Calcium is a major mineral essential for human health. It is necessary for strong bones, healthy teeth and muscle contraction. Most individuals need to have an adequate intake of calcium-rich foods. There are many foods, however, that provide little calcium. Breakfast cereals and grains, most fruits and fruit juices, protein foods and sweets are very low in calcium.
Cereals and Grains
Breakfast cereals, if not fortified with calcium, are poor sources of this mineral. In other words, they provide little, if any, calcium. Hot cereals, such as oatmeal, hot wheat and rice cereal, grits, and farina all provide less than 5mg of calcium per 100g serving. Certain ready-to-eat cereals are low in calcium, as well. Many grains, including whole grains, are low in calcium. Cooked barley, millet, pasta and rice (white, wild, and brown, all non-fortified) offer less than 5mg of calcium per 100g serving.
Fruits and Fruit Juices
Most fruits and fruit juices are calcium-free with the exception of kiwi fruit and figs. Examples include bananas, peaches, nectarines, watermelons, honeydew melons, cantaloupe, plums, apples, apricots, cherries, pears, pineapples, avocados, tomatoes and tomato products, pomegranates, mangoes, citrus and passion fruits, guava, strawberries and raspberries, and all fruit juices and fruit cocktail blends, except calcium-fortified fruit juices. On average, all of these fruits provide less than 10mg of calcium per 100g serving.
Protein Foods
Protein-rich foods, such as beef, poultry and fish, provide little calcium. Examples of low-calcium meat products include red meat, such as top round steak, T-bone steak, flank steak, poultry, such as chicken or turkey breast, ground poultry, duck, pork products, such as bacon, cured ham, pork tenderloin or pork chops, and fish, such as halibut, canned tuna, swordfish, pollock, sockeye salmon, cod and bluefish. However, canned fish with bones, such as sardines and salmon, are calcium-rich. Aside from canned fish, all of these protein-rich foods offer less than 10mg of calcium per 4-oz serving. Egg whites, sausages and all types of luncheon meats are also low in calcium.
Sweets, Gravy, and other foods
Many sweets are calcium-free. Candies, such as hard candy, lollipops, fruit chews, chewing gum, jelly beans, gumdrops and fruit-flavored gummy candies offer no calcium. Syrups, including maple and pancake, jams and preserves, and many frozen novelties, especially popsicles, sherbet and sorbet-based desserts, as well as gelatin, offer no calcium. Blackstrap molasses is calcium-rich, however. Powdered, regular tabletop, brown sugar and sugar-based confections, such as frostings, are calcium-free. Gravy, such as beef or chicken, are calcium-free and most non-cream-based soups (from canned) offer no calcium, such as chicken noodle, vegetable and beef barley soups.
Member Comments