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Top Calcium-rich foods, fruits & vegetables
Team AckoFeb 22, 2024
Calcium is one of the essential elements required for staying healthy. Studies suggest that calcium-rich food improves bone health, and consuming the right amount can help avoid diseases like Hypocalcemia. Let’s look at food items, including fruits, vegetables, and dairy products rich in calcium.
How calcium deficiency affects your health
When we hear calcium, we think of teeth and bones. However, there's calcium present in blood and tissues. If the body doesn't get enough of calcium, it leads to conditions like
Osteoporosis: Bones become brittle and weak.
Ricketts: A condition in infants which leads to deformities.
Contents
- List of the top food items high in calcium
- Top fruits rich in calcium
- Top vegetables rich in calcium
- How much calcium should we consume each day?
- How much calcium should we consume each day?Best dairy items rich in Calcium
- Best animal proteins rich in calcium
- Calcium-rich foods for pregnant women
- Calcium-rich foods for bones
- Calcium-rich food for kids and babies
- Tips for people with lactose intolerance
- Frequently asked questions
List of the top food items high in calcium
Here is a table showing the top food items high in calcium.
| Food rich in calcium | Reason |
| Leafy Vegetables | Spinach, cooked kale, and collard greens are calcium-rich foods. Out of these, the most significant amount is found in collard greens, which provide 175 mg of calcium per half cup. |
| Soybeans | Dry-roasted soybeans are an excellent source of calcium. They are a fantastic source of calcium for those who consume a vegan diet because a half-cup has 230 mg of calcium. |
| Dairy products | The most readily absorbed calcium sources are those found in foods like yoghurt, milk, and cheese. Plant-based and fortified foods do not absorb calcium as efficiently. |
| Figs | You can get 135 mg of calcium by eating five dried or fresh figs. Oranges and papayas are two other fruits that are high in calcium. |
| Canned baked beans | 160 mg of calcium can be found in around 100 gms of canned baked beans. Beans are a great source of fibre as well. |
| Calcium-fortified foods | Cereals and orange juice are frequently supplemented with calcium. Some fortified juices contain calcium citrate malate, a well-absorbed form of the mineral. |
| Canned Salmon | One of the best dietary sources of calcium, excluding dairy products, is canned salmon. Around 85 gms of canned salmon has 181 mg of Calcium. Vitamin D, which is also included in salmon, aids in the body's absorption of calcium. |
Top fruits rich in calcium
Including the right calcium-rich fruits in your diet can improve your health. The following fruits are regarded as foods high in calcium, have a look.
| Fruit | Calcium content (approximate) |
| Tangerines | With 37 mg of calcium per 100 gms, tangerines are particularly high in calcium. |
| Oranges fortified with Calcium | Oranges, which contain 43 mg of calcium per 100 gms, can be considered one of important calcium-rich fruits. Fortified orange juice offers 140 mg of Calcium or 11% of the recommended daily intake. |
| Pears | You can get 56 mg of calcium by eating about 100 gms of pears. |
| Mulberries | These are rich sources of calcium, since 100 gms of them contain 39 mg of Calcium. |
| Kiwi | Every 100 gms of kiwi fruit contains more than 34 mg of calcium. |
| Guava | One guava has about 18 mg of calcium. |
| Blackberries | Blackberries are among the other fruits that are high in calcium. Each 100 gms of these have roughly 29 mg calcium. |
| Apricots | These have 13 mg of calcium per 100 gms. |
| Papaya | When seeking for calcium-rich fruits with 20 mg per 100 gms, people frequently take papaya into account. |
| Passion fruit | With 12 mg of calcium per 100 gms, passion fruit can improve your diet. |
| Pineapples | 100 gms of pineapples provide 13 mg of calcium. |
Top vegetables rich in calcium
Vegetables are one of the most common sources of calcium. Consuming calcium-rich vegetables regularly can help your daily calcium requirements and also aid in improving overall gut health.
| Vegetables | Calcium content (approximate) |
| Spinach | With 136 mg of calcium per 100 gms, this item is an excellent source of calcium. |
| Kale | Kale, a type of green leafy vegetable, benefits you by offering about 132 mg of calcium per 100 gms. |
| Lady finger | Lady finger is a common calcium-rich meal in India, with 77 mg per 100 gms of its edible green seed pods. |
| Parsley | Calcium is known to be present in parsley, which has 138 mg per 100 gms of leaves. |
| Celeriac | When you eat roughly 100 g of this root vegetable, you can get 43 mg of calcium. |
| Green beans | With 44 mg of calcium per 100 gms, they can be a vital source of calcium. |
| Brussels sprouts | Another common green vegetable, Brussels sprouts, provides about 36 mg of calcium per 100 gms. |
| Soybean sprouts | Consuming 100 gms of this can supply 59 mg of calcium. |
| Sweet potatoes | These have a calcium content of roughly 30 mg per 100 gms. |
| Broccoli Raab | One hundred gms of cooked broccoli has a calcium content of almost 118 mg. |
| Beet greens | Each 100 gms of them contain 114 mg of calcium. |
| Bok Choy | This variety of Chinese cabbage adds to the list of calcium-rich foods because it includes 93 mg of the mineral per 100 gms. |
| Turnip | 100 gms of this have 137 mg of calcium and 11% of the recommended daily requirement. |
| Collard Greens | Containing roughly 141 mg of calcium per 100 gms, it is one of the vegetables high in calcium. |
| Mustard Green | These greens have a spicy flavour and provide 118 mg of calcium per 100 gms. |
How much calcium should we consume each day?
