The 25 best calcium-rich foods and how to make them effective

Calcium is one of the most important minerals for our body, as it is the fundamental constituent of our teeth and bones, as well as the most abundant mineral in the human organism. In addition to strengthening our bones, calcium contributes to the development of other important functions.

Calcium is also essential during pregnancy, an essential pillar for a healthy pregnancy and baby. The fetus needs calcium to have strong bones and teeth, as it increases its bone density, as well as for a heart, coagulation systems and healthy muscles.

Therefore, we must make sure we cover the daily calcium quota, and we will get this through what we eat. We share what they are the 25 best calcium-rich foods and how to make them effective.

How much calcium should we get per day?

The calcium quota varies according to the sex and age of each person. According to the United States National Institute of Health, these are the average amounts of calcium recommended per day in milligrams (mg):

Stage of life

Recommended amount

Babies up to 6 months old

200 mg

Babies 7 to 12 months old

260 mg

Children from 1 to 3 years old

700 mg

Children from 8 to 4 years old

1,000 mg

Children from 9 to 13 years old

1,300 mg

Teens 14 to 18 years old

1,300 mg

Adults 19 to 50 years old

1,000 mg

Adult men 51 to 70 years old

1,000 mg

Adult women 51 to 70 years old

1,200 mg

Adults 71 years of age or older

1,200 mg

Adolescents, pregnant or breastfeeding

1,300 mg

Pregnant or breastfeeding adult women

1,000 mg

As it is not a mineral that we produce naturally, we must ensure that we receive the recommended daily amounts through our diet or multivitamin mineral supplements, but if we can obtain them based on a balanced diet, much better.

Why calcium is important for our body

In addition to the famous "calcium is good for your teeth and bones", this mineral is one of the most important, because helps to develop correctly many processes and functions in our body.

We need calcium for the muscles to move and for the nerves to transmit messages from the brain to different parts of the body. Calcium too helps the blood circulate correctly through the blood vessels and to have a normal heart rate, as well as to release hormones and enzymes.

In Babies and more 80 percent of people do not consume the calcium and vitamin D they need (and it is worrisome)

An insufficiency of calcium contributes significantly to the onset of osteoporosis, as well as the possible occurrence of other disorders. On the other hand, neither should we fall into excesses, as exaggerated calcium intake can cause constipation. In addition, the intake of a large amount of calcium for a long time may raise the risk of kidney stones.

The 25 best calcium-rich foods

Probably most people associate calcium in milk feeding, but there are many foods that also give us a good contribution of this mineral. These are the 25 best calcium-rich foods.

Cheeses

Although the exact amount may vary from one to another, on average cheeses provide 800 mg of calcium per 100 grams. The cheeses that give us the most calcium are: Parmesan cheese (1,187 mg of calcium per 100 grams), cured Manchego cheese (848 mg of calcium per 100 grams) and Gruyere cheese (881 mg of calcium per 100 grams).

If you are pregnant you should avoid those moldy cheeses such as roquefort or cabrales, and fermented cheeses such as feta or cambembert (even if they are pasteurized milk), because of the risk of getting listeriosis.

The cheese can be included in endless recipes, both salty and sweet and for any time of the day.

Milk

Depending on the type of milk the calcium content may vary. For example, in a glass of whole milk (250 ml) we can find 300 mg of calcium, while in one of skim milk we find 320 mg.

You should take 2 or 3 servings of dairy products a day. Breakfast should include a serving, which can be a glass of milk, yogurt combined with crunchy cereals and some fruit

The diet of children in the first years is mainly dairy. Both milk and derived dairy products provide abundant nutritional benefits, but caution must be taken with raw unpasteurized milk as it can harbor dangerous microorganisms that pose serious health risks.

Yogurts

In the case of yogurts, the amount of calcium is also different depending on its content. The yogurts that contribute the highest levels are Greek and skimmed flavors, with 150 mg of calcium per 100 grams, followed by sweetened natural skimmed yogurt with 149 mg, and the whole natural yogurt with 142 mg. We can accompany it with natural fruits or in cups with mango and chia seeds.

Sardines

Fish also help us get calcium, especially sardines in oil, which provide 340 mg of calcium per 100 grams. Sardines are also a fatty fish or blue fish rich in omega 3 and low in mercury, as well as in vitamin D, iodine and potassium.

We can enjoy them as a snack or in a delicious salty cake or in rolls in a snack.

Prawns and prawns

Other seafood that is a good source of calcium is prawns and prawns. These contribute 220 mg per 100 gramsIn addition to being foods high in other essential nutrients such as iodine, zinc, as well as vitamins A and D. They also provide omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which is a component of the dietary patterns associated with Good health.

We can consume them in salads, sauteed and meatballs or in many other recipes to include in your diet. One to two weekly servings of seafood are recommended.

Dry fig

Dehydrated fruits also provide considerable amounts of calcium that we can easily include in our meals. Dried figs, for example, contribute 163 mg of calcium per 100 grams. Directly to the Palate we share three ways to dry figs at home: with a dehydrator, in the oven or leaving them in the sun.

Dehydrated tomatoes

Dried or dehydrated tomatoes can also be a good source of calcium, since every 100 grams of tomatoes dried in the sun, without aggregates provide 110 mg of calcium per 100 grams. We can integrate them into salads or paninis.

