Find an Abundance of Calcium in Non-Dairy Foods

For calcium, you most likely reach for the milk carton, right? That’s not a bad choice. Dairy foods are high in calcium, but they’re by no means the only ones.    

You may already know that calcium helps stave off weak, brittle bones. But this must-have mineral plays other critical roles in many key functions in your body. It helps your blood vessels work well. It helps your blood clot and supports healthy nerve function. It helps your body release hormones. And it helps your muscles contract and relax, including your heart muscle.

However, you have several choices when it comes to getting enough calcium.  

Dairy foods have always been praised as the go-to source for calcium. This is because dairy is high in calcium, meaning it contains 20% or more of the Daily Value (DV) per serving. But what if dairy doesn’t agree with you? What if you eat a strictly plant-based diet? Or what if you simply don’t like dairy foods?  

Not to worry. There is a wide range of other foods brimming with calcium to help you reach the 1,000–1,200 mg of calcium intake that you need per day, according to the National Institutes of Health. 

A smorgasbord of calcium-rich foods 

• Beans. Soybeans and products made from them are high in calcium. So are garbanzo, pinto, white, black, navy, and kidney beans.
  
  
• Dark green veggies. Collard greens, kale, broccoli, cress, mustard greens, spinach, and seaweed are just a few of the veggies high in calcium.  
  
  
• Nuts and seeds. Almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios are good sources of calcium. So are sesame and chia seeds.
  
  
• Fresh and dried fruits. Dried figs and apricots, and fresh papaya and oranges, have high calcium levels.
  
  
• Tofu. Not all tofu brands are high in calcium, but ones that contain calcium sulfate (a thickener) are. One study found that women who ate tofu containing calcium sulfate absorbed the same levels of calcium as women who drank cow’s milk. Check the label on your tofu to make sure it contains calcium sulfate.
  
  
• Fish. Fish with soft, edible bones—like salmon and sardines—are loaded with calcium.
  
  
• Packaged foods with calcium added. Orange juice and many wholesome breakfast cereals have calcium added to them. Soy milk, almond milk, and rice milk often do, too.  
  

Strategies that support calcium absorption and function  

Loading up on a variety of calcium-rich foods is only one-half of the equation. The other half? Taking steps to support your body’s ability to both absorb the calcium you give it and to enhance its ability to perform its many functions.

One step is to eat a diversity of high-calcium foods, but also combine them with other nutrients. This can help boost absorption and utilization. These steps can support this process:

• Eat a diverse array of dark leafy greens. Certain high-calcium greens, such as chard and spinach, are also high in oxalic acid and insoluble fiber, both of which bind to calcium in the gut and hamper its absorption into your bloodstream.
  
  The good news? Bok choy, kale, and collard greens are lower in oxalic acid, making the calcium in these greens easier to absorb. That doesn’t mean you need to avoid spinach and chard altogether. Just make sure those aren’t the only greens you eat to meet your calcium intake. Mix it up and add a wide range of dark green veggies to your plate, as well. If you do eat a lot of spinach and/or chard, try cooking them. This helps remove some of their oxalic acid.
  
  
• Pair your high-calcium foods with foods rich in vitamin D. You’ve likely noticed how many bottled calcium supplements include vitamin D. There’s a good reason for this. Vitamin D is key to helping your body absorb calcium. Your body makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. But you can also find ample vitamin D in fatty fish such as trout and salmon, in egg yolks, and in cereals and drinks fortified with vitamin D.  
  
  
• Eat foods high in boron, vitamin K, and magnesium. Like vitamin D, these 3 nutrients help your body both absorb and use calcium to perform its many vital functions—especially building and protecting bone strength. The beauty is that many of the foods high in these 3 nutrients are also high in calcium—a nutritional win-win.

- Boron boosts calcium absorption by lowering the loss of calcium (and magnesium) in the urine. This in turn helps prevent the loss of bone mineral density. Foods high in boron include avocados, peaches, apples, pears, and lima beans, among others.

- Vitamin K helps your body absorb calcium but also partners with calcium and vitamin D to boost bone mineral density. Fermented whole soybeans, raw spinach, cooked turnip greens and broccoli, dry-roasted (and unsalted) cashews, blueberries, and pomegranate juice are just a few of the many foods high in vitamin K.

