Calcium is important, because it helps build and maintain strong healthy bones and teeth, helps with blood clotting, supports nervous system functions, and regulates the heartbeat. It also can help prevent osteoporosis, a disease which causes weak and porous bones.
Osteoporosis accounts for over 1.5 million broken or fractured bones each year. Women over 50 are specifically at high risk for osteoporosis. The recommended daily requirement of calcium is 1,000 mg. for adults ages 19-50 and 1,200 mg. for adults over 50.
Milk and dairy products are a good source of calcium – but they're not the only way to meet your calcium needs. Here are seven non-dairy foods that have more calcium than milk.
Spinach
Calcium is found in large quantities in spinach. It can actually prevent your body from effectively absorbing calcium because it contains a high amount of oxalate. Oxalate is a chemical that interferes with your body's ability to absorb calcium.
Date
Date is an excellent source of calcium and it has 129% more calcium than raisin - raisin has 28mg of calcium per 100 grams and date has 64mg of calcium.
Raisin
Raisins have high calcium content. This is necessary for bone strength and joint pain relief. They are a good source of boron, a micronutrient. It's required in modest amounts by human bodies for proper calcium absorption and bone growth.
Oranges and tangerines
Oranges are a great source of calcium. The citrus family has a few big contenders in the calcium department, with oranges providing 72 milligrams of calcium per cup, the same as dried apricots. A large orange that’s over 3 inches in diameter has about 74 milligrams of calcium, while the average small orange over two inches in diameter has about 38 milligrams of calcium. Tangerines also have a similar calcium level, with one cup of tangerine sections equalling 72 milligrams of calcium. Large tangerines average approximately 44 milligrams of calcium, which comes in lower than oranges.
Beans
Beans are an excellent vegan friendly calcium source. The humble kidney bean packs a decent amount of calcium, at 140mg per 100g of raw beans, as do soybeans which contain almost 280mg per 100g.2 Chickpeas and white beans also have a lot of calcium, with around 120mg and 160mg per 100g of raw beans respectively.4
Nuts and seeds
Most nuts are a good source of calcium, but almonds rank the best at around 260mg per 100g.2 Walnuts, hazelnuts, and Brazil nuts are also worth adding to your diet if you want to be sure you’re getting enough.
A quarter of a cup of sesame seeds contain more calcium than an entire cup of milk. You can add toasted sesame seeds to almost any vegetable, meat or salad for a crunchy and nutritious boost or add them as an ingredient in your next batch of hummus or chip dip.
Broccoli
If you aren’t eating broccoli, now is the time to start. Broccoli is packed full of calcium, fiber and healthy vitamins. Not only that, it’s super easy to cook and can be prepared about a million different ways. One cup of broccoli packs over 70 milligrams of calcium.
