Calcium in
Plant-Based Diets
Calcium in Foods
food
calcium (mg)
Vegetables
Broccoli, 1/2 cup, boiled . . . . . . . 31
Brussels sprouts, 1/2 cup, boiled . . . . 28
Butternut squash, 1/2 cup, baked . . . 42
Carrots, 2 medium, raw . . . . . . . 40
Cauliflower, 1/2 cup, boiled . . . . . . 10
Collards, 1/2 cup, boiled . . . . . . . 133
Kale, 1/2 cup, boiled . . . . . . . . . 47
Sweet potato, 1/2 cup, baked . . . . . 38
Legumes
Black turtle beans, 1/2 cup, boiled . . 51
Chickpeas, 1/2 cup, boiled . . . . . 40
Great Northern beans, 1/2 cup, boiled 60
Kidney beans, 1/2 cup, boiled . . . . 31
Lentils, 1/2 cup, boiled . . . . . . 19
Navy beans, 1/2 cup, boiled . . . . 63
Pinto beans, 1/2 cup, boiled . . . . 40
Soybeans, 1/2 cup, boiled . . . . . 88
Soymilk, 1 cup, calcium-fortified . . 368
Tofu, raw, firm, 1⁄2 cup . . . . . 253
Vegetarian baked beans, 1/2 cup . . 43
White beans, 1/2 cup, boiled . . . . . 81
Grains
Corn tortilla . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Rice milk, 1 cup, enriched . . . . . 300*
Wheat bread, 1 slice . . . . . . . . . 26
Whole wheat flour, 1 cup . . . . . . . 41
Fruits
Dried figs, 1/2 cup figs . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Navel orange, 1 medium . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Orange juice, 1/2 cup calcium-fortified 150*
Raisins, 1/2 cup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
* package information
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Agricultural Research Service. 2004. USDA
National Nutrient Database for Standard
Reference, Release 17. Nutrient Data Laboratory
Web site, http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp
6 Vegetarian Starter Kit
M
any people avoid milk because
it conta i ns sat u rated fat,
cholesterol, allergenic proteins,
lactose sugar, and frequent traces of
contamination, or simply because they
don’t feel well after consuming dairy
products. Milk is also linked to type 1
(juvenile-onset) diabetes and other serious
conditions. Happily, there are many other
good sources of calcium.
Keeping your bones strong depends
more on preventing the loss of calcium
from your body than on boosting your
calcium intake.
Some cultures consume few or no
dairy products and typically ingest fewer
than 500 milligrams of calcium per day.
However, these people generally have
low rates of osteoporosis. Many scientists
believe that exercise and other factors
have more to do with osteoporosis than
calcium intake does.
calcium in the body
Almost all of the calcium in the
body is in the bones. There is a tiny
amount in the bloodstream, which is
responsible for important functions such
as muscle contraction, maintenance of
the heartbeat, and transmission of nerve
impulses.
We regularly lose calcium from our
bloodstream through urine, sweat, and
feces. It is renewed with calcium from
bone or from the diet.
Bones are constantly broken down and
made anew. Up until the age of 30 or
so, we build more bone than we lose.
Later, the bones tend to break down more
than build up. The loss of too much bone
calcium can lead to fragile bones or
osteoporosis.
How rapidly calcium is lost depends, in
part, on the kind and amount of protein
you eat, as well as other diet and lifestyle
choices.
reducing calcium loss
A number of factors affect calcium loss
from the body:
• Diets that are high in protein cause
more calcium to be lost through the
urine. Protein from animal products is
much more likely to cause calcium loss
than protein from plant foods.
• Diets high in sodium increase calcium
losses in the urine.
• Caffeine increases the rate at which
calcium is lost through urine.
• Smoking increases the loss of calcium
from the body.
A number of factors increase bone
building in the body:
• Exercise is one of the most important
factors in maintaining bone health.
• Exposure to sunlight allows the body
to make the bone-building hormone
vitamin D.
• Eating a plentiful amount of fruits and
vegetables helps to keep calcium in bone.
• Consuming calcium from plant-based
sources, especially green vegetables and
beans, provides one of the building blocks
for bone building.
sources of calcium
Exercise and a diet moderate in
protein will help to protect your bones.
People who eat plant-based diets and
are active probably have lower calcium
needs. However, it is still important to eat
calcium-rich foods every day.
The “Calcium in Foods” chart on the
left side of this page gives the amount of
calcium found in some excellent plant
sources. A quick glance shows how
easy it is to meet calcium needs. The
sample menus on page 5 each provide
approximately 1,000 milligrams of
calcium.