Did you know? There are many foods that contain calcium! Read on to find out what foods contain calcium to help you meet your needs.
Calcium content of milk and milk products
|
Food |
Portion |
Approximate calcium content (mg) |
|
Milk |
|
Buttermilk |
250 mL (1 cup) |
370 |
|
Goat’s milk |
250 mL (1 cup) |
350 |
|
Milk - whole, 2%, 1%, skim, chocolate |
250 mL (1 cup) |
300 |
|
Powdered milk |
24g (4 Tbsp) |
300 |
|
Cheese |
|
Cheese - Gruyere, Swiss, goat, low fat cheddar or mozzarella |
50 g (1 1/2 oz) |
400-500 |
|
Cheese - Processed (regular/low fat Swiss, regular/low fat cheddar) |
50 g (1 1/2 oz) |
275-375 |
|
Ricotta cheese |
125 mL (1/2 cup) |
275-350 |
|
Cheese - Cheddar, Colby, edam, gouda, mozzarella, blue |
50 g (1 1/2 oz) |
250-350 |
|
Cottage cheese |
250 mL (1 cup) |
150-200 |
|
Yogurt and kefir |
|
Yogurt - plain |
175 g (3/4 cup) |
300-325 |
|
Yogurt - fruit bottom |
175 g (3/4 cup) |
200-300 |
|
Yogurt beverage |
200 mL (1 container) |
200 |
|
Kefir (fermented milk drink) |
175 g (3/4 cup) |
175 |
Calcium content of non-dairy calcium fortified beverages
|
Food |
Portion |
Approximate calcium content (mg) |
|
Soy beverage - fortified with calcium |
250 mL (1 cup) |
300 |
|
Rice beverage - fortified with calcium |
250 mL (1 cup) |
300 |
|
Orange juice - fortified with calcium |
250 mL (1 cup) |
300 |
Calcium content of non-dairy foods
Fish, tofu, beans, nuts and seeds
|
Food |
Portion |
Approximate calcium content (mg) |
|
Sardines, Atlantic, canned in oil, with bones |
75 g (2 ½ oz) |
275 |
|
Tofu - prepared with calcium sulfate |
150 g (3/4 cup) |
225-350 |
|
Salmon (pink/humpback, red/sockeye) - canned with bones |
75 g (2 1/2 oz) |
175-200 |
|
Mackerel, canned |
75 g (2 1/2 oz) |
175 |
|
Anchovies - canned |
75 g (2 1/2 oz) |
175 |
|
Beans (white, navy) - canned or cooked |
175 mL (3/4 cup) |
100-140 |
|
Beans - baked, canned |
175 mL (3/4 cup) |
100 |
|
Tahini/sesame seed butter |
30 mL (2 Tbsp) |
130 |
|
Almonds, dry roasted |
60 mL (1/4 cup) |
100 |
Vegetables
|
Food |
Portion |
Approximate calcium content (mg) |
|
Collards - frozen, cooked |
125 mL (1/2 cup) |
200 |
|
Spinach - frozen, cooked |
125 mL (1/2 cup) |
150 |
|
Turnip greens - frozen, cooked |
125 mL (1/2 cup) |
130 |
|
Spinach - cooked |
125 mL (1/2 cup) |
130 |
|
Turnip greens - cooked |
125 mL (1/2 cup) |
100 |
|
Kale - frozen, cooked |
125 mL (1/2 cup) |
100 |
Other
|
Food |
Portion |
Approximate calcium content (mg) |
|
Molasses - blackstrap |
15 mL (1 Tbsp) |
175 |
Calcium rich meal and snack ideas using milk and milk products
-
Use milk, yogurt or kefir to make delicious smoothies. Try adding a spoonful of powdered milk to smoothies or hot chocolate!
-
Get creative with yogurt! Make a yogurt granola mountain and use almonds for added calcium.
-
Need a boost after lunch? Have a latte or cappuccino instead of coffee. Try a tea latte instead of tea. Make hot chocolate with milk instead of water.
-
For a healthy snack, try muesli with milk and yogurt.
-
Choose recipes that use milk and cheese like macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes, lasagna, cheese tortellini or cheese perogies.
-
Add cheese to apple slices and bake for a warm snack.
-
Enjoy cottage cheese or ricotta with peaches and blueberries.
-
Make oatmeal, cream of wheat, pancakes and French toast with milk.
Calcium rich meal and snack ideas using non-dairy foods
-
Make salmon cakes! Use canned salmon with the bones and mix with egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, onion, lemon juice and pepper. Make into patties and bake or grill for dinner.
-
Choose calcium-rich vegetables like collards and turnip greens in a stir fry, casserole, soup or stew.
-
Make a vegetarian chili, soup, or casserole with beans and tofu.
-
Garnish your favourite salad with almonds, white/navy beans, sardines or anchovies.
-
Snack on crispy kale chips.
-
Make bean quesadillas for a quick and easy dinner.
-
Try a smoothie or mango lassi with fortified soy or rice beverage.
You may also be interested in:
What You Need To Know About Calcium
Do I Need A Calcium Supplement?
Getting Enough Calcium When You Are Lactose Intolerant
Kid-Friendly Recipe Booklet
Last Update – April 26, 2018