Calcium is the most abundant mineral found in your body, and it is therefore very important to ensure that you are taking enough calcium through dietary sources. A calcium deficiency can affect your teeth, bones, muscle function, cardiovascular health, and nerve signaling. It is important to get at least 1,000mg of calcium every day, but women over 50 should increase their intake of calcium to 1,200mg/day.

Fine Sources of Calcium

Calcium is one of the most important minerals in the body, so you should include certain foods in your diet to get enough of it on a daily basis. Here is a list of foods that will help increase your intake of this mineral.

1.    Almonds

A cup of oil-roasted almonds offer about 457mg of calcium. You also get protein, healthy fats, magnesium and other important nutrients from almonds. Do not eat too much of it though because a cup of almonds contains about 1,000 calories.

2.    Sardines

A 3.75-ounce serving of sardines provides you with 351mg of calcium. You can eat sardines with pastas and salads and get loads of other nutrients, including vitamin B12 that is essential for your nervous system and brain. It also provides you with vitamin D that helps improve the health of your bones.

3.    Canned Salmon

You get about 232mg of calcium from half a can of salmon. It is always better to opt for wild-caught salmon, but you can try canned salmon if you cannot find it in other ways. You get about 44% of your recommended daily intake of calcium from half a can – it also provides you with 38g of protein.

4.    Seeds

It would not be wrong to call seeds nutritional powerhouses, and some like sesame, poppy, and chia seeds are exceptional sources of calcium. A tablespoon of poppy seeds provides you with 126mg of calcium along with healthy fats and protein. Similarly, a tablespoon of sesame seeds offers 9% of your recommended daily intake of calcium along with other minerals, such as iron, copper, and manganese.

5.    Tofu

If you do not like milk, you can still get an equal amount of calcium from tofu. In fact, 1.2 servings of tofu provide you with as much of calcium as you get from a glass of milk.

6.    Figs

A half-cup serving of figs offers about 121mg of calcium. At the same time, it offers loads of fiber as well as potassium. You also get a good amount of magnesium, which is essential for more than 300 biomechanical reactions in the body.

7.    Yogurt

Yogurt is considered a rich source of calcium, and it is also beneficial because of the presence of probiotic bacteria. A cup of plain yogurt offers 30% of your recommended daily intake of calcium along with other nutrients including potassium, phosphorous, vitamin B2, and vitamin B12. You can get more calcium by opting for low-fat yogurt. You may opt for Greek yogurt though if you are interested in getting more protein than calcium.

8.    Kale

A cup of raw kale offers about 101mg of calcium along with loads of vitamin C and vitamin A. It is a low-calorie food with only 30 calories per serving. You also get a good dose of vitamin K that is important to help your blood clot. A deficiency of vitamin K would make it difficult for you to stop bleeding after getting a bruise or cut.

9.    Beans and Lentils

You get a good amount of protein, fiber, and other micronutrients from beans and lentils. They also provide you with folate, zinc, iron, and potassium. Winged beans are among the best sources of calcium because a one-cup serving offers about 244mg of calcium. White beans also provide you with a good amount of calcium with a cup offering up to 13% of your recommended daily intake of calcium.

10.    Broccoli

There is 86mg of calcium in 2 cups of raw broccoli, and the same serving provides you with loads of vitamin C. In fact, you get more vitamin C from broccoli than you get from an orange. You can also increase your intake of broccoli and other cruciferous veggies to lower your risk of bladder and colon cancer.

11.    Whey Protein

Found in milk, whey protein provides you with essential amino acids as well as calcium. A 1-ounce serving of whey protein offers 200mg of calcium. It is good for your bones, improves blood sugar levels, and reduces weight at the same time.

12.    Oranges

A cup of orange juice provides you with 27mg of calcium. You get about 74mg of calcium from one large orange. At the same time, you get a good amount of vitamin C from oranges that helps improve your immune system. They provide you with antioxidants and can be a part of your weight loss diet because they are very low in calories.

13.    Rhubarb

Rhubarb is among the best sources of calcium, vitamin K, fiber, and many other vitamins and minerals. It helps increase the number of healthy bacteria in your gut mainly because it contains pre-biotic fiber. It contains oxalates that limit the absorption of calcium, but even then, you get about 87mg of calcium from a cup of cooked rhubarb.

14.    Fortified Foods and Drinks

One way to get more calcium is to opt for drinks and foods fortified with calcium. You can find some cereals that offer up to 1,000mg of calcium per serving – you can get more when you add milk. Fortified cornmeal and flour can also be found, which is why some tortillas, breads, and crackers provide you with high amounts of calcium. Similarly, you can get 30% of your RDI form a cup of fortified soymilk.