Contrary to popular belief, we don’t need to get our calcium from milk and some experts have even gone as far as to state that milk isn’t necessarily the wonderful source of calcium that most of us have been led to believe it is.
The high rate of osteoporosis and other such diseases, despite the consumption of dairy, could be viewed as proof of that!
Also…
When we ingest too much animal-based protein (meat, whey, cheese, milk, etc.), we put our bodies in a severely acidic state.
When this happens, calcium is leached from the bones (and teeth) in order to buffer the high acid content in an attempt to return the body to a more alkaline state.
When we consume cow’s milk or any other animal-based milk, we are ingesting yet more animal protein.
So, if not milk, then what?
There are a ton of foods that contain calcium! Perhaps some not as high in percentage as others…but the key here is dietary balance. If you eat a balanced diet of some of the following foods (I’m not even going to list them all here) then you will be fine!
So here is a list of foods and their calcium content based on 100 grams – which is equivalent to around 3.5 oz of each food item:
(Side note: 3.5 oz of human breast milk contains 33 mg of calcium)
Food Item – Calcium Content
Cashews (raw) – 38 mg
Almonds – 234 mg
Dried Apricots – 67 mg
Mustard Greens (raw) – 183 mg
Mustard Greens (cooked) – 138 mg
Black eyed peas – 55 mg
Broccoli (raw) – 48 mg
Cabbage (raw) – 49 mg
Molasses (dark) – 684 mg
Parsley (raw) – 203 mg
Raisins – 62 mg
Sesame seeds (raw) – 1160
Kale (raw, leaves) – 249 mg
Kale (cooked) – 187 mg
Figs (dried) – 126 mg
Filberts (Hazelnuts) – 209 mg
Baked Sweet Potato – 40 mg
Okra (raw or cooked) – 92 mg
Orange (Florida) – 43 mg
Pistachio nuts – 131 mg
Swiss Chard (raw) – 88 mg
Brussels Sprouts – 36 mg
Turnip Greens (raw) – 246 mg
Turnip Greens (cooked) – 35 mg
Carrots (raw) – 37 mg
Amaranth – 267 mg
Collard Greens (raw, leaves) – 250 mg
Milk (whole, skim, 2%, 1%, chocolate) – 300 mg – based on one 8 oz. serving
My Favorite Dairy-Free Shakes – 500 mg of plant-based calcium – based on one 10-12 oz serving – that’s MORE than milk!
Yet another reason to incorporate at least one shake per day into your diet for good health – two shakes if you need to lose weight!
Two of these shakes will provide your FULL recommended daily allowance of calcium (1000 mg)…one shake gets you at least half-way there!
Below is the RDA chart from the Mayo Clinic – https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calcium-supplements/MY01540
The “Upper Limit” section indicates the “safe zone” range where you have gone above and beyond the RDA of calcium, yet are safe from any health issues from getting TOO much calcium!
| Men, age in years | RDA each day, in milligrams (mg) | Upper limit each day, in milligrams (mg) |
| 19-50 | 1,000 | 2,500 |
| 51-70 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
| 71 and older | 1,200 | 2,000 |
| Women, age in years | ||
| 19-50 | 1,000 | 2,500 |
| 51 and older | 1,200 | 2,000 |
| Pregnant women, age in years | ||
| 19-50 | 1,000 | 2,500 |
| Breast-feeding women, age in years | ||
| 19-50 | 1,000 | 2,500 |