- Magnesium activates vitamin D, which your body needs to absorb calcium. Magnesium also triggers the release of calcitonin, a hormone that transports calcium from the blood back into the bones. Many foods are high in magnesium , including dry-roasted pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, potatoes, bananas, avocados, quinoa, black beans, and lima beans—just to name a few. 

Create a weekly meal plan that pairs foods high in calcium with foods high in boron, vitamin K, and magnesium. You can most likely accomplish this by simply eating a diverse array of foods that will help you meet all of your vitamin, mineral, and nutritional needs.

Load your plate each day with colorful fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, as well as protein sources such as beans, dairy foods, lean meats, and fish. Pair some freshly grilled, nut-crusted salmon with quinoa and a dark, leafy green salad. Whip up a pinto bean, cheese, and avocado burrito. Sprinkle some dry-roasted (and unsalted) pumpkin seeds over some black bean soup. Or toss some banana, apple, pear, and peach slices together for a refreshing fruit salad.

• Spread your calcium consumption throughout the day. Try not to eat all your calcium-rich foods in the same meal. Spread it out across the day. Why? Because calcium is a large mineral and your body needs time to break it down and absorb it. The more calcium you eat in one meal, the less of it is absorbed. If you’re taking a calcium supplement—which you should only take if your doctor recommends it—take no more than 500 mg or less at a time. And never take mega doses of calcium supplements, unless directed by your doctor.
  
  
• Eat acidic foods. Although findings are mixed, some studies suggest that cooking and/or eating your high-calcium foods with acidic foods such as vinegar or citrus fruits (limes, lemons, oranges, etc.) aids absorption. Acidic foods help make calcium more soluble in the digestive tract and thus easier to absorb.
  
  
• Limit intakes of caffeine, alcohol, salt, and sugar. Excessive consumption of these substances can either interfere directly with calcium absorption and/or cause your body to release calcium more quickly through urine. Try to limit how many cups of coffee or other caffeinated beverages you drink, such as soda or energy drinks. Limit your cocktails to 1 drink per day if you’re a woman and 2 drinks per day if you’re a man. Salty snacks and sugary foods are fine as an occasional treat, but they should not be a staple of your daily diet. 
  

Understanding calcium’s role in maintaining bone mineral density 

While building strong bones is certainly not calcium’s only function, it’s an important one, especially as you age. You can think of your bones as a bank for calcium. Deposits of calcium are made and then stored in your bones, until your body needs to withdraw some calcium to use it for the many functions your body performs.

If you don’t get and absorb enough calcium from food, and your blood levels of calcium drop too low, your parathyroid glands pump out a hormone that triggers the release of calcium from your bones into your bloodstream. Getting and absorbing sufficient levels of calcium prevents its extraction from your bones from happening. And this in turn helps protect your bone strength. 

How much calcium do you need? 

The amount of calcium your body needs changes throughout life. During your childhood and teens, you need more calcium because your bones are growing rapidly. As you age, your body’s ability to absorb calcium declines. This is one reason why older adults need higher amounts of calcium.

Guidelines suggest you get between 1,000 mg and 2,000 mg, depending on your age, gender, and health. Talk with your doctor about how much you need and how often your blood calcium levels should be tested. Ask if you need to take a supplement along with eating foods rich in calcium and vitamins D and K, as well as foods with boron and magnesium. Here are recommended daily allowances (RDA):

• Ages 31-50: 1,000 mg
• Ages 51 and up: 1,200 mg

Take steps to eat a well-balanced and nutrient-diverse diet to meet all your vitamin and mineral needs, including calcium intake. Doing so can help keep your bones strong and many of your body’s other functions humming along. Think of adding some calcium-rich foods to each meal. And talk with your doctor about getting your calcium levels tested if you’re worried they may be too low. They can help guide your dietary choices or recommend a supplement to help get your calcium back up to a healthy level. 

Not a Silver&Fit^® member? Learn more about everything the program has to offer, including more helpful healthy living tips like this, here on our website.

This information is not intended to take the place of regular medical care or advice. Please check with your doctor before using this information or beginning any self-care program. Images used for this article do not depict any members of the Silver&Fit program.   

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This article was written by Gail Olson, edited by Stephanie Ruiz, and clinically reviewed by Elizabeth Thompson, MPH, RDN, on November 25, 2025.  

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