Finish your Milk! We all grew up hearing this from our parents. If you take the right amount of calcium now, you will have strong bones throughout your life. Not only does it make you strong by building up your bones and teeth but also helps your body to function well by enabling muscle contraction, pumping of the heart and also prevents blood loss during injuries by blood clotting. During the article, we will take you through the food items which are high in calcium! 

According to Dr Willet (Chairperson of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health), around 500 Mg-700 mg of Calcium is required daily. World Health Organisation has also recommended 500 mg and the United Kingdom has set the goal at 500 Mg/per day. 

Food Items Which Are High In Calcium 

Don’t worry if you are not consuming the optimum quantity at this time! This article will help you accomplish your daily calcium requirement by easily available food items: 

1-SEEDS

Yes! The high amount of calcium is found in these simple looking seeds. If dairy products don’t suit you, then this is definitely best for you! Now, let’s have a look at calcium content of various seeds:

• Chia Seeds – 631 Mg/100 g
• Poppy Seeds – 1,438 Mg/100 g
• Sesame Seeds – 975 Mg/ 100 g
• Flax Seeds – 256 Mg/100 g

Seeds are also a great source of fibre, important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They help to reduce blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. So why not rush to your nearest grocery store now?

2-NUTS

Nuts, the healthiest snack on earth is extremely high in Calcium. Again, no worries if you are a non-diary product consumer! Just focus on your diet and increase your strength! According to statistical data, the calcium content in various nuts is: 

• Almond – 264 Mg/100 g
• Walnuts – 61 to 98 Mg/100 g
• Hazelnuts – 114 to 441/100 g

In addition, one cannot miss upon high content iron, protein and fibre present in nuts. It even blesses one with a longer life by reducing heart disease risk factors. So, go ahead and increase your lifeline for your loved ones.

3-CHEESE

One of the most popular food items, Cheese is loved by children as well as adults equally. The cheese is available in a wide range of flavours, textures, and forms. You can consume any cheese based upon your taste and preference. To give you a better idea, here are the nutritional value of various varieties: 

• Hard Cheese -240 Mg/30 g
• Fresh Cheese – 138 Mg/200 g
• Soft Cheese – 240 Mg/60 g
• Feta Cheese – 270 Mg/60 g
• Mozzarella cheese – 242 Mg/60 g
• Cream cheese -180 Mg/30 g

It is an excellent source of protein, vitamin B12, essential fats and vitamin K2. It helps to improve the immune system, lower down blood pressure and build muscles too. Not only it gives you overwhelming taste but health too, so don’t hesitate to go cheesy now!

4-GREEK YOGHURT

 Greek Yoghurt is a wonder food packed with Calcium and is an excellent source of probiotics. When you strain normal yoghurt 2-3 times to remove the whey, you will get a thicker consistency which is much higher in Calcium. Find below the Calcium content among various available yoghurts :

• Yoghurt with fruit recipes- 169 mg per 150 g
• Natural yoghurt- 207 mg per 150 g
• Flavoured Yoghurt- 197 mg per 150 g

Additional benefits along with calcium are vitamins B6 and B12, riboflavin, potassium, and magnesium to boosts your immune system and keep your intestine healthy. It is best for those who suffer from digestion problems.

5-GREEN VEGETABLES

Who doesn’t tell you not to eat green vegetables? It is the most recommended food you could have heard in your lifetime. Yes! They are highly nutritious in various contents including vitamins, minerals, iron and what not. Some leafy greens with high calcium content are: –

• Spinach – 136 Mg/100 g
• Turnip Greens – 137 Mg/ 100 g
• Beet Greens – 114 Mg/100 g
• Okra – 77 Mg/100 g
• Broccoli Raab – 118 Mg/100 g
• Podded peas – 59 Mg/100 g
• Parsley – 138 Mg/ 100 g

Remember not to skip any green veggies your mom cooks the next time.

6-AMARNATH

Remember the small grains people consume during Navratra with milk? This superfood is one of my favourite breakfast dishes as it is not only super nutritious but keeps you full for a long time, thus helping in weight loss in a healthy manner.  Also, if you want to look young even at an elder age, then its consumption is a must for you as it prevents hair loss and greying. It not only gives you younger look from outside but also helps in lowering cholesterol, risk of cardiovascular disease and enhancing your digestion power. 

Amarnath delivers 116 Mg of Calcium/246 g.

7-SOYBEAN

You definitely cannot skip this one!  It is the easiest to make along with easy availability and affordable price. It is widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. You can consume soybean in the form of a sabzi, chaap or even soyabean oil (not refined) is available in the market. 

Soy is a high-quality protein rich in fibre as well as a good source of antioxidants. The beans are cholesterol as well as lactose-free. It is highly recommended for women as it alleviates menopause symptoms and prevents hormonal imbalance in them.

Every 100 g soybeans consist of 277 Mg Calcium.

Also Read: 7 Items You Should Add To Your Food List Immediately!

Hence, have a balanced diet with around 500-700 Mg of Calcium daily. You don’t have to include everything, just make sure whatever you take meets your nutritional requirements. Other than the items mentioned in the article, there are multiple healthy food items which are high in Calcium. To name a few, milk, figs, fortified drinks, whey protein, lentils, sardines canned salmon, sweet potatoes etc are extremely rich in Calcium. So, go healthy and keep yourself strengthened and strong with these amazing calcium-rich food items. 

Written By

Prabhleen Kaur