Milk isn’t for everyone, and more and more people are lactose intolerant these days. Still, it’s important to get the recommended dose of calcium (slightly over 1,000 mg of calcium each day for adults) for strong bones and to help muscles and nerves function properly. Here are some other sources of calcium to incorporate into your diet if you’re totally over milk.
1. Leafy Greens
Photo by Andrew Seah
Whether it’s watercress, collard greens, kale, or bok choy, get up to 20% of your recommended daily value (DV) of calcium from leafy greens. Learn how to make kale not suck here.
2. Sardines
Photo by Andrew Seah
Yup, that’s right – I was surprised, too. Canned sardines (also salmon and anchovies) are full of calcium. While these sound odd, sardines or anchovies can add a good umami kick to many dishes (hello, bacon of the sea). When in doubt, throw some on your caesar salad!
3. Figs
Photo by Julia Maquire
I love figs. A handful of dried figs is about a fourth of your recommended daily intake of calcium. Spread some fig jam (or fig butter, ahem, love you, Trader Joe’s) on a wheel of brie, wrap it in puff pastry, and bake for a fancy/delicious appetizer in no time. Find ten more things to do with figs here.
4. Almonds
Photo by Gabby Phi
Almonds are also high in calcium, with nearly 10% of the daily recommended value. Almonds make a great snack in a trail mix or on their own. Bonus: make homemade almond milk to replace that icky actual milk.
5. Green Vegetables
Photo by Alia Wilhelm
Surprisingly enough, there are many green vegetables with a high amount of calcium in each serving. Broccoli and green beans have about 5% of the recommended daily value per cup, and okra tops the list with 12% of the DV per cup.
6. Sesame Seeds
Photo by Mary McGrath
Though tiny, sesame seeds have nearly 10% of the DV of calcium in each tablespoon. That may sound like a lot of seeds, but just think of all the bagels you can justify (or if you’re tryna be healthy, mix them into sauteed green beans).
7. Foods Fortified With Calcium
Photo by Hannah Leverson
This may sound like an obvious one, but lots of foods have added calcium that can help you get the recommended daily amount. This list includes orange juice, breakfast cereals, oatmeal, and many types of firm tofu (which can have even more than the recommended daily intake in one cup).