Today we chose to talk about calcium-rich foods because the human body uses 99 percent of the total calcium to keep your teeth and bones strong, OR you can say that calcium supports skeletal function and structure—the whole body. Moreover, calcium has a vital role in cell signaling, nerve function, blood clotting, and muscle contraction. So we are going to discuss some top calcium-rich foods in this article.
Calcium-rich foods are essential for all, including those who want to lose weight; calcium-rich foods are an extra good option because, on one side, calcium increases the strength of your bones and teeth, and on the other side, it promotes weight loss. It has some role in the prevention of some serious diseases.
Calcium is found everywhere in the human body because it is the most abundant mineral in the human body. But it does not mean that everyone is getting a sufficient amount of it. So we have discussed some foods that are high in calcium.
Calcium has some significant roles in the human body, but the prominent are helping in transmitting messages through nerves, the release of hormones, and muscle contraction. Calcium also helps the heart to work properly. If a person does not take calcium in their diet, they take calcium from body bones to guarantee normal bodily functions. Such a condition leads to weakened bones and causes a disease called Osteogenesis imperfect (OI). Insufficient calcium can result in severe conditions like muscle cramps, loss of appetite, numbness in fingers and toes, lethargy, abnormal heart rhythm, convulsion, and much more.
So to avoid dangerous medical problems and make your body function well, we recommend you include these calcium-rich foods in your diet.
You must give a cursory look to all of these calcium-rich foods written below to see which one is easily available to you.
1. Skim Milk
Hey…! If you feel that you should avoid protein because you are overweight, or you plan to diet, then skimmed milk is a good option for you to get calcium without taking in any amount of protein to your body. Only protein has been removed from skimmed milk, but calcium is always there with skimmed milk. So feel free to drink skimmed milk to get strong bones and teeth and to avoid osteoporosis.
Serving size (1 cup), 306 milligrams calcium (31% DV), and 83 calories.
2. Raw Spinach
When you want to have some salad in your meal, then go for dark, leafy greens like spinach rather lighter iceberg lettuce. In doing so, you will have a great flavor, and also, you add so many important elements to your body. Spinach is full of calcium, vitamin A, vitamin K, fiber, and potassium that make it marvelous food that benefits almost every aspect of your health.
Serving size (1 cup), 90 milligrams of calcium (9% DV), and 34 calories.
3. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is full of calcium and fiber and so many other minerals and vitamins that are extremely beneficial for your body. So you include oatmeal to make your breakfast perfect. If pure the taste of pure oatmeal is not pleasant for you, then you can include some cinnamon or favorite berries to make it more supreme and palatable.
Serving size (¾ cup), 20 milligrams of calcium (2% DV), and 124 calories.
4. Almond (One of The Easily Available Calcium-Rich Foods)
Many people do not know, but almond is a great source of calcium. A half-cup serving of tasty almond contains 183 milligrams of calcium, which is equal to 18% of the recommended value for a day. Almond not only helps in improving your bones, but it also gives strength to heart health, colon health, and encourage weight loss.
Serving size (½ cup), 183 milligrams of calcium (18% DV), and 412 calories.
5. Salmon
Salmon is a great source of calcium and a good alternative to red meat. It contains calcium and vitamin B12, and so many other nutrients. By eating salmon, you do a great favor to your body. 154 grams of salmon provide you with almost 20 milligrams of calcium that is equal to 2% of the daily value.
Salmon is not only beneficial for your bones and heart but also provide prevention against certain cancer. It also improves your cognitive function, the health of skin and hair.
Serving size (154 grams), 20 milligrams of calcium (2% DV), and 280 calories.
6. Plain Yogurt
A plus point in the case of plain yogurt is that it can be included at any time like breakfast, lunch, and dinner as dessert. If you include plain yogurt at any time in your diet, your body will never feel insufficient of calcium. An 8-ounce serving gives you 42% of the recommended daily amount of calcium with only 160 calories.
Fat-free varieties are also available, so if you are on a diet, you can still include it in your meals. You can also mix with your favorite berries or brown sugar if you do not like the taste.
Serving size (8 oz.), 415 milligrams of calcium (42% DV), and 160 calories.
7. Broccoli
Try to include broccoli in your diet because it contains a high amount of calcium and vitamin K. These both help make your bones strong and prevent osteoporosis. Broccoli also improves your blood pressure, heart health, and immune system.
Serving size (1 cup), 74 milligrams of calcium (7% DV), and 25 calories.
8. Oranges
We all know that orange is a good source of vitamin C, but it also contains a tremendous amount of calcium. For better health, start your day with the juice of oranges. But for more benefits, you eat the entire orange fully without the peel. One orange provides almost 6% of the calcium an average person needs per day.
Serving size (1 orange), 60 milligrams of calcium (6% DV), and 62 calories.
9. Chia Seeds
Chia seed has been used by so many cultures and generations from time to time because of its great health benefits. It helps in maintaining normal blood pressure, promoting weight loss, reducing arthritis pain, and more. Moreover, chia seed is also a great source of calcium, so it helps in strengthening bones.
