02 Apr How to Get Calcium without Dairy in your Diet
Calcium is one of the best nutrients for a healthy mouth, and the most popular calcium-rich foods are dairy products. But sensitivity to dairy and diet preferences excluding dairy products lead to a lower daily intake of calcium. The good news is, a number of non-dairy foods and drinks include calcium including:
- Seeds
- Some dark, leafy greens
- Beans and lentils
- Calcium-fortified cereal
An article by the Campbell Institute for Nutrition Studies discusses how to get all of the calcium you need without dairy in your diet and shares a chart detailing the amount of calcium in each non-dairy food compared to a glass of milk, which contains about 276mg of the recommended 500mg of calcium we need each day. Check out the article here. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient your body also needs to promote calcium absorption. According to the Vitamin D council, the only two ways to absorb the appropriate amount of vitamin D our bodies need is through exposure to sunlight and vitamin D supplements. You can learn more about what the council says about vitamin D absorption and benefits here.