How To Get Enough Calcium When You've Cut Dairy Out Of Your Diet

You’ve cut out dairy products from your diet for the sake of your stomach, skin, energy etc. And you’re feeling great, which is awesome! But in the back of your mind you’re always wondering if you’re getting enough calcium through your diet now. Sound familiar?

I am here to put your mind at ease. There are so so so many ways to get your calcium intake without having to rely on dairy products. It all comes down to knowing what foods are rich in calcium and making sure that you are getting a variety of these foods and plenty of them!

You will find it easier than what you first thought. Because here is a little secret….dairy doesn't actually have all that mach calcium in it. There are other foods which have a higher calcium content of calcium, and I don’t mean having a kilogram of broccoli each day (we have all seen those info graphics….ewww).

100ml of full cream dairy milk provides you with 107mg of calcium. Below is a list of the highest non-dairy calcium foods and the amount that you would need to consume in order to get an adequate dietary intake.

Tahini (ground up sesame seeds)- 330mg /100g (approx 2-3 tablespoons)

Tofu -320mg/100g (approx 1/2 of a packet of tofu)

Spinach- 75mg/100g (approx 3 cups)

Almonds- 250mg/100g (approx 1 large handful of almonds)

Sardines- 302mg/100g ( approx 1 small can)

So as you can see, this short list shows how easy it can be to get your daily intake of calcium, without every having to worry about your lack of dairy. If you consume 2 serves of any of the above foods each day you will be probably be getting more calcium than what you were before you took out the dairy.

When we hear calcium the immediate thought is bones and bone health. Calcium is not the only determinant to maintaining a healthy bone density however, with vitamin D, magnesium and Vitamin K playing a huge role in directing the calcium into the bodes and stimulating new bone cell turnover. The most important aspect of healthy bones is regular weight bearing exercise, this helps to stimulate new bone cell production, helping to maintain good bone density.

Calcium has so many other functions within the body. Calcium is vital for any form of connective tissue formation including hair and teeth. It plays a big role in maintaining health muscle contractility, means that it helps to reduce cramping and spasms. Calcium levels also help to regulate the nervous system and the cardiovascular system with maintaing healthy blood pressure.