Where to Find Calcium Without the Dairy
More and more people are finding that they simply can’t tolerate dairy, or that they want to remove it from their diets for their health. If you fall into either of these camps, do you know where to get the calcium you need every day in order to stay healthy? Well, here are a few places you can find calcium without having to go dairy.
Why Calcium is Important
Calcium plays a role in not only helping you to maintain healthy teeth and bones, but also as a part of the electrolyte balance in your body. It ensures that your muscles, including your heart, are able to contract and to also transmit messages through nerves. It also plays a role in hormone release. Without adequate calcium you cannot have normal cell function and that can lead, to among other things, weakened bones.
Foods with Natural Calcium
Many foods are enriched with vitamins and minerals, but where can you turn to get calcium au natural? Well, all you have to do is walk down an aisle at your local food market and voila! Natural calcium all around.
White Beans
These beans are the creamiest and lightest legumes out there, which make them easy to incorporate into your diet. White beans such as white kidney beans have almost 20% in just one cup. You can use them in place of chickpeas to make an awesome hummus or throw them into your pasta with some veggies. They’re great in homemade soups too!
Canned Salmon
Ok, this one might be a bit hard to swallow, but canned salmon is actually a great source of calcium. The only caveat is that you have to mash up the bones in the salmon right along with the meat. Don’t let this gross you out too much. The canning process actually makes the bones very soft and easy to incorporate. Plus, with a serving of this fish you get about 23% of your daily value of calcium and those important omega 3 fatty acids that everyone is talking about. So, bake up some salmon cakes today!
Bok Choy
This is easily found in the produce aisle at your local market and is very diverse in its uses. It’s a Chinese cabbage that not only has about 7% of your daily calcium in one cup; it also provides you with a dose of vitamin A and C, with a little fiber to boot. Stir fry this with garlic and olive oil!
Kale
You’ve probably heard the benefits of kale by now, but this veggie really deserves its superfood status. It has about 19% of your daily calcium intake as well as antioxidants. You can include it in a sale or even bake it and make chips out of it!
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