Almonds

Nuts such as almonds also provide calcium, as these contain high doses of this mineral: 264 mg per 100 grams, which covers 26% of the recommended daily allowance for an adult. We can incorporate them in our meals in a wide variety of dishes: salads, cookies and even as a base for a salty cake.

Hazelnuts

Although they do not provide as much calcium as almonds, hazelnuts are also a good source of this mineral, since they contribute 230 mg of calcium per 100 grams. We can enjoy it in the simple homemade Nutella recipe that we propose in Vitónica.

Pistachios

In addition to being a perfect ally for the heart, pistachios help meet our daily calcium intake, as they provide 136 mg per 100 grams. It is also a good source of magnesium, potassium, fiber, vitamin E, and is one of the nuts with the highest proportion of unsaturated fats as well as high protein content. Just remember that the recommended daily amount of pistachios is 28 grams, as they are extremely caloric.

They can be eaten as is or include this "superfood" in recipes for every day, such as cakes, hummus or salads.

In VitónicaTop 11 of calcium-rich foods

Sesame seeds

Other vegetable seeds that help us cover the recommended calcium quota are sesame seeds, as they contribute 975 mg per 100 grams. We can add them to a sauté or use them to bake some muffins or cakes.

Poppy seeds

Seeds can also add large amounts of calcium to our diet, as poppy seeds provide 1,460 mg per 100 grams. We can include them in our diet using them in salads, or by incorporating them into muffins, pancakes and biscuits.

Fennel seeds

A seed that also contains a high concentration of calcium is fennel, which provides 1,300 mg per 100 grams. This is another type of seed that we can use in breads, cakes, muffins and sauces.

Chia seeds

The popular chia seeds that we can now find multiple recipes for breakfast, smoothies and healthy snacks are also a good source of calcium, as they provide 630 mg per 100 grams.

Dried dill

Also some herbs can give us the calcium we need every day. An example of this is dried dill, which provides 1,700 mg of calcium per 100 grams. We can use dill to season soups, creams and prepare sauces.

Dried oregano

Another herb high in calcium and that we can use to add many foods is oregano, which provides more than 1,500 mg per 100 grams. It is ideal to season foods such as pizzas and pasta.

Dried wakame seaweed

Some algae can also help us meet our daily calcium quota, such as dried wakame seaweed, which provides 660 mg of calcium per 100 grams. We can add it to soups, creams, shakes, sauteed and salads.

Dried nori seaweed

Another example of algae from which we can obtain calcium is the dried nori seaweed, because it gives us 430 mg of calcium per 100 grams. We can use it as a pie filling, in salads and pancakes.

Chickpeas

Legumes in which we can find more calcium are chickpeas, as these contribute 145 mg of calcium per 100 grams. We can enjoy them in the oven, in a sautéed or as a base for delicious pizzetas.

Jewish

Beans in all its varieties are an important source of calcium, because according to Vitónica, black beans contribute 150 mg per 100 grams, white beans 120 mg and green beans 80 mg. We can prepare them in salads, stews, tortillas or as a side dish.

Watercress

Within vegetables, watercress is one of the options that provides us with a greater calcium intake, with 220 mg per hundred grams. Its flavor may not be the best, but incorporating them into salads and tortillas we can enjoy them.

Kale

Crested cabbage or kale is also an important source of calcium, since per 100 grams, provides 200 mg of calcium. We can easily include it in salads and soups.

Broccoli

Continuing with vegetables, broccoli is another in which we can find the calcium we need, since 200 grams provide 120 mg of this mineral. It is a very versatile vegetable, because we can include it in salads, stews, tortillas, muffins or as a main course.

Spinach

In addition to being rich in iron and vitamin A, spinach is also a food that helps us get the calcium we need, as they provide 117 mg per 100 grams. We can enjoy them in salads, muffins and pancakes.

Chard

Chard is another green leafy vegetable that contains calcium to help our daily intake, as they provide 105 mg of calcium per 100 grams. We can include them in cakes, such as stuffed potatoes or sauteed.

All these foods not only help us get the calcium we need daily, but also they are very practical and easy to obtain to consume them through the different recipes and meals that we have proposed.

How to make them effective: enhancers of their absorption

Calcium absorption is better when it is taken in amounts of no more than 500 mg at a time, and therefore, we recommend get it throughout the day through the different meals and snacks we have.

In addition to knowing foods that are rich in calcium, it is also important to know how to combine it in order to assimilate it. For example, When consuming calcium, we must make sure we also get vitamin D, as this facilitates its absorption, helping to fix calcium in the bones.

According to the National Information Center on Osteoporosis and Bone Diseases we can get vitamin D in three ways:

  • Through the skin: it occurs naturally in the body after exposure to sunlight.
  • With the intake of certain foods: foods containing vitamin D are limited but especially blue fish, shellfish, egg yolk, certain viscera such as liver and dairy.
  • Through supplements.

Other nutrients, such as vitamin K that we find in vegetables such as turnips, cabbage, lettuce and spinach, and the vitamin C that we can find especially in citrus fruits, they are enhancers of their absorption. On the contrary, we must avoid combining calcium with foods that are inhibitors of it, such as excess fiber and certain proteins found in jellies and egg white.

With these tips and suggestions from the best foods rich in calcium, you can obtain the recommended daily amount according to your needs and thus prevent the onset of osteoporosis and other complications derived from a deficiency of this mineral.

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