Calcium

There are many reasons for a person to worry about their calcium intake. But for people on dairy-free diets, no matter the reason, the worry becomes critical. We all know we need a substantial amount of calcium to maintain strong bones in adults and bone and tooth development in children. But what happens when we can't eat the most common source of calcium in foods: dairy?

Most people first go to their local health foods store and invest in supplements, and while this is an obvious a viable answer for some, it isn't the right answer for everyone. Some people would rather get their nutrition from foods, some may not be able to afford what are often over-priced supplements, and still others are faced with convincing their child that they really do want to eat a supplement the child knows they really don't.

But, if you've tried to search the web for information on dairy-free calcium-rich foods you've probably already realized that the answers to your questions are harder to find than you thought they would be. Which non-dairy foods are the highest in calcium? What's the difference between fortified foods and unfortified foods? Which is better? How much do I have to eat to get the amount of calcium I need? How much calcium do I need?

Lets begin with the last question: How much calcium do I need?

The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of calcium differs by age groups. According to Harvard University children ages 1 thru 3 require 500 milligrams per day while a grown man or woman between the ages of 19 and 50 require 1000 milligrams. At twice as much that's a considerable difference. Here's a complete table for all age groups:

Now that we know how much we need, lets look at potential sources for calcium in non-dairy foods.

There are two classes for calcium-rich non-dairy foods: fortified and unfortified. What's the difference?

Fortified foods are foods that have had nutrients added to them, in the case calcium. Orange juice and cereals are the most commonly consumed calcium fortified foods in the United States. But, are they really good for you? One thing we must understand is that not all sources of calcium for fortification are the same. Not all calcium sources absorb at the same elemental rate. If you choose to eat fortified foods or take calcium supplements you want to look for calcium carbonate, which has the highest elemental factor, or absorption per milligram (at 45%) for non-dairy fortification sources. If it says something else, it might not be worth the money. A food or supplement brand that understands the importance of this will most likely list their calcium content with the word 'elemental' and not bother you with the total portion of calcium carbonate since it's irrelevant.

Unfortified foods are foods that haven't had anything added to them, like raw vegetables, unseasoned canned meats, etcetera. The elemental factor in unfortified foods is higher than in fortified foods, averaging over 50%.

Natural foods that are high in calcium include salmon, figs, sardines, broccoli, and soybeans. It may also surprise some people to learn that a medium sized orange contains an average of 50 milligrams of elemental calcium. Green leafy vegetables are also relatively high in calcium. However, one thing most of the websites we visited purporting the beneficial calcium content of spinach did not talk about was the binding effect its oxalate content had on it. A 3.5 ounch serving of raw spinach may contain 99 milligrams of calcium, but only approximately 5% of it will be absorbed due to that binding.

• Salmon     1/2 cup     402 milligrams
• Sardines    1/2 cup    402 milligrams
• Broccoli    1 cup         45 milligrams*     approximately 60% absorption rate
• Dried figs 5 figs       250 milligrams
• Cooked beans (soybeans, navy beans, great northern beans)    1 cup   100 milligrams

Despite the bad rap spinach has gotten over this other dark green leafy vegetables, such as collard greens, mustard, kale, bok choy, and turnip greens have a respectable calcium content of approximately 185 milligrams per 1/2 cup with a good absorption rate.

So you see, it really is possible to get all of the calcium you need from unfortified foods, but you'd end up eating a lot of them. Today's recommendation is to mix and match to hit your target.

Here's an example 'calcium sufficient diet' for a 4 year old child on a dairy free diet:

Breakfast:

• Hot rice cereal (recipe coming soon)(1/2 cup) w/ fortified soy milk (1/4 cup)
• Fortified orange juice (1 cup)
• 1/2 medium banana
• 2 strips bacon

• Toast (1 piece) w/ jam
• Soy milk (1/2 cup)
• 6 grapes

Lunch:

• Salmon salad sandwiches (click for recipe)
• Propel Fitness Water w/ Calcium (1 bottle)

• 2 cookies
• Soy milk (1/2 cup)

Dinner:

• 3 ounces carne asda /w pico degio (recipes coming soon)
• 1 medium flour tortilla
• 2 tablespoons refried beans
• 1/4 steamed artichoke w/ heart
• 1 soapa pia (click for recipe)
• 1/2 cup soy milk ~or~ orange juice

Snack:

• Popcorn

Most 4 year olds drink a lot of fluids between meals and snacks. It is suggested that you direct them toward water, but most of us know how hard that can be. However, you might consider redirecting them from apple juice to fortified orange juice (maybe even water it down a little). Propel Fitness Water with Calcium is another suggestion that many parents report is accepted by their younger children with milk allergies.