Everyone needs calcium. For most college students,
the recommendation is to get 1,000 milligrams/day. Not
everyone wants to eat or drink dairy products as the sole
source of that. For many people, this can be
a health concern as well. Allergies and intolerances can
make digesting the proteins in dairy difficult, while lactose
intolerance can be dealt with by using Lactaid milk and
other dairy products.
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CALCIUM SOURCE: Salmon and other fish
are high in calcium. For most college
students,
the recommendation is to get
1,000 milligrams a
day. |
Since protein increases the calcium excretion rate, plant-based
sources of calcium are actually more effective then animal-based
sources in most cases. Milk is
mostly proteins, which makes it one of the less bio-available
forms of calcium.
Alternative "milks" are often enriched or fortified with
calcium. These include rice, soy and nut milks. For
those who don't want the liquids or for whom the taste
is an issue, there are other options as well.
Fish is high in calcium. Those which are eaten with the
bones (smelt, sardines, canned mackerel or salmon) are
highest. Cooked shrimp and raw oysters also
are high in calcium.
Blackstrap molasses is very high in calcium, and can be
used for both sweet and savory applications. It
is a byproduct of sugar production and contains all of
the minerals lost — in the purification process — to sugar
itself .
Dark green leafy vegetables also are high in calcium.
But, in some, it is not readily absorbed due to high amounts
of oxalates (an example is spinach). The best
source of bio-available calcium from greens is kale, as
well as turnip greens.
Of the grains, quinoa, corn meal, whole wheat flour and
dark rye flour are all high in calcium, though some of
this can be lost in the mix of ingredients when cooked.
Nuts and seeds also are high in calcium, though should
only be eaten in moderation due to their high fat content.
Sesame seeds contain the most calcium per cup, followed
by almonds and hazelnuts. Walnuts
and sunflower seeds are lowest in calcium.
Additional sources of calcium include: seaweeds (nori,
wakame and agar-agar), beans and peas, broccoli and figs.
Some recipe suggestion are available at http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/dairyfreebasics/tp/CalciumFoods.htm
