Need more Calcium in my diet

jenjencin78

I check my intake at the end of every day and always seem to come up short in the calcium dept. I am not a big milk drinker as it gives me a tummy ache. When I do drink milk it's skim-I also avoid cheese because it's high cal and I can eat it until I make myself sick. Any other hidden sources of calcium? I don't care for yogurt which is a shame because I know it's so healthy. Should I suck it up and take a calcium supplement? I know that I am more prone to Osteoporosis being a Caucasian female and I don't want to deal with that later on in life.

choijanro

drink milk or beverages rich in calcium and take calcium & vitamin d supplemens,, fish oil is good too for the joints

CLFrancois

Bone Up is what I take cause I fall short on Calcium and have low bone density, so I have to take something.
I would suggest getting a supplement.

RM10003

I've been trying to get mine 100% through diet recently as my doctor suggested that the body just doesn't use the supplements as well as it uses calcium from food. Plus, I've seen some recent studies that suggest that for post-menopausal women the science suggests against it, and while I'm not quite there yet, I'm getting up there. Having said that, I still take Vitamin D, so obviously I'm a bit selective in what I take from the articles, but I can eat more calcium much more easily than I can get more sun (sad, but...)
http://newsatjama.jama.com/2013/02/25/consensus-builds-against-vitamin-d-and-calcium-supplementation-for-postmenopausal-women/

Greek yogurt is huge for me, although you've said you don't do yogurt. I also love my low-fat string cheese, and have been building out my range of veggies that are high in calcium (for example bok choy, broccoli, and kale--all the dark green guys).

CLFrancois

Oh, also, was told that we can only absorb 500mg of calcium at a time.
This has some good info-
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/What_you_need_to_know_about_calcium.htm

HollisGrant

Collard green have loads of calcium. Four cups = 100 percent of my daily calcium (not that I can eat 4 cups, but I can eat 2).

Seoul11

In the same boat as you. I recently cut milk out from my diet as it doesn't do my tummy well, so I monitor my intake daily. I get my calcium from almond milk, almonds, spinach, broccoli, collared greens, tofu, and edamame.

I am a big fan of greek yogurt and it's become a big staple for me. (Good source of protein, too, as a non-meat eater.)
I know you said you don't care for yogurt, but if you're willing to give it another try, here are a few ways I sneak some in every day, without much (or any) of the "yogurt" taste:

I eat hot cereal almost every morning. (Cream of wheat, oatmeal, etc.) I mix in a few tablespoons of plain greek yogurt. Delicious.
When I make tuna/chicken/macaroni salad I use a tablespoon of light mayo plus 2 or three tablespoons of greek yogurt. Lower in calories and fat than the mayo (if that's a concern for you) and makes it really creamy.
Smoothies. Fruit + Yogurt = awesome.
Sandwich spread. I usually use mayo+greek yogurt+chopped herbs
Hummus. Sometimes I substitute most of the olive oil for greek yogurt when I'm looking for something a little creamier and lower in fat.

I do also take supplements from time to time, but I've realized recently that these often upset my stomach too. And since I've started actively monitoring my calcium, I exceed my goal almost every day.