Calcium-Rich Foods
We’ve all seen the ads. It’s been ingrained in us since childhood to drink our milk, the king of all calcium-rich foods and protect our bodies. But the science behind nutrition today has now shown that there are better ways to get in the calcium our bodies need. Many nutritionists will tell you to avoid milk altogether – but that’s a topic for another day. So you may be asking, “Where do I get my calcium?” I asked myself that this past weekend when I sat in the ER going over my x-rays with the doctor after breaking my toe. One of the first things he said to me was, “You need more calcium! Your bones are weak!” True! There was no reason for my toe to have snapped so easily (one of my kids ran into me!). So this week I spent some time researching into foods with calcium other than dairy since I don’t drink milk and avoid most dairy entirely. Here’s what I found – a great list of some great calcium-rich foods: (btw, these are in no particular order)
- Sesame seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds. Wow! I was surprised at that one! Fortunately, I do eat a good bit of these so I don’t need to worry about adding these to my diet. I LOVE chia seeds! One of my favorite snacks is Chai Seed Pudding – just combine 2 Tbsp chia seeds with 1/2 cup coconut milk. Chill approximately 1 hour till thick and turned to a gel. Stir in 1 tsp raw honey and a dash of cinnamon and enjoy! Sesame seeds are perfect for adding to stir frys and flax seeds ground are great in smoothies.
- Almonds and Almond Milk. Now that I know almonds are loaded with calcium, I”ll be eating these more often! Almond Milk is a great alternative to milk and actually higher in calcium than milk (and it tastes better!).
- Brazil Nuts. Who knew! Ok, I’ll have to find some of these to eat.
- Green leafy vegetables. Dandelion greens are at the top of the list among green calcium-rich foods. Also, kale, collards, spinach, and broccoli are high in calcium.
- Yogurt. Ok, so that’s a given. If you’re not avoiding dairy, yogurt is your best choice, particularly an organic, plain yogurt that you flavor and sweeten yourself with options like fresh fruit, raw honey, or stevia and natural extracts.
- Sardines. I know – either you love them or you hate them. I actually craved them throughout my pregnancies, which I read is common as a pregnant woman’s body needs extra calcium and naturally craves calcium-rich foods. Hmmm, interesting.
- Coconuts. Yay! I’m surrounded by those on our island. It’s the young drinking coconut that is high in calcium – I know, harder to find in the US without shopping at specialty grocery stores, but can be found. And delicious!
- Citrus fruit and papayas. I can do that! Sounds good!
- Sprouted chickpeas. I’ve never tried this but will be experimenting on this one. Can be added to salads or made into hummus – and when the hummus is made with a combination of sprouted chickpeas and tahini, you’ve got a extra super calcium-rich food!
- And when all else fails or you feel like you’re just not getting enough, you can always add a calcium supplement to your diet. I decided to go with Beachbody’s Core Cal-Mag – I actually just ordered some today. Another thing I learned is that it’s important to take Calcium and Magnesium together as they are better absorbed in your body this way, hence the reason for the supplement being called “Cal-Mag”. Makes sense!
I guess I have to face the facts that I’m not getting any younger – my teen years are far behind me, my twenties are fading in the past, and even my thirties are preparing to bid me farewell. It’s important that I concentrate on good bone health now or I can be certain that more than a broken toe lies ahead of me. How about you? What are doing for your bones? How many of these calcium-rich foods are you already consuming and how many are you planning to?