Vegetables are a not-often-thought-of source of calcium. However, if you are familiar with the numbers, you can get your entire days’ worth of calcium from just a few servings of certain high-calcium greens. Below you’ll find a list of 11 vegetables and the amount of calcium you can expect in a general serving size.
1. Soybeans
Cooked, a cup of soybeans can offer a whopping 175 mg of calcium to your diet. These veggies can be used in a wide variety of dishes.
2. Okra
A cup of cooked Okra delivers 172 mg and is great fried, boiled, or served alongside pretty much any meat.
3. Almonds
One ounce of almonds (23 nuts) has 75 mg. Enjoy by the handful or in your favorite salads. You can even sprinkle them on chicken while it’s being cooked to infuse your whole dish with almond-y goodness!
4. Collard Greens
A cup of boiled collard greens has 266 mg, and have much the same function in cooking as lettuce. Try substituting collard greens for lettuce the next time you can, and you’ll be getting your calcium!
5. Oranges
A half-cup of oranges contains 52 mg and is, as you'd expect, delicious in almost anything from salads to fruit bowls.
6. Spinach
A cup of boiled spinach has 245 mg. It makes a great side dish for many meals, and in its raw form can be substituted for lettuce on sandwiches and in salads.
7. Kelp
One cup of raw kelp has 136 mg. While eating seaweed doesn’t immediately present itself as a normal thing to do, those in the know have discovered that this surprisingly flavorful vegetable is high in a variety of nutrients, including calcium.
8. Broccoli
Two cups of boiled broccoli have 124 mg. Fairly common vegetable, but rarely praised for its high concentration of useful nutrients like calcium, broccoli has recently come into vogue as a wonderful food with all kinds of health benefits.
9. Blackstrap Molasses
One tablespoon has about 137 mg. By using blackstrap molasses to bake certain kinds of bittersweet foods, you can take advantage of its high concentration of calcium.
10. Sesame Seeds
A quarter cup of sesame seeds has 351 mg calcium, and are delicious when sprinkled on chicken, fish, or just by the handful.
11. Brazil Nuts
Two ounces of Brazil nuts (12 nuts) have 90 mg. In addition to the expected protein, Brazil nuts in particular are high in calcium and can be added to salads or main dishes, or just enjoyed by the handful.
12. Celery
Two cups of raw celery have 81 mg. By combining celery with peanut butter, you can indulge in a delicious, flavorful snack that helps fill your daily quota of calcium and protein.
Vegetables rarely are seen in connection with nutrients like calcium, especially with the overwhelming popularity of milk in this regard. However, for those who don't like milk, are lactose intolerant, or are simply looking for a different way to get their daily nutrients, these vegetables and others are a good place to start.
Great info! Thanks!
ReplyDelete