Calcium foods: what you need to know.

Calcium foods are an important part of everyone's diet but for those with Osteopenia or Osteoporosis, they are particularly important. They are important not only as a source of this bone building mineral but we also need to know how much we are taking at a time. Why? so as to prevent out throwing the money we spend on supplements down the toilet.

The human body can not absorb unlimited amounts of this mineral at one time. We are advised to take any supplements with calcium to improve absorption of the supplement. But how much we should take depends on how much calcium we will be getting through the food we will eat at the meal.

Why not calculate your average daily dosage through nutrition....and then calculate how much more you need to obtain through your supplements?

Calcium foods Dairy

Calcium foods Dairy - Source: the University of Arizona .

Non-fat Milk 1 cup, 300 mg

Reduced fat Milk 1 cup, 300 mg

Nonfat Yogurt 1 cup, 490 mg

Swiss cheese 1 oz., 270 mg

Mozzarella, part skim 1 oz., 210 mg

American Cheese 1 oz., 140 mg

Cottage Cheese 1 cup, 160 mg

Parmesan cheese,grated 2 T, 140 mg

Pudding, prepared 1/2 cup, 150 mg

Frozen yogurt 1 cup, 200 mg

Ice Cream, light 1/2 cup, 200 mg

Calcium Foods: Non Dairy

Alfalfa sprouts 1 cup 10 mg

Baked beans, canned 1 cup 128 mg

Azuki beans, boiled 1 cup 63 mg

Butter beans, canned 1 cup 40mg

Beet greens 1 cup 46 mg

Blackeyed peas 1 cup 42 mg

Borage 1 cup 82 mg

Broccoli 1 cup 42 mg

Brussels sprouts,1 cup 46 mg

Cabbage 1 cup 32 mg

Chinese Cabbage 1 cup 74 mg

Carrots 1 cup 30 mg

Cauliflower 1 cup 28 mg

Celeriac 1 cup 68 mg

Celery 1 cup 44 mg

Chard, Swiss 1 cup 18 mg

Chicory Greens 1 cup 180 mg

Chick peas, canned 1 cup 77 mg

Collards 1 cup 218 mg

Coriander (cilantro) 1 cup 16 mg

Cress, Garden 1 cup 40 mg

Dandelion greens 1 cup 103 mg

Dock 1 cup 59 mg

Egglant 1 cup 30 mg

Endive 1 cup 26 mg

Dried figs 10 figs - 269 mg

Great Northern beans 1 cup 120 mg

Jerusalem Artichoke 1 cup 21 mg

Kale 1 cup 94 mg

Kale, scotch 1 cup 137 mg

Kidney beans, canned 1 cup 69 mg

Kohlrabi 1 cup 34 mg

Lettuce, Romaine 1 cup 20 mg

Lettuce, Looseleaf 1 cup 38 mg

Lima beans, boiled 1 cup 32 mg

Molasses, barbados 1 tbsp 49 mg

Molasses, light 1 tbsp 33 mg

Molasses, medium 1 tbsp 58 mg

Molasses, blackstrap 1 tbs 137mg

Mung bean sprouts 1 cup 14 mg

Mustard Greens 1 cup 58 mg

Mustard Spinach 1 cup 315 mg

Navy beans, boiled 1 cup 128 mg

New Zealand Spinach 1 cup 32 mg

Okra 1 cup 82 mg

orange - Navel 1 medium 56 mg

Orange juice Calcium-fortified 8 ounces - 250 mg

Papaya, raw 1 medium 72 mg

Parsley 1 cup 78 mg

Peas, edible pod 1 cup 62 mg

Peppers, Sweet 1 cup 6 mg

Pinto beans, boiled 1 cup 82 mg

Pumpkin 1 cup 24 mg

Pumpkin Leaves 1 cup 15 mg

Purslane 1 cup 28 mg

Radishes 1 cup 28 mg

Radish Seed Sprouts 1 cup 19 mg

Rhubarb frozen, raw 1 cup 266 mg

Rhubarb, cooked 1 cup 348 mg Rutabagas 1 cup 65 mg

Spinach 1 cup 56 mg

Squash, Summer 1 cup 26 mg

Squash, Zucchini 1 cup 20 mg

Tofu, raw, firm 1/2 cup 130 mg

Turnips 1 cup 39 mg

Turnip Greens 1 cup 105 mg

Vegetarian baked beans 1 cup 128 mg

Watercress 1 cup 40mg

White beans, boiled 1 cup 161 mg

End of Calcium Foods list.

Do remember you need magnesium, Vitamin D, the trace minerals of boron, silica etc. too. Use the Site Index to find out more about these items.

Sources of information J.A.T. Pennington, Bowes and Church's Food Values of Portions Commonly Used. (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1998.) & United States Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Service.

Read more at Calcium Foods and other informationfor building bones