Good Sources of Calcium: Choosing Your Diet

Good sources of calcium are a fundamental part of a healthy diet for children, adolescents, and adults of all ages. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, dietary intake of calcium by younger children and adolescents is considerably below the recommended levels of adequate intake. Insufficient calcium intake can result in soft bones and teeth in the young, and may result in chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis, in mature adults. In addition to bone growth and maintenance, calcium is fundamental to muscle and nerve control, blood clotting, and blood pressure regulation. Bone mass builds until you are about 35 years old; after that age, calcium cannot effectively build new bone, but calcium can help prevent additional bone loss.

Calcium needs vary throughout life. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), infants from birth through six months need 210 mg per day. This increases until the age of fifty, when both men and women should increase their calcium intake to 1200 mg per day.

Foods That Are Good Sources of Calcium

Good sources of calcium are available in the dairy, vegetable, grain, and fish groups of foods, and there are sources that will fit into every kind of diet and lifestyle.

In the dairy group, a 200 ml glass of whole milk has 236 mg of calcium. Non-fat milk has even more with 244 mg. How about a grilled cheese sandwich? A 40 g serving of good old Cheddar has a whopping 296 mg of calcium. Would you care for some Parmesan on that? Get the fresh kind and grate it yourself. For fresh Parmesan you get 308 mg of calcium for a 30 g serving.

For those who do not eat dairy, the grain, vegetable, and fish groups can provide good sources of calcium. A serving of pasta has 85 mg of calcium, and a slice of whole grain bread has 32 mg per slice. Among fruits and vegetables, curly Kale brings 143 mg of calcium per serving, while broccoli gives you 34. Are you a sardine and cracker eater? Maybe you should be! 100 g of olive oil packed sardines offer an impressive 500 mg of calcium! Canned salmon is also rich in calcium, but you only get 91 mg for the same sized serving.

Throughout our lives we need to be cognizant of our calcium intake, and it is vital to future health and mobility to eat a diet rich in good sources of calcium.