The most abundant mineral in your body, calcium plays an important part in muscle contraction, hormone secretion and impulse transmission throughout your nervous system. Calcium comes from both animals and vegetable food sources. The Office of Dietary Supplements, a National Institutes of Health website, recommends males and females, including pregnant and lactating mothers, take in 1,000 mg of calcium daily.
Dairy
Dairy products offer one of the richest sources of calcium. These products are made with milk from cows, goats and sheep. The UCLA Blood and Platelet Center provides a list of dairy products and the calcium content of each. For example, 8 ounces of low-fat, vanilla yogurt contains 400 mg of calcium; a cup of whole milk has 300 mg; 2 tbsp. of dry, non-fat, instant milk contain 104 mg; and a cup of vanilla ice cream supplies 176 mg of this vital mineral.
Fortified Foods
Foods fortified with calcium contain more calcium than would occur naturally. MyPyramid.gov, a U.S. Department of Agriculture website, presents a list of calcium-fortified foods and their calcium content. According to the site, one slice of white bread has 100 mg of calcium; one slice of diet white bread, 150 mg; one slice of whole wheat bread, 80 mg; and one cup of orange juice, 351 mg.
Seafood
Eating seafood with the bones intact, or eating the soft shells of freshly molted crabs adds grams of calcium. In addition, 3 oz. of sardines canned in oil with bones contain 321 mg of calcium. MyPyramid.gov lists a number of seafood items and the calcium content of each: 3 ounces of canned salmon with bones, 321 mg of calcium; and 3 ounces of cooked oysters or 3 ounces of cooked shrimp, 61 mg. The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans provides the calcium content of more fish, such as 3 oz. of cooked halibut, with 490 mg of calcium, and 3 oz. of yellow-fin tuna, with 484 mg of calcium.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds provide a vegan source of calcium. Nuts also offer protein, minerals and good fats. Harvard University Health Services lists nutritional information regarding the calcium content of nuts and seeds: for example, 12 dried almonds provide 37 mg of calcium; and a tbsp of almond butter has 43 mg. Sesame seed butter, also called tahini, contains 64 mg of calcium per tablespoon, and the same amount of whole, dried sesame seeds has 88 mg.
References
- UCLA Blood and Platelet Center: Calcium Content of Selected Foods
- Arizona Cooperative Extension: Calcium and Calorie Content of Selected Foods
- Harvard University Health Services: Calcium Content of Common Foods in Common Portions
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Nutritive Value of Foods
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