Believe it or not, you don’t have to rely solely on dairy to get your calcium.
Reviewed by Dietitian Karen Ansel, M.S., RDN
Key Points
- Cheese is rich in calcium, but some foods and drinks provide even more calcium than cheese.
- These include yogurt, cooked collard greens, and fortified orange juice and plant-based milks.
- Adding them to your rotation can provide extra calcium plus other nutrients. So think variety.
When it comes to minerals, calcium is quite the MVP. For starters, there’s its famous bone-building ability. This mineral is directly incorporated into bones and teeth, making them strong and resilient. It’s also involved in keeping many physical processes functioning smoothly, from blood clotting to nerve transmission to helping your body secrete hormones.
The best-known suppliers of calcium are, of course, dairy foods, especially milk and cheese. A standard 1½-ounce serving of Cheddar, for example, supplies 300 milligrams of calcium, knocking out 23% of your 1,300-mg daily calcium target. But if you’re not a cheese lover (or just enjoy a bit of variety), you can get plenty of calcium from other foods, too. In fact, Alexandria Hardy, RDNrecommends eating other high-calcium options besides cheese. “I recommend switching up your calcium sources beyond traditional dairy products because it’s a great way to add variety and micronutrients to your diet,” she says. Meanwhile, she says, getting your calcium from a smorgasbord of foods may also have other benefits, like increasing fiber or keeping saturated fat within healthy limits.
Looking to diversify from milk and cheese and still get plenty of calcium? Try these four foods and drinks, and you’ll score more calcium than you’d get from a serving of cheese.
1. Regular Yogurt
Strained (Greek-style) yogurt gets well-deserved acclaim for its high protein content, but regular yogurt has the edge for calcium. One cup of plain, low-fat yogurt gives you 448 mg of this mineral. And that’s not all you’ll get from this everyday food! “Beyond calcium, yogurt is a nutritional powerhouse containing an array of essential vitamins and minerals,” says Jamie Mok, M.S., RDa spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In addition to B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, yogurt is also rich in protein, a nutrient just about everyone is trying to get more of. “Additionally, yogurt contains probiotics, the beneficial bacteria necessary for a healthy gut microbiome and overall immunity,” says Mok.
There’s no end to the ways you can enjoy regular yogurt’s bone-bolstering nutrition. Mok recommends using it as a protein-rich smoothie base or a creamy booster for overnight oats. Or dollop some atop lunch or dinner foods. “Yogurt can double as a substitute for sour cream on savory dishes like tacos and chili, serving as a delicious topping with an added nutritional bang!” says Mok.
2. Fortified Orange Juice
Oranges naturally contain some calcium. So does fresh-squeezed orange juice. But OJ that’s fortified with calcium takes things to the next level, providing around 300 mg per cup. Some brands are also fortified with vitamin D, a nutrient your body requires to absorb calcium. Considering that few of us consume enough D to begin with, that’s a big bonus.
Of course, you could always sip a glass with your breakfast or lunch. But this drink is capable of so much more. Try starting your morning with a refreshing, calcium-rich fruit smoothie spiked with OJ, Hardy suggests. Or, if smoothies aren’t your thing, try fortified orange juice in marinades, salad dressings or mocktails to reap the benefits of added calcium.
While any calcium is a good thing, Hardy is a big fan of brands that are fortified with calcium citrate, as its calcium absorption and availability rival that of milk.
3. Cooked Collard Greens
When you cook collard greens, they shrink down a lot. So, it can easily take 4 cups of raw collards to make 1 cup of cooked greens. The result? You’ll reap way more of their nutrients, including calcium. Here’s how the math works in action: 1 cup of raw collards supplies 84 mg of calcium. But when you toss several cups of raw collards in a pot and cook them down, the calcium content nearly quadruples to 324 mg per cooked cup. That’s not the only reason to cook up a pot of these underrated greens. Collards also have the advantage of providing fiber, vitamin K and antioxidant carotenoids, Mok says.
There’s one caveat, though: Compounds in collard greens called oxalates can interfere with calcium absorption in the small intestine. “Fortunately, certain cooking methods, like boiling, have been shown to lower oxalate levels and improve calcium bioavailability,” Mok says. As you boil your greens, don’t forget to add a bit of fat, too. “Cooking them with a healthy fat source is key to optimizing their nutritional value, as this helps your body fully absorb fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin K,” Mok says. Sauté them in olive oil with some garlic, she suggests, or simmer them in a seasoned broth with a teaspoon of added olive oil.
4. Fortified Plant Milks
Sure, cow’s milk has lots of calcium—but so do many fortified plant-based options like almond and soy milk. While these alt milks aren’t required to be fortified with calcium, many are (to be sure, check the label). Many fortified plant milks contain as much as 420 to 450 mg of calcium per cup.
Mok says it’s important to keep in mind that calcium absorption can vary among these beverages, depending on the type of calcium added. For instance, she points to older research comparing calcium absorption from fortified soy milk to cow’s milk, which found that when soy milk was fortified with calcium carbonate, its calcium was absorbed similarly to the calcium in cow’s milk. However, calcium from soy milk fortified with tricalcium phosphate was absorbed less efficiently than calcium from cow’s milk. Looking at the ingredient list for the type of added calcium can help you make an informed decision.
Once you’ve chosen your favorite plant milk, you can use it in almost any way you’d use cow’s milk, whether that’s in sauces, poured over cereal or blended into smoothies. The only exception is when you’re baking or making dishes like pancakes, where the protein from cow’s milk might be necessary for structure and texture. In that case, go with soy milk, which has protein levels comparable to dairy milk.
One last pro tip from Mok: “Be sure to shake the container well before pouring, as the added calcium can settle at the bottom.”
Our Expert Take
Cheese may be one of the first foods that springs to mind when you think of calcium, but don’t discount other sources of this critical mineral. Regular yogurt, cooked collard greens, and fortified orange juice and plant-based milks are all loaded with calcium, supplying more of it per serving than cheese. So, keep the cheese, but branch out. A diverse blend of high-calcium foods can round out your plate at every meal of the day. Your bones, nerves, muscles and hormones will thank you for getting your fill—and your taste buds will soak up more delicious variety.
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