Whether you have a milk allergy or simply an aversion to milk products, you might want to avoid dairy foods. However, calcium is a nutrient that's important to your bone health and vital in keeping the cells of your body functioning properly. It is especially critical for growing children and pregnant women. If you choose not to consume casein, your dietary calcium must come from sources other than dairy foods to meet your daily requirement of 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams.
Step 1
Add canned sardines or canned pink salmon to your diet. With bones, these fish each provide roughly 200 to 300 milligrams of calcium in a 3-ounce serving. As a bonus, they contribute unsaturated fatty acids -- a type of dietary fat that benefits your cardiovascular health -- to your nutrition plan, along with protein and energy.
Step 2
Consume soy products, either calcium-fortified or calcium-processed. Soy milk, tofu, soy yogurt and soy custard are rich in calcium, supplying you with one-fourth of your daily need for this mineral. Cooked soybeans also contain calcium, although less than purified and processed soy products, and all these soy-based foods provide you with high-quality protein as well as calcium. In addition, calcium-enriched rice milk offers as much calcium as soy milk.
Step 3
Drink calcium-fortified juice. Orange juice with added calcium is commonly available in grocery stores, and you might also be able to find calcium-enriched apple juice or fruit punch. These juices might be especially appealing to children who might balk at consuming fish or soy products. An 8-ounce serving contains approximately one-third of the daily calcium requirement for an adult.
Step 4
Increase your intake of calcium-rich green, leafy vegetables. Spinach, collard greens, turnip greens and beet greens deliver 10 to 20 percent of the calcium you need each day. Other vegetables -- including rhubarb, kale, okra and bok choy -- provide modest levels of this mineral, while broccoli and canned beans offer amounts that are small, but nonetheless can contribute to your daily requirement.
Step 5
Supplement with caution. While whole-food sources of calcium, including non-casein foods, might be better absorbed and used by your body than supplemental calcium, supplements can help you meet your needs if the foods you eat are not sufficient. To maximize their absorption, take them with meals and consume no more than 500 milligrams at once, recommends the Linus Pauling Institute.
Tips and Warnings
- Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals can contain variable quantities of added calcium, and these might also appeal to children. Vitamin D, commonly found in milk products, assists your body in absorbing calcium. If you do not consume dairy-based foods, your vitamin D must come from other sources, such as canned fish or sunlight.
- Consult a dietitian or your health-care provider before making changes to your diet if you have concerns about your calcium intake.
Things You'll Need
- Dairy-free meal plan
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