You can avoid calcium deficiency disease (Hypocalcemia) by consuming organic food full of calcium. But the daily requirements depend upon your age, and consuming more than necessary can lead to health issues. Note that there are no separate calcium-rich foods for women and calcium-rich food for men. All genders need a certain amount to lead a healthy life. Here are some approximate values of calcium you need to consume as per your age.
| Age | Recommended calcium intake |
| 71+ years | 1200 mg |
| 51 to 70 years | 1200 mg (females) |
| 51 to 70 years | 1000 mg (males) |
| 19 to 50 years | 1000 mg |
| 14 to 18 years | 1300 mg |
| 9 to 13 years | 1300 mg |
| 4 to 8 years | 1000 mg |
| 1 to 3 years | 700 mg |
| 7 to 12 months | 260 mg |
| 0 to 6 months | 200 mg |
How much calcium should we consume each day?Best dairy items rich in Calcium
The list of best dairy items rich in calcium is as follows.
Milk: Cow milk has 300 mg of calcium per cup. Another option is soy milk, which has the same amount of calcium in each cup.
Cheese: Cheddar cheese has 721 mg of calcium per 100 grams.
Yoghurt: This is regarded as one of the calcium-rich foods. Two hundred forty-five grams of yoghurt contain 23% of the recommended dose.
Tofu: It contains between 275 and 861 mg of calcium per half-cup. But this can differ as per the brand of tofu.
Best animal proteins rich in calcium
The list of best animal proteins rich in calcium is as follows.
Eggs: Eggs are one of the most consumed breakfast foods worldwide. They provide 50 mg of calcium for every 100 gms of boiled eggs.
Sardines: Most adults benefit significantly from the 569 mg of calcium in one cup of canned sardines in oil.
Fatty fish: Omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and tuna are all found in this fatty fish.
Catfish: With 425 mg of calcium in each 3-ounce fillet, this item is an essential source of calcium.
Calcium-rich foods for pregnant women
A pregnant woman may need around 1000 mg of calcium. However, the exact amount may differ for each individual. You can refer to the following list of food items and include them in your diet to reach the daily quota of calcium intake during pregnancy.
Milk
Yoghurt
Orange juice
Sardines
Tofu
Calcium-rich foods for bones
Weakened bones or osteoporosis can occur due to calcium deficiency. One way to avoid it is to eat a nutritious diet full of calcium-rich food. Here is a list of food items that can help you meet this requirement.
Milk
Amaranth
Yoghurt
Leafy greens
Orange juice
Whey protein
Sardines
Beans and lentils
Tofu
Sardines and canned salmon
Cheese
Almond and other nuts
Calcium-rich food for kids and babies
Milk is one of the best sources of calcium for kids and babies. Babies must be fed exclusively with breastmilk for the first six months of their life. Then they can be switched to other sources like cow or buffalo milk. Whole milk can be suitable for children who are at low risk of obesity. Others can opt for low-fat or skimmed milk after consulting with the doctor.
Tips for people with lactose intolerance
People who are lactose intolerant can't digest lactose based products easily. However, tolerance levels differ for individuals. Products like hard cheeses or yogurt can be tried since they have lower levels of lactose.
How to know if you have calcium deficiency
Bones weaken gradually. It's important to ensure there's adequate intake of calcium daily. There's no guaranteed way to know if one is calcium deficient, sometimes fractures reveal symptoms. prevention of osteoporosis can be done with the help of bone density scanners for older people.
When to take calcium supplements
If you're not getting enough calcium through your diet, then supplements are the way to go. A consultation with a doctor or medical expert is a must before starting supplements.
Frequently asked questions
Here are common questions about calcium intake.
Can calcium deficiency affect one's teeth?
Yes, insufficient intake of calcium can lead to losing more teeth in old age compared to someone who consumes sufficient amounts of calcium throughout their lives.
What are the food options for eating calcium for lactose-intolerant people?
Lactose-intolerant people can eat tofu, fish, vegetables, soybean, etc. to meet their daily calcium requirements.
What happens when I consume more calcium than required?
You can suffer from a calcium overdose if you consume a higher amount of calcium regularly. This can result in nausea, itching, vomiting, bone pain, etc.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is generic and shared only for informational and explanatory purposes. It is based on several secondary sources on the internet. As this content piece is not vetted by a medical professional, please consult a doctor before making any health-related decisions.
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