Calcium Rich Non-Dairy Foods

This is for you if you are eliminating or decreasing dairy and are wanting to make sure you are getting enough calcium in your diet.

Many children have difficulty digesting dairy products and maybe you are a parent who wants to make sure your child’s nutritional growing needs are met. Or maybe you just received the inconsolable news that you are sensitive/allergic to dairy. 😞My condolences. Whatever the case, the least I can do is provide some nutritional perspective support and show you that there are MANY ways that daily calcium requirements can be met without dairy.

 FYI you are not alone if dairy doesn’t seem to agree with you or your child. Dairy products are high on the list of common food sensitivities and are inflammatory by nature (see anti-inflammatory diet in blog for more inflammatory foods). Over the years I have seen the removal of dairy help clear up eczema, diarrhea, constipation, acne, bloating, gas, sinus congestion and joint pains. I hope your health improves a lot with this diet shift!

Calcium is an important mineral for bone and teeth health and for muscle and nerve health as well. It is the mineral needed to contact muscles while magnesium relaxes muscles. Daily recommended Calcium requirements are at the end of this blog FYI.

NON-DAIRY SOURCES OF CALCIUM

For reference, 1 cup of calcium has around 300 mg of calcium.

DARK LEAFY GREENS

In general 1 cup steamed dark greens = 1 cup milk calcium wise! Go greens go!👍

  • Cooked Spinach - 300 mg/cup

  • Cooked Collard Greens - 300 mg/cup

  • Cooked Bok choy - 330 mg/cup

  • Cooked Kale - 200 mg/cup

  • Cooked Mustard greens - 180 mg/cup

  • Romaine lettuce - 40 mg/cup

  • Head lettuce - 10 mg/cup

VEGETABLES

  • Broccoli - 47 mg/100 mg (roughly 3 large heads of broccoli)

  • Fennel – 40 mg/100 mg

  • Squash – 50 mg/cup

  • Cabbage - 60 mg/cup - sauerkraut counts here of course and gives you some fermentables which are recommended daily! 🙌

BEANS AND PEAS

  • Green beans – 50 mg/cup

  • Tofu – 774 mg/cup

  • Miso - 57 mg/100 mg (great quick soup base)

  • Edamame - 60 mg/100 mg - easy to add to meals - just unthaw and warm up!

  • Navy beans - 140 mg/cup

  • Garbanzo beans - 95 mg/cup - hummus includes garbanzo and sesame seeds (tahini) !

  • Black beans - 60 mg/cup

  • Lentils - 56 mg/cup

  • Split peas - 20 mg/cup

SEAFOOD

  • Raw oysters - 240 mg/cup

  • Shrimp - 300 mg/cup

  • Canned salmon with bones - 490 mg/cup

  • Sardines with bones - 1000 mg/cup (sardine lovers it’s celebration time isn’t it!)

GRAINS

  • Tapioca (dried) - 300 mg/cup

  • Brown rice, cooked - 20 mg/cup

  • Quinoa, cooked - 80 mg/cup

  • Oats - 40 mg/cup - soak oats the night before for better absorption and assimilation of calcium

SEA VEGETABLES

  • Nori - 1,200 mg/cup

  • Kombu - 2,100 mg/cup - you can easily add a dried strip of this to your grain/soup as it cooks - kinda like you would a bay leaf. Throw it out at the end of cooking or you can eat it if you like!

  • Wakame - 3,500 mg/cup

  • Agar - 1,000 mg/cup - this comes in little flakes and can be used to make a healthy jello. I use it this berry pie recipe. ♥️

SPROUTS

  • Soy - 50 mg/cup

  • Mung bean- 35 mg/cup

  • Alfalfa - 25 mg/cup

  • Broccolli sprouts -

NUTS & SEEDS

  • Chia seeds - 631 mg/100 mg - just 3 Tablespoons has more calcium than a glass of milk!

  • Sesame seeds – 2100 mg/cup - add ¼ cup to your stir fry, grain, salad or baking for over 350 mg of calcium

  • Almonds - 750 mg/cup - bake with almond flour instead of normal flour! See no grain muffin recipe on this site. Make homemade nut milks. Soaking almonds overnight increases availability of calcium.

  • Hazelnuts - 450 mg/cup

  • Walnuts - 280 mg/cup

  • Ground Flax seeds - 255 mg/100mg - a $20 coffee grinder is your ticket to grinding fresh flax seeds to add to smoothies, oatmeal, meals.

  • Sunflower seeds - 260 mg/cup

  • Brazil nuts - 160 mg/100 mg

  • Pecans - 70 mg/100mg

HERBS & SPICES

  • Cinnamon – 2 tsp has over 50 mg of calcium – add some to your smoothie, baking, warm breakfast grains, squash.

  • Basil, dried - 2,240 mg/100 mg

  • Thyme, dried - 405 mg/100 mg

  • Rosemary, dried - 1,280 mg/100 mg - great herb for your brain!

    PS - for these herbs add ‘em in here and there as it all adds up and even a teaspoon packs a calcium-rich goodness punch —- not to mention the tasty flavours and other health benefits!

TEAS

  • Borage Tea nourishes the adrenals and is rich in calcium

  • Nettle Tea is rich in calcium and other minerals

  • Burdock Tea is a liver herb and blood cleanser and calcium rich

WHAT IMPACTS THE ABSORPTION OF CALCIUM AND WHAT CAN I DO?

  • Vitamin D enhances absorption, while phytates, oxalates and tannins inhibit absorption. To decrease these inhibitors 1. soak your nuts, seeds, beans and grains, 2. lightly steam your dark leafy vegetables (some raw greens is ok but keep it on the low) and 3. limit black tea and caffeine with meals.

 CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS

  • Infants - Birth-3 years – 600mg/day

  • Children 4-10 years – 800mg/day

  • Teens – 1,200 mg/day

  • Women, Men & Pregnancy – 1200mg/day

  • Elderly – 1300mg/day 

Track your diet to see if you would benefit from adding a supplement in on a daily basis. Here’s a link to some high quality Calcium supplements if you need. Checkout Code to receive 20 % off your supplements is 2020LOVE.

I hope this is helpful! xo, Dr. Monika

Dr. Monika Herwig + Naturopath + Canmore + Retreats for Women + Mama Mentor
Family Wellness, Naturopathic Foundations, Nutrition, Pregnancy Essentials, Postpartum Wellness, Women's HealthMonika HerwigCalcium, Nutrition, DairyfreeComment