Chia is a word from the ancient Mayan word for strength.
Serving size (1 tablespoon), 80 milligrams of calcium (8% DV), and 70 calories.
10. Soy Milk
Many people use soy milk rather than regular milk because it is an incredible source of calcium and other important elements necessary for our health. The amount of calcium in soy milk is the same as in regular milk. Other health benefits include the prevention of certain cancer, promotion of weight loss, and lowering cholesterol. Soy milk also elevates the absorption of calcium into your body.
Serving size (1 cup), 60 milligrams of calcium (6% DV), and 132 calories.
11. Sesame seeds
Sesame seeds are famous for its pleasant taste, which usually brings a modest touch to so many meals. Most of the people do not know that one tablespoon of these tiny seeds contains 88 milligrams of calcium. Beside it, calcium is also a source of so many other minerals like copper, iron, manganese, and fiber. So we recommend you to include this in your diet in different ways to get enough calcium.
Serving size (1 tablespoon), 88 milligrams of calcium (9% DV), and 52 calories.
12. Dried Figs
We love figs just for their unique taste, but we do not know that they are full of calcium. Only two of these provide your body with 55 milligrams of bone-healthy calcium. It is almost equal to 6% of the average person’s daily needs. Figs are also a great source of potassium and fiber—so it is recommended to include them in your diet.
Serving size (2 dried figs), 55 milligrams of calcium (6% DV), and 40 calories.
13. Swiss Cheese
We know that milk, cheese, and other dairy products are famous for their calcium content, and Swiss Cheese is one of them. One single slice can give you 22% of the daily recommended value of calcium.
Serving size (1 slice or 1 oz.), 220 milligrams of calcium (22% DV), and 106 calories.
14. Turnip Greens
Most of us do not know that turnip greens are good sources of calcium, vitamin A, iron, and so many other nutrients. Moreover, you can enjoy turnip greens liberally because a cup of it has 32 calories only. A cup of boiled turnip greens can give you 200 milligrams of calcium and 32 milligrams of magnesium, helping the body absorb calcium easily and efficiently.
Serving size (1 cup boiled), 200 milligrams of calcium (20% DV), and 32 calories.
15. Kale
Kale is a good source of calcium, and just one cup of kale contains 90 milligrams of calcium, equal to 9% of the daily recommended value of calcium. You can use it as a salad. You can also put it on a burger or use it with soup. It can also be cooked in olive oil and garlic that tastes great.
Serving size (1 cup), 90 milligrams of calcium (9% DV), and 34 calories.
16. Sardines
Calcium-rich foods are also available under the blue water of oceans. For example, Sardines are little fish that is packed with so many vitamins and nutrients. Sardines are said to help lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, prevent certain cancers, and promote bone health.
It helps in preventing degenerative bone disease and osteoporosis because it is full of calcium.
Serving size (3 oz. canned in oil with bones), 325 milligrams of calcium (33% DV), and 185 calories.
17. White beans
White beans are famous for high fibers, but they also contain a high amount of folic acid and other essential vitamins. Just half a cup of them gives you 100 milligrams of calcium that is enough to fulfill your 10% Recommended ingestion for a day. Beans are so delicious to include in the diet.
Serving size (½ cup), 100 milligrams of calcium (10% DV), and 125 calories.
18. Brazil Nuts
These are a good source of calcium, and fortunately, you can easily find them in grocery stores and health stores. They are large and full of calcium. One cup of it gives you almost 213 milligrams of calcium. Beware…! It contains as high calories as 872.
Serving size (1 cup) 213 milligrams of calcium (21% DV), and 872 calories.
19. Herring
Like other types of fish, Herring is a great source of fats, vitamins, and minerals, such as calcium. One fillet (almost 143 ounces) can give you 143 milligrams of calcium that is almost 11% of the calcium that should be consumed by a person in a day. The proteins in herring promote muscle repair and development, and the calcium boosts your bones and teeth. It is also said that it helps in improving heart health.
Serving size (1 fillet or 143 ounces), 110 milligrams of calcium (11% DV), and 290 calories.
20. Arugula
Since arugula is tasty and full of calcium (almost 125 milligrams in one cup) so, it should be included in the salad. These are dark green in color and have a major role in bone strengthening and help prevent osteoporosis.
Serving size (1 cup), 125 milligrams of calcium (13% DV), and 6 calories.
Calcium is mostly associated with bones that are a base and foundation for your body—the building material for your teeth. A sufficient amount of calcium can help you avoid bone loss, degenerative bone diseases, and osteoporosis. Besides, this calcium is important for other aspects of our health.
Sometimes you will not find a specific one of these calcium-rich foods, but, fortunately, we have mentioned in large numbers. So if one is not available to you then, I am sure the other will definitely available to you at any cost.
It is highly recommended to include calcium-rich foods in your diet to have strong bones and teeth and avoid bone diseases and muscle weakness.
If you are a gym-going person, then you need more amount of calcium than those who do not go to a gym, so you are stressed to include some calcium-rich foods in your diet.
