5 sources of calcium that don't moo

Kimberly Rae Miller

Some people don't like milk. I am not one of those people. When I die, put me in a casket full of cheese and lay me to rest. I love dairy products! Dairy products do not always love me however, and as I notice my yogurt, cheese, and milk intake starting to dwindle due to tummy aches I start to freak out about getting enough calcium.

Read up on Kim's adventure with homemade yogurt.

Let us first recognize the dairy lobby for convincing us all that milk = strong healthy bones and teeth. That was no minor feat of advertising genius. I do sometimes forget that there are other foods, foods worth eating, that are high in calcium and can get me to that 1000 mg a day mark I so aspire to reach.

  1. Stir-fry: Combine bok choy (190 mg per serving) with tofu (350 mg per serving) with some other veggies, throw in a pan and saute and you've eaten almost half of your daily requirement.

  2. Kale and white bean soup: Not to toot my own horn here, but the recipe on the last Cooking with Kim segment was a calcium rockstar. Kale packs 190 mg per cup and white beans 120 mg per 3/4 cup.

  3. Sunday brunch: Thanks to the miracle of modern manufacturing, you can now buy orange juice that is fortified with calcium up to a whopping 300 mg; and those sesame seeds on your bagel, well, they add another 50 mgs.

  4. Snack Break: Molasses is relatively high in calcium for a sweets substitute, packing 11.8 percent of your daily calcium needs in two teaspoons. That's the best excuse I've heard to eat cookies in a long time. No time for baking? A handful of almonds is 150 mg of calcium, couple that with a glass of soy milk (400 mg) and you're almost done for the day.

  5. Supplement. Boring but effective. If you can't stomach the idea of dairy, green leafies, cookies, bagels, juice or nuts, then you are an extremely picky eater, my friend! There's still hope for you, though. There are many calcium supplements on the market, but if you go this route, make sure to get one that includes vitamin D which helps with calcium absorption.

My osteoporosis paranoia is quelled for the time being. This post was brought to you by the letter C and is a part of a nutritious breakfast.

Related: Realistically fast, realistically healthy ideas for happy breakfasts

[photo credit: Getty Images]

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