Individuals with both celiac disease and lactose intolerance must choose dietary calcium food sources carefully to avoid gluten and dairy products. While unwanted gluten and milk can "hide" in ingredient lists, identifying calcium foods is more straightforward. Packaged foods display their calcium content as a percentage of the 1,000 mg daily total recommended by the FDA for ages 4 through adult. Fresh and bulk food values can be found expressed in milligrams in the USDA Nutrient Database. Building menus from calcium-rich items in different food groups will help people on restricted diets to achieve optimum mineral levels.
Enriched Food Products
Alternatives to milk, a major dietary calcium source, make strong contributions toward daily calcium content totals in 1-cup serving portions. The USDA includes calcium-enriched soy milk, 368 mg, and rice drink, 283 mg, under significant nondairy calcium food sources.
Almond-based beverages contain similar amounts of added calcium and may be safe for those with celiac or lactose intolerance conditions if they don't have wheat additives. Some brands of prepared orange juice also offer calcium-enriched varieties. Additionally, tofu incorporates calcium compounds to provide 253 mg of that mineral in a ½-cup serving.
Sardines
Sardines represent high calcium content in small packages, when canned and eaten with their soft bones, according to the National Institutes of Health, NIH. Bones store dietary calcium, as evidenced by the 325 mg in one 3-oz. serving of sardines, or 181 mg in similar servings of canned pink salmon with bones.
Greens
Cooked leafy, green vegetables make calcium food sources for main or side dishes, or become ingredients that boost dietary calcium in omelets and other meals. The USDA includes cooked collards, 357 mg, spinach, 281 mg, turnip greens, 197 mg, and kale, 179 mg, among veggies with large amounts of calcium in 1 cup.
Legumes
All legumes have significant calcium content, but soybeans and light-colored beans and peas boast the highest mineral levels. One cup of cooked soybeans has as much as 281 mg, blackeye peas, 211 mg, and white beans, 191 mg. Navy and Great Northern beans also provide moderately high content, according to the USDA.
Nuts
The NIH points out that nut food sources probably won't elevate the body's calcium stores due to limited serving sizes. Celiac and lactose intolerant patients, however, can eat nuts to add small amounts to daily calcium intake. One oz. of almonds contains 75 mg, and 1 oz. of Brazilnuts adds 45 mg of calcium to daily totals.
