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Plant-Based Calcium Sources

with Siri Chand Khalsa MD MS

Integrative Wisdom for Modern Living

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Plant-Based Calcium Sources for Bone Health

Typically Halloween posts have skeletons or jack o’ lanterns… however keeping up with the fact that I need no additional respect for death in my life these days, I am sharing a different take on it this week. I am sharing about plant-based sources of calcium for bone health. One way to bring the fun into plant-based eating is to let kids play and have fun creating for themselves with veggies. As many kids are not going out for their normal routine with Halloween this year due to COVID, this is a time for finding new normals. We can use this time to introduce some new concepts.

Dietary Calcium

Dietary calcium is one of the most essential minerals in our diet. Calcium has a role in many body functions … not just bone formation. Our body keeps a wonderful, delicate equilibrium of calcium to sustain our cellular and tissue function. When people make the adjustment to plant-based eating and reduce or eliminate dairy, this is a common concern.

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Where will I get enough Calcium?

Good news! A whole-food plant-based style of eating will provide all the calcium you need and so much more. In fact, that is what the veggie lady above from the garden wanted to share with you today! I got a delivery of garden-fresh veggies this weekend. With this in mind, this lovely “monster” created to share her message of abundance.

Current RDA (recommended daily amounts)

Life Stage Recommended Amount of Calcium from the RDA

Birth to 6 months 200 mg
Infants 7–12 months 260 mg
Children 1–3 years 700 mg
Children 4–8 years 1,000 mg
Children 9–13 years 1,300 mg
Teens 14–18 years 1,300 mg
Adults 19–50 years 1,000 mg
Adult men 51–70 years 1,000 mg
Adult women 51–70 years 1,200 mg
Adults 71 years and older 1,200 mg
Pregnant and breastfeeding adults 1,000 mg

Plant-based Sources of calcium — amount

Collards: 1 cup cooked –266 mg
Kale: 1 cup cooked — 177 mg
Swiss Chard 1 cup cooked — 102 mg
Rhubarb: 1 cup raw — 105 mg
White Beans: 1 cup cooked = 179 g — 131 mg
Chickpeas: 1 cup cooked = 164 g — 80 mg
Dried Figs: 3 dried figs = 25 g — 52 mg
Sesame seeds: 1 tbsp — 87 mg
Fresh thyme: 1 tsp 3.24 mg (100 grams has 405 mg)
Raw Green Pepper: 1 cup 14.9 mg
Sage: 1 tsp 11.6 mg
Okra 8 pods 77.9 mg
Eggplant raw: 1 cup 7.38 mg
Cauliflower raw: 1 cup 23.5 mg

If you follow the daily dozen intake as recommended by Dr. Michael Gregor there will be enough calcium in your diet over time to support your health.

Try this Pinto Bean Kale soup as a delicious option to add greens and legumes which when cooked are good sources.

SO IT IS OK to reduce or eliminate dairy – you will still be healthy as long as you are eating whole foods in enough quantity.

To appropriately absorb calcium we also need to consider the following:

– Vitamin D levels

– Appropriate pH (acidic environment is best and medications that affect acid secretion may interfere with some types of calcium absorption)

– Oxalic acid (in some vegetables and beans) and phytic acid (in whole grains) can interfere with absorbption. This is reduced by soaking beans/legumes and then cooking.

– Max absorption is around 500 mg per meal therefore it is ideal to eat at more than one meal.

Where else can Calcium be found?

Sprinkling sesame seeds on sandwiches, salads, soups, or other foods are also well received. Japanese cooking often uses this topping and can be found in the grocery isles (look for them without MSG) called Furikake
½ cup nigari Tofu has 253 mg Ca and can sneak into pureed sauces. It works great when substituted with spices in stuffed shells and lasagna for ricotta cheese.
Hummus or any pureed legume can be a tasty way that many kids are willing to eat.
Tastes have been shown to develop in utero and it is useful to mention to pregnant moms to keep their diets diverse and eat leafy greens while pregnant (mom’s benefit from the iron too).
Spices such as basil, savory, dill, and thyme are by weight some of the densest dietary sources of calcium so while we would not a cup of herbs, they are useful to add to meals. 1 tsp of dried basil has 10 mg Ca. 1 tbsp of savory has 90.6 mg of Ca. 1 tsp of thyme has 18 mg Ca. Roasting vegetables with these spice blends and topping with fig preserve ( 1 oz has 19.6 mg Ca) can be tasty.
Convincing kids to eat greens which are a wonderful source of calcium can be done. I have found fresh ginger, olive oil, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard, and dash salt to any steamed greens is usually well received and takes the bitter edge off.
Nuts and seed butter are good resources to put on a piece of celery with a few raisins.
Nut and/or hemp milk that has been fortified with calcium and Vit D (but without adding carrageenan) can be a useful resource as well. The amounts vary on the brand.

Share this post with anyone to help bring a better understanding of the beneficial role plants can play in our day to day lives.

*Please note as an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases which means I will receive a small fee if you purchase them. I have only included things I truly use. This post is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation. For my full Disclaimer, please go here.