Milk and yogurt easily come to mind when most people think of foods rich in calcium.
Surprisingly, there are a number of healthy food options that contain more calcium than a glass of milk.
No doubt, calcium plays a vital role in the development of healthy and strong bones and teeth, but what you probably don’t know about calcium is that beyond its importance in your bone formation, it also helps with your heartbeat.
It allows your heart to beat as it should, regulate blood pressure, your hormone levels, and also helps with blood clotting. So, if you’ve never paid attention to this essential mineral in your diet, you might want to start now.
Research tells us that your body needs anywhere between 1000 and 1200mg of calcium daily. A cup of milk, on the other hand, contains about 300mg of calcium. So, to meet your daily requirement of calcium intake, you might need to take as many as 3-4 glasses daily.
That sounds like a lot, especially if you are lactose intolerant or if you intend to make a routine out of it. The good news is that there are other healthy food choices that contain as much or even more calcium than a glass of milk.
Sardine is a non-dairy source of calcium. A cup of sardine contains about 569mg of calcium, which is about 57% of your daily requirement. They are a healthy source of calcium because they contain fish tiny, soft bones, an excellent source of calcium, which you can easily eat.
Dark leafy greens are considered one of the healthiest set of foods known to man because they are rich in so many nutrients, including calcium.
For instance, vegetables like spinach, kale, etc., contain about 120-266mg of calcium per cup. So, the more vegetables you consume, the higher your calcium intake.
Nuts and seeds are some other rich sources of calcium, especially almonds.
A cup of almonds contains about 378mg of calcium, which is 38% of your daily requirement. They can be consumed as almond milk or almond butter for versatility.
If you are a fan of chia seeds, then you’ve probably been consuming more calcium than you realize.
4 Tablespoons of chia seeds contain about 350mg of calcium, which is about 35% of your daily calcium intake. There are different ways you can consume chia seeds. You can soak the seeds in a glass of water for an hour, then drink.
You can also add it to oatmeal, then add some milk and fruits to taste.
