| Many people assume their bones stop growing when they become adults. Not so. Bone tissue is continuously dissolving and re-forming. One way to maintain strong bones is to eat foods rich in calcium.
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, but your body can't manufacture it: You have to get all the calcium you need from food. Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese, ice milk, and pudding made with milk are storehouses of calcium. (An 8-ounce serving of milk contains about 300 milligrams of calcium.) Milk and milk products also contain vitamin D and other components that help your body absorb calcium, so dietitians recommend two servings of dairy products a day.
Other sources of calcium include green leafy vegetables, cooked beans, fruit, grain products, canned sardines, and salmon with bones. Some foods are fortified with calcium, examples include some orange and apple juices, ready-to-eat cereals and breads.
Use the following table, Food Sources of Calcium, to plan a diet that meets your needs for calcium. You can determine how much calcium you need by consulting the table, A Guide to Calcium Needs. This table was established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences.
Food Sources of Calcium
| FOOD |
PORTION |
CALCIUM (mg) |
| Swiss cheese |
2 ounces |
544 |
| Provolone cheese |
2 ounces |
428 |
| Monterey Jack cheese |
2 ounces |
424 |
| Yogurt, low-fat |
1 cup |
415 |
| Cheddar cheese |
2 ounces |
408 |
| Muenster cheese |
2 ounces |
406 |
| Colby cheese |
2 ounces |
388 |
| Brick cheese |
2 ounces |
382 |
| Sardines, Atlantic, drained |
3 ounces |
372 |
| American cheese |
2 ounces |
348 |
| Ricotta cheese, part-skim |
1/2 cup |
337 |
| Milk, skim |
1 cup |
302 |
| Mozzarella cheese |
2 ounces |
294 |
| Buttermilk |
1 cup |
285 |
| Limburger cheese |
2 ounces |
282 |
| Ice milk, soft-serve |
1 cup |
274 |
| Salmon, sockeye, drained |
3 ounces |
271 |
| Orange juice, calcium fortified |
6 ounces |
225 |
| Ice cream |
1 cup |
176 |
| Ice milk |
1 cup |
176 |
| Tofu |
3 ounces |
174 |
| Pizza, cheese |
1 medium slice |
144 |
| Blackstrap molasses |
1 tablespoon |
137 |
| Broccoli, raw, cut |
1 cup |
136 |
| Soy flour, defatted |
1/2 cup |
120 |
| Almonds |
1/4 cup |
100 |
| Broccoli, cooked, cut |
1/2 cup |
89 |
| Soybeans, cooked |
1/2 cup |
88 |
| Parmesan cheese, grated |
1 tablespoon |
86 |
| Collard greens, cooked |
1/2 cup |
74 |
| Dandelion greens, cooked |
1/2 cup |
74 |
| Mustard greens, cooked |
1/2 cup |
52 |
| Kale, cooked |
1/2 cup |
47 |
| Chick-peas, cooked |
1/2 cup |
40 |
SOURCES: Adapted from Agriculture Handbook Nos. 8, 8-1, 456 (Washington, D.C.: Department of Agriculture).
A Guide to Calcium Needs
| AGE OR CATEGORY |
RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCE * (mg) |
| Children (1-10 years) |
800 |
| Teenagers (11-24 years) |
1,200 |
| Adults (25 + years) |
800 |
| Pregnant and nursing women |
1,200 |
| Pregnant and nursing teenagers |
1,600 |
*RDAs are specific dietary recommendations by age and sex categories. |
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