on practical crafts knowledge.
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