Dietary Sources of Calcium
Several foods can provide 300 mg or more of calcium per one cup serving.
These include milk (290 mg to 315 mg) and low-fat yogurt (340 mg to 450 mg).
For people who wish to avoid dairy products, choices include collard greens (300 mg to 350 mg) and calcium-fortified foods (e.g., soy milk [80 mg to 300 mg], cereal [up to 1000 mg], or fruit juice [225 mg to 300 mg]).
Breakfast bars often contain 200 mg to 500 mg.Cheese, canned salmon or sardines with bones, beans, broccoli, cabbage, turnip greens, bok choy, figs, tofu, and almonds are other significant sources
Non-Dairy Food Sources of Calcium
Non-Dairy Food Sources of Calcium ranked by milligrams of calcium per standard amount; also calories in the standard amount. The bioavailability may vary. (The AI for adults is 1,000 mg/day.)
| Food, Standard Amount |
Calcium (mg) |
Calories |
| Fortified ready-to-eat cereals (various), 1 oz |
236-1043 |
88-106 |
| Soy beverage, calcium fortified, 1 cup |
368 |
98 |
| Sardines, Atlantic, in oil, drained, 3 oz |
325 |
177 |
| Tofu, firm, prepared with nigarib,½cup |
253 |
88 |
| Pink salmon, canned, with bone, 3 oz |
181 |
118 |
| Collards, cooked from frozen,½cup |
178 |
31 |
| Molasses, blackstrap, 1 Tbsp |
172 |
47 |
| Spinach, cooked from frozen,½cup |
146 |
30 |
| Soybeans, green, cooked,½cup |
130 |
127 |
| Turnip greens, cooked from frozen,½cup |
124 |
24 |
| Ocean perch, Atlantic, cooked, 3 oz |
116 |
103 |
| Oatmeal, plain and flavored, instant, fortified, 1 packet prepared |
99-110 |
97-157 |
| Cowpeas, cooked,½cup |
106 |
80 |
| White beans, canned,½cup |
96 |
153 |
| Kale, cooked from frozen,½cup |
90 |
20 |
| Okra, cooked from frozen,½cup |
88 |
26 |
| Soybeans, mature, cooked,½cup |
88 |
149 |
| Blue crab, canned, 3 oz |
86 |
84 |
| Beet greens, cooked from fresh,½cup |
82 |
19 |
| Pak-choi, Chinese cabbage, cooked from fresh,½cup |
79 |
10 |
| Clams, canned, 3 oz |
78 |
126 |
| Dandelion greens, cooked from fresh,½cup |
74 |
17 |
| Rainbow trout, farmed, cooked, 3 oz |
73 |
144 |
Food Sources of Calcium
Food Sources of Calcium ranked by milligrams of calcium per standard amount; also calories in the standard amount. (All are≥20% of AI for adults 19-50, which is 1,000 mg/day.)
| Food, Standard Amount |
Calcium (mg) |
Calories |
| Plain yogurt, non-fat (13 g protein/8 oz), 8-oz container |
452 |
127 |
| Romano cheese, 1.5 oz |
452 |
165 |
| Pasteurized process Swiss cheese, 2 oz |
438 |
190 |
| Plain yogurt, low-fat (12 g protein/8 oz), 8-oz container |
415 |
143 |
| Fruit yogurt, low-fat (10 g protein/8 oz), 8-oz container |
345 |
232 |
| Swiss cheese, 1.5 oz |
336 |
162 |
| Ricotta cheese, part skim,½cup |
335 |
170 |
| Pasteurized process American cheese food, 2 oz |
323 |
188 |
| Provolone cheese, 1.5 oz |
321 |
150 |
| Mozzarella cheese, part-skim, 1.5 oz |
311 |
129 |
| Cheddar cheese, 1.5 oz |
307 |
171 |
| Fat-free (skim) milk, 1 cup |
306 |
83 |
| Muenster cheese, 1.5 oz |
305 |
156 |
| 1% low-fat milk, 1 cup |
290 |
102 |
| Low-fat chocolate milk (1%), 1 cup |
288 |
158 |
| 2% reduced fat milk, 1 cup |
285 |
122 |
| Reduced fat chocolate milk (2%), 1 cup |
285 |
180 |
| Buttermilk, low-fat, 1 cup |
284 |
98 |
| Chocolate milk, 1 cup |
280 |
208 |
| Whole milk, 1 cup |
276 |
146 |
| Yogurt, plain, whole milk (8 g protein/8 oz), 8-oz container |
275 |
138 |
| Ricotta cheese, whole milk,½cup |
255 |
214 |
| Blue cheese, 1.5 oz |
225 |
150 |
| Mozzarella cheese, whole milk, 1.5 oz |
215 |
128 |
| Feta cheese, 1.5 oz |
210 |
113 |
