Food Sources of Calcium
Getting enough calcium is important for strong bones and overall health. Use the tables below to identify foods and drinks with calcium that fit your culture and lifestyle. By making shifts toward a healthy eating routine, you can meet your food group and calcium needs. To find out more about calcium, check out these factsheets for consumers and for health professionals.
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Calcium: Nutrient-densea Food and Beverage Sources, Amounts of Calcium and Energy per Standard Portion
FOODbc STANDARD PORTIONd CALORIES CALCIUM (mg) Dairy and Fortified Soy Alternatives Yogurt, plain, nonfat 8 ounces 137 488 Yogurt, plain, low fat 8 ounces 154 448 Kefir, plain, low fat 1 cup 104 317 Milk, low fat (1 %) 1 cup 102 305 Soy beverage (soy milk), unsweetened 1 cup 80 301 Yogurt, soy, plain 8 ounces 150 300 Milk, fat free (skim) 1 cup 83 298 Buttermilk, low fat 1 cup 98 284 Yogurt, Greek, plain, low fat 8 ounces 166 261 Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat 8 ounces 134 250 Cheese, reduced, low, or fat free (various) 1 1/2 ounces ~55-155 ~115-485 Vegetables Lambsquarters, cooked 1 cup 58 464 Nettles, cooked 1 cup 37 428 Mustard spinach, cooked 1 cup 29 284 Amaranth leaves, cooked 1 cup 28 276 Collard greens, cooked 1 cup 63 268 Spinach, cooked 1 cup 41 245 Nopales, cooked 1 cup 22 244 Taro root (dasheen or yautia), cooked 1 cup 60 204 Turnip greens, cooked 1 cup 29 197 Bok choy, cooked 1 cup 24 185 Jute, cooked 1 cup 32 184 Kale, cooked 1 cup 43 177 Mustard greens, cooked 1 cup 36 165 Beet greens, cooked 1 cup 39 164 Pak choi, cooked 1 cup 20 158 Dandelion greens, cooked 1 cup 35 147 Protein Foodse Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate 1/2 cup 94 434 Sardines, canned 3 ounces 177 325 Salmon, canned, solids with bone 3 ounces 118 181 Tahini (sesame butter or paste) 1 tablespoon 94 154 Fruits Grapefruit juice, 100%, fortified 1 cup 94 350 Orange juice, 100%, fortified 1 cup 117 349 Other Sources Almond beverage (almond milk), unsweetened, fortified 1 cup 36 442 Rice beverage (rice milk), unsweetened, fortified 1 cup 113 283 a All foods listed are assumed to be in nutrient-dense forms: lean or low-fat and prepared with minimal or no added sugars, saturated fat, or sodium.
b Some fortified foods and beverages are included. Other fortified options may exist on the market, but not all fortified foods are nutrient-dense. For example, some foods with added sugars may be fortified and would not be examples in the lists provided here.
c Some foods or beverages are not appropriate for all ages, particularly young children for whom some foods could be a choking hazard.
d This list includes “Standard” portions, which provide at least 130 milligrams calcium. Portions listed are not necessarily recommended serving sizes.
e Seafood varieties include choices from the FDA/EPA joint “Advice About Eating Fish,” available at FDA.gov/fishadvice and EPA.gov/fishadvice from the “Best Choices” list. Varieties from the “Best Choices” list that contain even lower methylmercury include: flatfish (e.g., flounder), salmon, tilapia, shrimp, catfish, crab, trout, haddock, oysters, sardines, squid, pollock, anchovies, crawfish, mullet, scallops, whiting, clams, shad, and Atlantic mackerel.
Data Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
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Calcium: Nutrient-densea Food and Beverage Sources, Amounts of Calcium and Energy per Smaller Portion
FOODbc SMALLER PORTIONd CALORIES CALCIUM (mg) Dairy and Fortified Soy Alternatives Yogurt, plain, nonfat 4 ounces 69 244 Yogurt, plain, low fat 4 ounces 77 224 Kefir, plain, low fat 1/2 cup 52 159 Milk, low fat (1 %) 1/2 cup 51 153 Soy beverage (soy milk), unsweetened 1/2 cup 40 151 Yogurt, soy, plain 4 ounces 75 150 Milk, fat free (skim) 1/2 cup 42 149 Buttermilk, low fat 1/2 cup 49 142 Yogurt, Greek, plain, low fat 4 ounces 83 131 Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat 4 ounces 67 125 Cheese, reduced, low, or fat free (various) 1/2 ounce ~20-50 ~40-160 Vegetables Lambsquarters, cooked 1/2 cup 29 232 Nettles, cooked 1/2 cup 19 214 Mustard spinach, cooked 1/2 cup 15 142 Amaranth leaves, cooked 1/2 cup 14 138 Collard greens, cooked 1/2 cup 32 134 Spinach, cooked 1/2 cup 21 123 Nopales, cooked 1/2 cup 11 122 Taro root (dasheen or yautia), cooked 1/2 cup 30 102 Turnip greens, cooked 1/2 cup 15 99 Bok choy, cooked 1/2 cup 12 93 Jute, cooked 1/2 cup 16 92 Kale, cooked 1/2 cup 22 89 Mustard greens, cooked 1/2 cup 18 83 Beet greens, cooked 1/2 cup 20 82 Pak choi, cooked 1/2 cup 10 79 Dandelion greens, cooked 1/2 cup 18 74 Protein Foodse Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate 1/4 cup 47 217 Sardines, canned 1 ounce 59 108 Salmon, canned, solids with bone 1 ounce 39 60 Tahini (sesame butter or paste) 1 teaspoon 31 51 Fruits Grapefruit juice, 100%, fortified 1/2 cup 47 175 Orange juice, 100%, fortified 1/2 cup 59 175 Other Sources Almond beverage (almond milk), unsweetened, fortified 1/2 cup 18 221 Rice beverage (rice milk), unsweetened, fortified 1/2 cup 57 142 a All foods listed are assumed to be in nutrient-dense forms: lean or low-fat and prepared with minimal or no added sugars, saturated fat, or sodium.
b Some fortified foods and beverages are included. Other fortified options may exist on the market, but not all fortified foods are nutrient-dense. For example, some foods with added sugars may be fortified and would not be examples in the lists provided here.
c Some foods or beverages are not appropriate for all ages, particularly young children for whom some foods could be a choking hazard.
d Portions listed are not recommended serving sizes. Two lists—in ‘standard’ and ‘smaller’ portions--are provided for each dietary component. Standard portions provide at least 130 mg of calcium. Smaller portions are generally one half of a standard portion.
e Seafood varieties include choices from the FDA/EPA joint “Advice About Eating Fish,” available at FDA.gov/fishadvice and EPA.gov/fishadvice from the “Best Choices” list. Varieties from the “Best Choices” list that contain even lower methylmercury include: flatfish (e.g., flounder), salmon, tilapia, shrimp, catfish, crab, trout, haddock, oysters, sardines, squid, pollock, anchovies, crawfish, mullet, scallops, whiting, clams, shad, and Atlantic mackerel.
Data Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.