Calcium is a major mineral best known for its role in building strong bones and teeth. It also plays an important role in muscle contraction and blood pressure regulation. Calcium is found in many foods but primarily dairy products, dark green, leafy vegetables, fortified orange juice and cereals, as well as other foods. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for calcium for most adults is 1,000 milligrams (mg).
Dairy Products And Fish
Dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese are rich in calcium. The calcium in these foods is typically well absorbed and used efficiently by your body. An 8-oz glass of milk provides about 300mg of calcium while the same amount of yogurt provides anywhere from 250-350mg of calcium. Some varieties offer more calcium. Cheese is calcium-rich. Swiss cheese offers about 250mg per oz. String cheese and cheddar cheese are other high-calcium choices, offering about 200mg per oz. Canned fish is another calcium-rich food. A 3-oz serving of canned pink salmon (solid, with bones) provides 180mg of calcium and just 3 oz. of sardines (in oil) with bones provides over 320mg.
Legumes And Fortified Whole Grains
Fortified soy products are calcium-rich foods. A cup of fortified soy milk offers, on average, 225mg of calcium. A 1/2 cup of tofu, raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate, provides about 200 mg of calcium. One serving of regular tofu, not prepared with calcium sulfate, offers about 100mg. Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals may be fortified with vitamins and minerals, including calcium. For example, Total cereal provides 100 percent of the RDA for all vitamins and minerals, thus, 1,000 mg of calcium. Other cereals provide, on average, about 100mg per 1-oz serving.
Fruits, Vegetables And Nuts
Calcium-fortified orange juice provides just as much calcium as milk, about 300mg per serving. Rhubarb, from frozen, is very high in calcium. A 100g serving (slightly less than 1 cup) offers nearly 200mg of calcium. The same amount of raw rhubarb provides slightly less than 90mg. A 100g serving, or about 3.5 oz, of dried figs provides 162-mg of calcium. Dark, leafy greens, such as collard greens (1/2 cup serving) provides 200mg of calcium, while 1/2 cup of bok choy offers 100mg and 1 cup of kale provides about 90mg. Almonds are the only nut that offers appreciable amounts of calcium, 100mg for 1/4 cup of dry-roasted nuts.
References
- Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D and Fluoride; 1997
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Calcium Fact Sheet
- Nutrition Data
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