Cutting back on dairy? You can skip cheese, milk, and yogurt and still get enough calcium. Greens, beans, nuts, fish, and fruit are all calcium-rich and power-packed with fiber and other nutrients. Our bodies need about 1,000 mg of calcium daily.These 5 foods are rich in calcium and easy to toss in your lunch bag
Leafy greens. Try nutrient-rich dark, leafy greens like spinach, collards, and mustard greens. Typically, greens are an efficient food and have high absorption rates of over 50%. One cup of cooked collards can deliver over 300 mg of calcium—that’s almost one-third of what you need!
Legumes. Beans are packed with fiber, magnesium, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium and protein. A cup of cooked great northern beans or vegetarian baked beans provides 125-150 mg of calcium. Try topping your salad with chickpeas for 80 mg.
Dried figs. Figs are richer in calcium than other dried fruits. They are also full of fiber, potassium and vitamin K. Eat them for a snack or add to a smoothie for extra creaminess.
Almonds. Walnuts and cashews have health benefits, but if calcium is what you need, go with almonds. 22 nuts deliver 75 mg of calcium. They are also full of fiber, vitamin E, and magnesium.
Sardines. A can of sardines givs you up to 35% of your daily calcium, all thanks to the edible bones. Sardines are an oily fish, so you also get a dose of omega-3 fatty acids and protein. Perfect for lunch.
Fill up on these calcium-rich foods that don’t contain a single drop of milk.