11 Dairy-Free Calcium Sources

No Dairy? No Problem!

-- By Liza Barnes, Health Educator

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When I was a wee tot, I frequently had stomach pains that were once bad enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room. Everything looked fine according to the doctor, but my pains continued. Finally, an allergist diagnosed me with a milk allergy, and as soon as I stopped eating dairy, my symptoms disappeared. They said I might outgrow my allergy someday, but for the time-being I had a new problem. How would I get enough calcium if I wasn’t drinking any milk? Many people face a similar dilemma, whether they are forced to give up dairy because of an allergy, or because they choose to for other reasons.

There’s no doubt that calcium is essential. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the body maintains a constant level of calcium in the body fluid to support the many body functions for which calcium is necessary, including muscle contraction, blood vessel contraction and expansion, the secretion of hormones and enzymes, and sending messages through the nervous system. That means it’s needed to keep your heart beating and your muscles functioning, among other things. But the calcium in body fluids and muscles accounts for only about 1% of the total calcium in your body. The rest of it is stored in the bones and teeth, where it provides structural support and acts as a sort of “savings account” from which calcium is repeatedly withdrawn and deposited.

Although calcium intake is important throughout the life, the most important time for building up this savings account balance is during childhood, when there is a higher amount of bone formation and less breakdown. During adulthood, these processes are more equal, and then during later years, the breakdown takes over as the predominate process, which leads to weakening of the bones.

So what’s a kid (or anyone) who doesn’t drink milk to do? Get calcium from any of the many other places it can be found. You can find calcium in many plant-based foods, from almonds to tofu. Here is a list of some calcium-containing foods that are dairy-free, with the amount of calcium you’ll find in a single serving.

Be sure to pin this graphic for future reference and read below for more detail.

Here’s how much calcium you’ll find in a single serving of each of the foods above.

Food	Serving Size	Calcium
Collard greens	1 cup, boiled	357 mg
Fortified soymilk	1 cup	368 mg
Black-eyed peas	1 cup, boiled	211 mg
Firm tofu (made with calcium sulfate)	1/2 cup	204 mg
Calcium-fortified orange juice	6 oz	200 mg
Blackstrap molasses	1 Tbsp	172 mg
Baked beans	1 cup, canned	154 mg
Kale	1 cup, cooked	94 mg
Chinese cabbage	1 cup, raw	74 mg
Oranges	1 cup	72 mg
Almonds	1 oz	70 mg

Here are some tips on how to incorporate many of these foods into your diet to increase your calcium intake:

Cook a vegetable stir-fry and toss in diced tofu made with calcium sulfate.
Add steamed and minced greens like collards and kale to casseroles, soups and stews.
Use calcium-fortified non-dairy milk (like soy or rice milk) instead of water in recipes such as pancakes, mashed potatoes, pudding and oatmeal.
Stir a drizzle of blackstrap molasses into your oatmeal.
Use almond butter instead of peanut butter.
Add calcium-rich beans like black-eyed peas to soups, pasta sauces, salads and burritos.
Enjoy canned baked beans as a side dish, or mix them into your favorite recipes.

If you’re not regularly eating enough of these foods to meet your calcium needs, you may want to consider a calcium supplement. After you consult your doctor to make sure this is right for you, your next step is choosing a supplement. Here are some guidelines that will help you:

Choose a brand you trust. Generic supplements might be a lower quality and might not be absorbed as well.
When comparing the potency of two different types, compare them by the amount of elemental calcium they contain, which should be listed on the label.
Choose one with the abbreviation "USP", which means that the supplement has met the standards of the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) for quality, purity and tablet disintegration or dissolution.
Do not use calcium supplements made with unrefined oyster shell, bone meal or dolomite as they may also contain toxic substances like lead, mercury and arsenic.

In addition to eating the right foods and/or supplementing, there are a few other tips everyone should follow, whether eating dairy or not, to keep their bones strong.

Reduce your sodium intake. Increased sodium in the blood can cause your body to compensate by pulling more calcium from your bones to maintain balance. Cut back on your salt intake and your bones will stay strong.
Eat your veggies. In addition to their calcium content, many vegetables and fruits are good sources of potassium. According to the NIH, this mineral may help decrease calcium excretion in people who eat high sodium diets— particularly in postmenopausal women.
Don’t overdo the protein. As with sodium, the body’s reaction to excess protein can weaken bones. If you’re on a high-protein diet, be doubly sure you’re getting the recommended amount of calcium daily—at least 1,000 mg.
Exercise. Weight bearing exercise, like walking, step-aerobics, running, and hiking put stress on your bones, causing your body to respond by making them stronger.
Get ample amounts of Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps improve calcium absorption. Food and sunlight are your two sources for vitamin D. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, “for bone health, an adequate intake of vitamin D is no less important than calcium.” Food sources of vitamin D include cod liver oil, salmon, mackerel, tuna, and fortified breakfast cereals. According to the NIH, ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least two times per week to the face, arms, hands, or back (without sunscreen) is usually sufficient to provide adequate vitamin D.

Turns out there are lots of good (and tasty) ways to get calcium and to grow and support your bones without dairy, which is good news for me, because I never did outgrow that dairy allergy.

This article has been reviewed and approved by SparkPeople healthy eating expert, Tanya Jolliffe.

