Topic Overview
Milk, yogurt, and cheese provide a lot of calcium. But there are other foods that have calcium, such as kale, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage. You can also get calcium by eating the soft bones of canned sardines and canned salmon. And calcium is sometimes added to tofu, soy and rice drinks, fruit juice, and cereal.
The following non-milk foods can provide calcium for people who don't include milk in their diets.footnote 1
| Food, serving size | Milligrams of calcium |
|---|---|
| Almonds, 1/4 cup (60 ml) | 93 |
| Tahini/sesame seed butter, 2 tablespoons (30 mL) | 130 |
| Food, serving size | Milligrams of calcium |
|---|---|
| Collards, cooked, ½ cup (125 mL) | 189 |
| Kale, frozen, cooked, ½ cup (125 mL) | 95 |
| Orange juice, fortified with calcium, ½ cup (125 mL) | 155 |
| Food, serving size | Milligrams of calcium |
|---|---|
| Tofu (with added calcium), 3/4 cup (150 g or 175 mL) | 234-347 |
| Canned salmon with bones, 2 ½ oz (75 g) | 179-208 |
| Calcium-fortified soy beverage, 1 cup (250 mL) | 319-324 |
Notice that some greens, notably spinach and Swiss chard, are not included in this list. Even though these foods have a lot of calcium, very little calcium from these foods is available to the body, because the foods contain binders that prevent the calcium from being absorbed.
Some people who avoid dairy foods take supplements to be sure they are getting enough calcium and vitamin D.
If you are concerned about your diet and calcium intake, talk to a registered dietitian.
Current as of: August 22, 2019
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine & Rhonda O'Brien, MS, RD, CDE - Certified Diabetes Educator & Colleen O'Connor, PhD, RD - Registered Dietitian
