help with calcium ideas

tobejune
tobejune Posts: 177
in Food and Nutrition
I'm trying to increase my calcium consumption (per doctors orders). I'm looking for some other options that aren't necessarily cheese/yogurt/kefir and are possibly lower-cal than those.

I don't eat red meat or pork and I tend towards veggies and fruit for carbs vs grains. I'm also not a huge fan of supplements and if it comes to that point medically, I'd probably just say screw calories and eat me some cheese. I'm hoping someone has a better idea though :)

Any thoughts out there?

Replies

  • poesch77
    poesch77 Posts: 1,005 Member
    How about orange juice with calcium in it? Pudding?
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    sardines or salmon with the bones in.
    both very low carb and filling.
  • FP4HSharon
    FP4HSharon Posts: 664 Member
    If you're not into supplements because of side effects, I'd recommend Viactiv Calcium Chews. They taste like candy, but they don't have the side effects many calcium supplements do. Also, just 2 of them(1 taken at 2 different times during the day) gives you all the calcium you need in a day.
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
    Here's a list of foods high in calcium that I found on line:

    Milk 1 cup 290-300
    Swiss cheese 1 oz (slice) 250-270
    Yogurt 1 cup 240-400
    American cheese 1 oz (slice) 165-200
    Ice cream or frozen dessert 1/2 cup 90-100
    Cottage cheese 1/2 cup 80-100
    Parmesan cheese 1 Tbs 70
    Powdered nonfat milk 1 tsp 50
    Other
    Sardines in oil (with bones) 3 oz 370
    Canned salmon (with bones) 3 oz 170-210
    Broccoli 1 cup 160-180
    Soybean curd (tofu) 4 oz 145-155
    Turnip greens 1/2 cup, cooked 100-125
    Kale 1/2 cup, cooked 90-100
    Corn bread 2 1/2-in. square 80-90
    Egg 1 medium 55
  • dorthymcconnel
    dorthymcconnel Posts: 237 Member
    Greens have some amount of calcium in them, like spinach and kale. You'd have to eat quite a bit to get the calcium you need, though. Almond milk has some if you are trying to stay away from dairy. Although I will say it doesn't take much cheese or a glass of milk to boost your calcium intake if you'd rather not take supplements.
  • smallmall
    smallmall Posts: 6
    Almond milk, the unsweetened kind is only 30 calories for 1 Cup !!! and has tonnes of calcium.
  • Mere_Dith
    Mere_Dith Posts: 17 Member
    Darker green veggies (kale, broccoli, chard, collard greens) have a lot of calcium in them, you still have to eat a lot to get the full DV out of them though . You can also try adding a plant-based milk, I think unsweetened almond milk gives you 45% for 30 calories.
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,535 Member
    Spinach, broccollli, collard greens, Okra, sesame seeds, brazil/almond nuts...lots others, can't think of any off top of my head. A cup of steamed spinach contains 245mg while 1/2 cup of oranges contain 52 mg. Ummm, fruit: dried figs, kumquats, dates, rhubarb, prickly pears, apricots.:smile:
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    sardines or salmon with the bones in.
    both very low carb and filling.

    I like the smoke flavored sardines best, but they have many great flavors.
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    Dairy products or pudding. Snack Pack pudding has 30% of your daily calcium for 100-120 calories, depending on flavor. Sometimes I mix it with my morning oatmeal for a very satisfying breakfast.
  • fitacct
    fitacct Posts: 242 Member
    I have the same problem - trying to get more calcium into my diet without resorting to supplements (even though just last night I bought Citracal Petites and plan on taking just half the recommended dosage on those days when I need extra calcium to hit my goal). That said, I drink unsweetened almond milk, eat plain, non-fat Greek yogurt and occasionally have Swiss cheese and I still don't hit my calcium goal. I try to have greens every day and recently bought kale chips (high in calcium), which are quite tasty. Best wishes!

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