Non-Dairy calcium

I'd take a supplement, lack of calcium is not a good thing. Especially if you are female.

Non-dairy milks, as mentioned above. Also, I believe there are now fortified orange juices as well. And canned sardines and salmon, if you eat fish, are high in calcium.

Soy milk, in addition to the other non-dairy milks specifically mentioned.

Collard greens, in addition to other greens mentioned.

If you eat tofu, you might compare different brands and varieties for calcium content, because in addition to the calcium naturally found in the soybean, the process used to turn the soymilk into soymilk curds is sometimes done with a calcium-based salt, but sometimes other coagulants are used that don't contain calcium. Thus, some tofu will have more calcium than others.

And to get a good amount of calcium from canned salmon and sardines you should eat the kind packed with the bones -- they're very soft, and if you make cooked salmon cakes you'll probably barely notice them. (I will admit that since I eat dairy products and don't rely on salmon and sardine for calcium, I usually buy the kind without bones, but I have eaten the kind with bones, and I thought it was OK. I'm really not a picky eater, though--I'll eat almost everything you might find in an American restaurant or grocery store except raw fish and connective tissue, e.g., tendons, which is in some Chinese dishes, and tripe or chitterlings, which might not technically be connective tissue but seems to be the same consistency).

These are all good things (including those mentioned by other posters) to include in your diet (in the sense of "the stuff that you eat"). If you're looking for just one food to give you all your calcium in just one or two servings, that might be the wrong focus (although you could get close with a couple of full glasses of non-dairy milk). Even if you did that, you'd still want most days to have a serving or two of greens (spinach, broccoli, kale, etc.), a serving or two of a concentrated protein source (which could include tofu, beans, or salmon), maybe some nuts as part of a snack, etc., and that can all add up.

The biggest problem I see with relying on a supplement is that studies have found that a large percentage of supplements don't have the ingredients they say they have, and some actually have dangerous ingredients. The reports I've seen have emphasized more the problems with "natural" and "herbal" supplements, but have also implied problems with more traditional vitamin and mineral supplements. So if you go that route, try to pick a well-known, reputable brand (or alternatively, the store brand if you shop at a major grocery or pharmacy chain).

00EmilyJo00 wrote: »

Almond and cashew milk are my favorites

I bought some cashew milk because it was 2 cartons for $4, which was cheaper than buying the big container of almond milk. I'm looking forward to trying it.

In addition to all of the above, there is calcium/vitamin D fortified orange juice.

Not everyone is a fan but sardines are very high in calcium.