8 Easy Plant-Based Calcium Rich Foods
You can ditch the dairy and enjoy reams of calcium in so many plant-based foods. Check out these 8 calcium-dense foods below!
As a general guide the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of calcium for adult men and women is 1000-1300mg/day depending on their age and stage of life.
1. Oats
100g delivers: 500mg
Oats are one of the big hitters in the plant-based calcium stakes! Oats make it so easy and affordable to load up on calcium (as well as many other incredible nutrients), and are such a versatile ingredient for many breakfast, smoothie and meal options. If you start your day with porridge or overnight oats with oat milk, you will most likely have ticked the box for 60% of your RDI right there – so simple.
2. Oat Milk
100g delivers: 300mg
Not surprising that the milk made from oats is another high-calcium winner. Use oat milk in your smoothies and shakes, for baking, or on your breakfast, and you’ll be fuelling your body with a big dose of calcium.
3. Sesame Seeds
100g delivers: 1160mg
These delicious little seeds are among the richest source of plant-based calcium you can find. These are so easy to incorporate into your diet – scatter them on salads, vegetables, sushi rolls, in sandwiches, over breakfast oats and cereals, and add tahini to your dressings and hummus.
4. Chia Seeds
100g delivers: 631mg
These very versatile, little crunchy seeds are not just high in calcium, they are also rich in iron and magnesium. You can sprinkle these on pretty much everything and they are great in recipes to make delicious breakfasts and chia puddings. If you haven’t tried them I strongly urge you to pick some up next time you go shopping.
5. Tofu
100g delivers: 438mg
Once you befriend the mighty tofu you will be buddies forever. Tofu is not only nutritious in the calcium and protein stakes but it is also such a versatile food to cook – you can marinate it, roast it, fry it, scramble it, bake with it… the list is endless. It can replicate the texture of chicken, but also imitate the consistency of egg.
If you haven’t already tried tofu, make sure you bring some home from the supermarket on your next visit and start experimenting.
6. Kidney Beans
100g delivers: 95mg
When I think kidney beans I instantly think of Mexican and Indian food, and this makes it so easy to add calcium-rich kidney beans to many of the family favourite meals. I always have numerous tins of kidney beans in the pantry and I add them to many meals for nutrition and bulk.
7. Breakfast Cereal
100g delivers: 667mg
Everyone has cereal in their pantry but many don’t realise how abundant in calcium the humble breakfast cereal can be (especially when fortified). Pour something like oat milk on that said cereal and you will pretty much have consumed 100% of your calcium needs in the one meal – amazing!
8. Wholemeal Bread
100g delivers: 234mg
Bread is so understated. Many people just think of bread and its relationship to carbohydrates, but it is so much more. Wholemeal bread has protein, iron, and calcium. A couple of meagre slice of bread is 20% of your calcium requirements.
Remember, bone health is not all about calcium – it is about consuming a healthy, whole foods diet, partaking in regular exercise and enjoying some sunshine!
If you want to break free of the milk marketers’ hype make sure you download the free Calcium Fact Sheet.
Download Your Free Calcium Fact Sheet
