40 Vegan Calcium Sources

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By Lisa Watson Diet Food Medicine Vegetarian

We all know that calcium is an essential mineral that is used by the body to build and maintain healthy bones and teeth. But did you know that calcium is also used for blood clotting, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, regulation of enzymes and cell membrane function? That is one useful mineral!

If we aren’t consuming enough calcium in our diet, our body will take the calcium it needs from our bones – leading to osteomalacia (softening of the bones) and, along with other factors, to osteoporosis. If children don’t consume adequate calcium they will not have healthy bone mineralization which can lead to rickets and lifelong low bone mineral density.

Calcium and a vegan diet

One of the concerns people express when they learn I’m raising my children as vegetarians is “how are they getting calcium if they aren’t drinking milk?”. It’s impressive how well the dairy industry has marketed milk as the only dietary source of calcium! But there are many plant-based sources of calcium – and it’s not hard to reach your daily calcium needs by eating these common (and delicious!) foods – usually just 2-4 servings a day is more than enough.

Daily Recommended Allowance of Calcium

To enhance absorption of calcium, you should also make sure you are getting enough vitamin D. That means 20 minutes of direct sunlight every day from May-October and a daily vitamin D supplement during Canadian winters (November to April). Inadequate stomach acid also reduces calcium absorption. Discuss with your Naturopathic Doctor whether this may be an issue for you.

40 Vegan Sources of Calcium

Vegetables (per cup)

Bok choy (cooked) – 330 mg
Kale – 180mg
Bean sprouts – 320 mg
Spinach (cooked) – 250 mg
Collard greens (cooked) – 260 mg
Mustard greens (cooked) – 100 mg
Turnip greens (cooked) – 200 mg
Swiss chard (cooked) – 100 mg
Seaweed (Wakame) – 120mg
Okra – 130 mg
Broccoli – 45 mg
Fennel – 45 mg
Artichoke – 55 mg
Celery – 40 mg
Leeks – 55 mg

Nuts, nut butters and seeds

Almonds (1/4 cup) – 95 mg
Brazil nuts (1/4 cup) – 55 mg
Hazelnuts (1/4 cup) – 55 mg
Almond butter (1 tbsp) – 43 mg
Sesame seeds (1 tbsp) – 63 mg
Tahini (1 tbsp) – 65 mg

Grains

Cereals (calcium fortified, ½ cup) – 250 to 500 mg
Amaranth (cooked, ½ cup) – 135 mg
Brown rice (cooked, 1 cup) – 50 mg
Quinoa (cooked, 1 cup) – 80 mg

Legumes and beans

Chickpeas (cooked, 1 cup) – 80 mg
Pinto beans (cooked, 1 cup) – 75 mg
Soy beans (cooked, 1 cup) – 200 mg
Tofu (soft or firm, 4 oz) – 120 – 400mg
Tempeh (1 cup) – 150 mg
Navy beans (1 cup) – 110 mg
White beans (cooked, 1 cup) – 140 mg

Fruit (per cup)

Figs (dried) – 300 mg
Apricots (dried) – 75mg
Kiwi – 60mg
Rhubarb (cooked) – 350 mg
Orange – 70 mg
Prunes – 75 mg
Blackberries – 40 mg

Miscellaneous

Blackstrap molasses (1 tbsp) – 135 mg

Disclaimer

The advice provided in this article is for informational purposes only. It is meant to augment and not replace consultation with a licensed health care provider. Consultation with a Naturopathic Doctor or other primary care provider is recommended for anyone suffering from a health problem.

References:

Health Canada. Vitamin D and Calcium: Updated Dietary Reference Intakes. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/vitamin/vita-d-eng.php. Accessed January 31, 2012

Lisa Watson / About Author

Dr. Lisa Watson is a Naturopathic Doctor practicing in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is a passionate writer and speaker and is on a mission to take women from burnt out, to fired up! You can follow Dr. Watson on all social media outlets at @drlisawatsonnd

Comments (265)

Top 5 Myths About Vegan and Vegetarian Diets | GoodVeg powered by Squidoo

May 23, 2012 at 11:31 am

[…] Myth #1: Cows’ milk is the best source of calcium. It’s true that cows’ milk is rich in calcium. But animal protein tends to leach calcium from bones – and cows’ milk is high in protein. Calcium is more readily absorbed from plant sources, such as soy milk, broccoli, kale, chard, spinach and other leafy greens, navy beans, calcium-fortified orange juice. These sources not only provide more accessible calcium, they have no saturated fat or cholesterol. Usual cheeses made of cows’ milk are 70% fat! And most of that fat is saturated. To see your daily calcium requirement based on your age, and a longer list of vegetable sources rich in calcium, look here. […]

Eat Supplements or Eat Food? | Healthy Living Kenya

January 14, 2013 at 9:19 pm

[…] I found a while ago and got me to research on more natural sources of calcium, heck there are even 40 vegan sources of calcium since most natural healers strongly advocate for a more plant-based diet. Don’t get me […]

what is Calcium and how Does a Vegan get it? | The Trucking Vegan

March 28, 2013 at 10:23 pm

[…] http://www.drlisawatson.com/40-vegan-calcium-sources […]

Top 5 myths about vegan and vegetarian diets

April 18, 2013 at 4:45 pm

[…] Myth #1: Cows’ milk is the best source of calcium.It’s true that cows’ milk is rich in calcium. But animal protein tends to leach calcium from bones – and cows’ milk is high in protein. Calcium is more readily absorbed from plant sources, such as soy milk, broccoli, kale, chard, spinach and other leafy greens, navy beans, calcium-fortified orange juice. These sources not only provide more accessible calcium, they have no saturated fat or cholesterol. Usual cheeses made of cows’ milk are 70% fat! And most of that fat is saturated. To see your daily calcium requirement based on your age, and a longer list of vegetable sources rich in calcium, look here. […]

vegan diet

June 17, 2013 at 4:25 pm

Great post.

Haileigh

July 23, 2014 at 8:57 am

I’m not sure if you’re using the term vegetarian right. Vegetarians drink milk, but it’s vegans that don’t.
It was this… “…I’m raising my children as vegetarians is “how are they getting calcium if they aren’t drinking milk?” that confused me.

I really liked this article though, I’ve been working on switching from vegetarian to vegan and need some statistics to make sure I’m doing it right (and ensuring all the nay-sayers that I will not wither away).

drlisawatson

July 23, 2014 at 2:56 pm

Thanks for the comment Halleigh. You are right – many vegetarians do drink milk. I have opted not to use cow milk in my household though. I really prefer the plant based milks – and they are also good sources of calcium!

Dustin Thibodeaux

September 8, 2014 at 1:50 pm

Thank you for the article! Looking to find alternatives to getting my calcium without drinking milk to settle an argument with my meat-eating friends.

drlisawatson

September 17, 2014 at 5:29 pm

Calcium is one of the most abundant minerals! It’s not hard to get, if you know where to find it!
~Lisa

» Vegan? “But Where Do You Get Your Calcium From?”

March 18, 2015 at 6:09 pm

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