Calcium Is Essential, But Here Are 10 Foods You Can Eat to Meet Your Daily Need of Calcium. Calcium is one of the most vital nutrients, helping build and maintain strong bones and teeth as well as supporting muscle and nerve health. Here are 10 foods you can eat every day to meet your daily calcium requirements.
Calcium-rich foods range from dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese to dark leafy greens and fortified cereals; all can help ensure you’re getting enough of what your body needs.
1) Dairy Products
To begin our list, dairy products are an excellent source of calcium. Yogurt, milks fortified with calcium, as well as cheese varieties like cheddar and gouda are all fantastic sources. Furthermore, not many realize that dairy also provides vitamin D which aids the body’s absorption of the mineral.
Looking to increase your calcium intake? Try including some milk or yogurt into your daily routine.
2) Fish
Fish is another wonderful source of calcium. Sardines, canned salmon and sardine and salmon salad are delicious options that contain plenty of this vital nutrient, along with plenty of vitamin D as well as iron and zinc which all work to support bone health.
Fish is an excellent source of calcium. Eat plenty of small fish with edible bones when shopping for groceries; canned products soften and make the bones easier to consume by the canning process.
3) Dark Leafy Greens
Dark leafy greens are one of the top sources of calcium. Dark leafy greens such as bok choy, collard greens and kale provide ample amounts of this mineral to meet daily calcium needs, plus are full of vitamin A and fibre for extra health benefits!
Broccoli, kale, spinach, turnips, bok choy (Chinese cabbage), cabbage and asparagus are among many leafy calcium-rich vegetables that will provide you with your daily calcium supplement dose.
4) Nuts And Seeds
Nuts and seeds are excellent sources of calcium. Almonds, cashews, peanuts and sesame seeds are among the many great choices available to supplement your daily calcium needs with nuts. Furthermore, nuts are an excellent source of vitamin E which promotes strong bones; plus many types of nuts provide protein for added muscle building!
Go nuts over dried fruits! Each serving provides around 100mg calcium. Almonds and dried figs can serve as great calcium-rich alternatives. Try munching five dried figs every day to add 135mg to your body; plus they’re filling enough that can even aid those trying to lose weight!
5) Fortified Foods
Finally, fortified foods provide excellent sources of calcium. Cereals and breads fortified with calcium make great choices as do black and pinto beans – these foods contain extra nutrients added that don’t occur naturally in food – to enhance nutrition and boost health benefits.
Fortified Foods Milk is often fortified with vitamin D and calcium is added to fruit juices as a calcium source, but many consumers don’t realize that these fortified products also provide vital vitamin D that facilitates absorption of calcium.
6) Legumes
Legumes Next we turn our focus to legumes as another excellent source of calcium. Black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans and kidney beans are excellent sources of this mineral; other legumes such as peanuts and soy are also rich sources of this nutrient.
Calcium can be found in many food sources besides milk and other dairy products, including fruits, leafy greens, beans, nuts and some starchy vegetables. Legumes provide not only an abundant source of calcium but are also rich sources of protein and fibre which makes them not only healthy sources but great sources for calcium as well.
7) Oat Meals
Next on our list are oatmeal meals, another excellent source of calcium. Fortified oatmeals provide additional benefits as an essential nutrient while providing carbohydrates and fiber – including beta-glucan.
Oat meals are an excellent source of high-quality protein with an abundance of essential amino acids, and are full of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant plant compounds. Oat meals also make an ideal source of fibre–making them not only great sources of calcium but also highly healthy options!
8) Soy Products
Soy Products Soy products are another good source of calcium, with soy milk and tofu serving as excellent examples of soy-based products with plenty of calcium-rich foods such as unfermented and fermented soy foods alike.
Unfermented soy products include tofu, soymilk, edamame, soy nuts, sprouts and sprouts; while fermented soy products such as miso, tempeh, natto and soy sauce provide fermented protein sources as well. Soy products provide not only calcium but also valuable protein sources making them healthy alternatives.
9) Figs
Finally, we come to figs as another excellent source of calcium. As they have long been considered an invaluable food source in many cultures, figs provide essential dietary minerals like this essential nutrient in plenty. Not to mention they’re high in potassium too!
These minerals work together to increase bone density, helping prevent conditions like osteoporosis. Studies indicate that eating foods rich in potassium can increase bone health while simultaneously decreasing bone turnover – an added bonus with figs being such an abundant source of calcium! Plus they’re packed full of fibre! Not only is fig a great source of calcium but it’s also highly nutritious!
10) Tofu
Next on our list is Tofu, an excellent source of calcium. Crafted from soybeans, Tofu boasts high levels of protein and other vital vitamins – making it a delicious way to increase our daily calcium intake without adding animal products into our diets!
Federal Dietary Guidelines recommend Tofu as part of a healthy vegetarian diet plan and the 2021 American Heart Association Scientific Statement stressed the benefits of selecting plant-based proteins for heart health. Tofu itself is also an excellent source of calcium while being an excellent protein source, making it both delicious and nutritionally healthy!
Also Read- 10 Foods That Are Beneficial for Eye Health
Conclusion
Calcium can be found in many different food sources, making them easy to incorporate into a daily diet to support strong bones and teeth. Dairy products, fish, dark leafy greens, nuts and figs are great ways to ensure you’re getting enough daily calcium.