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About The Author

Liza Barnes
Liza has two bachelor's degrees: one in health promotion and education and a second in nursing. A registered nurse and mother, regular exercise and cooking are top priorities for her. See all of Liza's articles.

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Member Comments

RACINGTOLOSE2

This is a terrific article , except if you have kidney stone or gall stones - these foods are high in oxolates which form stones. Be sure to double your intake of water with these foods if you are prone to stones per Northwestern Hospital - Urology - 9/25/2012 9:19:57 AM
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CHRISTINASP

'A wee tot' - that is a very funny expression for a non-native speaker of English! Makes me smile. - 9/25/2012 4:11:07 AM
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ATP33TORONTO

Personally I like Chia seed, it has 5X the calcium of milk, this is the one I like: https://www.ruths
hempfoods.com - 9/20/2012 6:42:44 PM
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DAYSPRING-STAR

Interesting article. I'm going to do a recipe search to find a baked bean dish made with molasses. - 7/5/2012 10:16:12 AM
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CHIHAYA

I'd avoid tofu sold in US market for "healthier choice".

I'm a Japanese and know what real tofu is. Real tofu sold in Asian market only lasts a day or two. It's fermented living food. If it said it can be kept in fridge for two or three month, you should guess how much preservative process and additives are included. So, I wouldn't list it with fresh vegetables.

I do use tofu sold here daily basis, but it's because it's tasty and a part of our daily diet, not really for health. - 6/22/2012 3:29:20 PM
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SONGOFJOY57

Great article! Although i am not lactose intolerant, it was good to know that there are a variety of foods that include calcium. - 2/3/2012 10:32:58 AM
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COURTSUE

I'm not aware of any supporting evidence for the following statement.
"Generic supplements might be a lower quality and might not be absorbed as well."
- 12/22/2011 10:03:09 AM
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HIPPIEGURL

I'm surprised that this article didn't mention almond milk as a good source of calcium. Many of us with thyroid issues avoid anything soy because it interferes with the absorption of our thyroid medications. A good point to drinking this is that it is available in regular or vanilla flavors, in a range from 40 to 90 calories per 8 ounces and has 30-45% of our daily calcium requirement! - 5/28/2011 8:21:05 AM
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SONYALATRECE

As a lactose-intoleran
t person, I am always looking for non-dairy alternatives to getting calcium. I hope the suggestions and comments read will be beneficial to my searches. - 5/8/2011 12:07:55 PM
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SILVERANGEL6

I agree with Teddydodo, I had cod liver oil as a child in England, during the 2nd world war, it was subsidised for children, and I ended up with gallstones, along with a lot of other people my age, they got me at age early 20's. Plus baked beans? Give me a break, all that sugar, at least recommend rinsing off the sauce first. I use a small handful each of green split peas, barley & red lentils into my casseroles & stews, along with shredded cabbage, the barley & lentils thicken the mix, and even of you don't like cabbage, if you shred it finely enough, it mostly disappears, and it's a well known weight loss veg. Plus I use canned 4 bean mix and chick peas, (well rinsed) in there too, all good for you. If you don't like chick peas, (my dearly beloved hates them), just pulse them in a food processor until they are still a bit chunky before you add them to your now lovely calcium enriched recipe. Or do the right thing & buy different types of dried beans, canelloni, butter, everyone you can think of. Good luck, everyone.
Spread the Love
Sylv from OZ - 4/30/2011 5:02:34 PM
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RBRUNOTTE

I have a smoothie on a daily basis with Kale, Parsley, Apple or Carrot and sometimes a banana. When drinking it it has a wonderful fresh, clean GREEN taste, which wakes up all my taste buds in a real good way. Green tastes good, smells good and does wonders for you. Try it!! - 4/30/2011 9:06:24 AM
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WALKZWDOGZ

If you're not a fan of Kale & Collards, try them in a Green Smoothie (Google it). I loathe kale but if it's in a dairy-free smoothie with a banana, orange, carrot, maybe an apple or grapes, then I can do it, spinach, collards or other greens that I dont' like. Almonds make a nice addition & boost the calcium content. You can add a sweetener of choice. It looks like lawn mower pulp but tastes really good! - 11/14/2010 2:59:54 PM
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TEDDYDODO

Your recommendation to take cod liver oil as a source of vitamin D is ill-advised and downright dangerous. Cod liver oil is also a source of fat soluble vitamin A, an excess of which is known to weaken bone structure. If a person were to take a multi-vitamin and cod liver oil on a daily basis, that would be excessive. You are also incorrect to advise people to buy the more expensive calcium supplements. Calcium carbonate is calcium carbonate, calcium citrate is calcium citrate regardless of who bottled it. What would have been more useful would be to compare the different forms of calcium. For example, calcium citrate can be taken without food, calcium carbonate must be take with food.

I am an Osteofit Instructor and get my information from B.C. Women's Hospital's Osteofit Program. - 6/25/2010 10:55:13 AM
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NEWBLUEGIRL

There's so many other things -- why mention the obvious calcium fortified foods? How about sardines or anchoives? other dark green vegetables? - 4/27/2010 8:39:34 AM
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MICHELECO48

Veery good article. I appreciate the list of foods to eat that naturally have calcium & vitamin D. I am 60+ woman who really does tolerate vitamin supplements......
Thank you - 4/18/2010 2:42:35 PM
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