Our bones and teeth are where the body stores most of its calcium. and in smaller amounts in your tissues and blood. Your body tries to keep the level of calcium in your blood stable. However, if your blood levels drop as a result of not eating enough calcium, your bones will drop calcium levels to keep them stable, which can eventually result in weak bones.
Although there are many types of calcium supplements available in the market, a balanced diet is the most effective way to maintain calcium levels in the long run.
Here are five foods that contain more calcium than a glass of milk:
1. Spinach
Calcium content: 245 mg in one cup of boiled spinach.
You can add cooked spinach to your regular flour to make palak rotis or add it to soups as a final garnish as long as it is dry.
Ragi
Calcium content: 344 mg in one cup of ragi flour.
You can add ragi to wheat flour to improve the nutritional profile of your rotis or make dosas or idlis.
3. Haleem or Garden Cress Seeds
Calcium content: 266 mg in 100 grams of seeds.
You can make haleem drink by adding lemon to the seeds soaked overnight or make haleem laddoos with jaggery.
4. Amaranth or Rajgira leaves
Calcium content: 276 mg in 100 grams of cooked, steamed leaves.
You can cook amaranth leaves in your regular flour and use them like spinach to make bread. Amaranth leaves make a great side dish or can be added to soups and salads.
5. Dried Figs- Anjeer
Calcium content: 362 mg in 1½ cups of dried figs.
You can slice dried figs and add them to everything from oatmeal to yogurt, or try them in this delicious recipe for Quinoa Salad with Figs and Mint.
So, if you’re lactose intolerant or trying to cut back on dairy — milk or milk products aren’t the only sources of calcium you need to rely on.
There are plenty of non-dairy sources like spinach, rajgira, ragi, fortified orange juice, almond milk and nuts and seeds that have equal or higher calcium content than dairy.
(This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for advice provided by qualified medical professionals.)