Foods That Meet The Daily Requirements For Milk In The Diet

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that those over 8 years old consume three servings of milk-based products daily. A single serving is a cup of milk, a 6-ounce container of yogurt or a single slice of cheese. All is not lost, however, for those who are lactose-intolerant, vegan or just don't care for the taste or consistency of milk. You have a world of opportunity available to you to get all of the calcium your body needs without the milky residue.

Leafy Green Vegetables

Dark, leafy greens like collard greens, kale, turnip greens, bok choy, napa cabbage and spinach are all excellent sources of calcium. On average, they contain twice the calcium of milk per serving. As an added bonus, leafy green vegetables are not only an excellent source of calcium for your body, but filling up on the greens will keep you from loading up on meat, dairy and sugars that actually rob your body of critical nutrients.

Almonds

Almonds contain twice the amount of calcium per 100-gram serving as whole milk. You can tame your crunchy-food-snack craving with a half-cup of almonds while serving your body a healthy, milk-free source of calcium. Add them to your next heaping helping of salad, mix them with some dried fruit for an on-the-go snack or slice them over your next bowl of oatmeal to boost the nutrient level.

Milk Alternatives: Rice and Soy Milk

Plain, commercially produced soy and rice milk give the body 200 to 300 grams of calcium for every 8-ounce serving. If you can't bear to part with your morning bowl of cereal but need to part with cow's milk, try these milk alternatives and see what you think.

Tofu

Tofu, a product made from soybeans, delivers 200 to 330 grams of calcium per 4-ounce serving. Depending on the firmness and texture you choose, you can incorporate tofu into a variety of recipes. Use it as a sour-cream alternative, blend it up with your favorite seasonal fruit for a scrumptious smoothie or yogurt dessert or slice it and throw it on the grill with the veggies you picked up at your local farmers market.

Other Green Vegetables

Leafy greens aren't the only green vegetables that are chock-full of calcium. A cup of lightly steamed broccoli gives you about the same amount of calcium as milk, and okra gives you twice as much calcium per 1 cup serving as milk.