By: Debbie Lui
Many of us know that calcium is an essential nutrient but, according to a recent review study, most adults do not meet their daily recommended calcium intake. ¹ While supplementation is always an option, the best way to meet your daily needs is through a diet that incorporates high-calcium foods! We’ve rounded up our 7 favorite foods high in calcium below.
It plays a major role in nerve function, muscle contraction, blood clotting as well as building and keeping our bones strong. Nowadays, people are becoming more health-conscious and pay more attention to what they are eating. While dairy is well-known for its calcium content, not all of us include dairy in our diets which leaves us to wonder what other foods are high in calcium. If that sounds like you, check out this list and the following TLS recipes that incorporate our favorite foods high in calcium!
7 Foods High in Calcium
Tofu
Calcium Content: 800mg per cup
Tofu is made from soybeans which are a great source of calcium, especially for thoe living a plant-based lifestyle! If you are on a high calcium diet, firm tofu could be your best choice since because firm tofu has more calcium than regular soft tofu. Tofu has a bland taste which makes it perfect for recipes since it can be easily combined with other flavorful ingredients! In addition, it is a low-calorie and low- sodium food as well and is an ideal ingredient for weight loss diet!
Almond
Calcium Content: 65mg in a cup
Along with many other types of nuts, almonds pack a lot of nutrition into a small bite! They can be served as snacks, added to smoothies, or served as a crust or topping for your favorite dishes. With its rise in popularity, almond milk has become another way to use almonds as a way to get more calcium. It’s a great milk alternative and can be used in place of milk in your most beloved recipes! Whichever way you prefer your almonds, you can enjoy its nutritional values and health benefits as long as you skip options with added sugars.
Okra
Calcium Content: 200mg in 10 Okra
Okra is one of our favorite go-to vegetables as a food high in calcium. It is a good choice for those who are vegetarian or currently on a detox plan since it offers fiber and nutriends to boot! Okra tastes delicious in various cooking methods, so don’t be afraid to broil, roast, or experiment with your favorite okra dish today!
Figs
Calcium Content: 240mg in a cup
Dark, leafy greens aren’t the only foods high in calcium! Fruits such as figs are also a good source of this essential nutrient. About half a cup of dried figs contain 120mg of calcium, which is almost as much as the calcium content in half cup of milk! Fresh and dried figs can be found very easily in the market, but watch out for the added sugar if you choose the dried option. We love figs on their own but if you are looking for something savory to go with your salad, try adding fresh figs!
Canned Sardine
Calcium Content: 460mg in a can
Besides calcium, canned sardine also is abundant in vitamin B12 and vitamin D, which are beneficial to nerve and skeletal system. If you are looking for a protein source that is also high in calcium, canned sardine is one of your choices. Overall it is very easy to prepare and is a perfect ingredient for your salad or sandwich. For a healthier option, always remember to choose canned sardine in water over sardine in oil.
Sesame
Calcium Content: 975mg in 100g of sesame
Many people are surprised to find that sesame is one of the high-calcium foods, although sesame is usually used for garnishes or seasoning, it can be a great ingredient for a drink like smoothies. Check out our earlier blog post on chocolate sesame smoothie recipe, all you need to do is to blend sesame seeds, skim milk, frozen banana and TLS nutrition shake all together to make a drink. Adding calcium into your diet can be just as easy as this!
Chia Seeds
Calcium Content: 631mg in 100g sesame
Everyone is talking about the super food—chia seeds lately. What is so special about these little seeds? You may find it surprised that chia seeds actually contain five times more calcium than milk! 100 grams of chia seeds contain 631mg of calcium! For those who are vegetarian, it is also a great source for complete protein and omega-3 fatty acids! You can simply add soaked chia seeds in your salad or drinks such as lemon water or shakes!
Did You Know?
Calcium alone is not enough to build strong bone
If you think that calcium is all you need to maintain good bones, you might need to learn more about calcium.
Calcium alone cannot do the job, it needs vitamin D to aid in bone absorption. Vitamin D plays a critical role in maintaining bone health. This is why we often see milk is fortified with vitamin D. Vitamin D takes an important role in encouraging greater calcium absorption into the blood and minimize calcium loss in urine when our bodies are low in calcium. A great source of vitamin D directly forms the sunshine, and food sources of vitamin D include tuna, salmon, liver and egg yolk.²
Exercise helps in preventing osteoporosis.
We know that exercise brings numerous health benefits, and it is good for our cardiovascular system, metabolism, moods and emotion as well as our bone strength. Weight-bearing exercises such as jogging, weightlifting, hiking, or dancing are great activities for making our bone stronger. It is because when we exercise, it puts strain and stress on our bones which causes the bones to retain; and the cells within the bone respond by making the bone stronger and denser.²
Besides dairy products, there are many foods high in calcium! The above-recommended food items are great for anyone who is looking for more food choices to increase their calcium intake in their diets. These food items are very easy to find at the supermarket, and most of them can be found all year long. Be creative with these food items, try adding them to your favorite dishes or drinks. You may create a very special recipe of your own, and most importantly, you can get the calcium you need in your diet! Don’t forget that vitamin D and exercise are needed along together to build healthy and strong bones.
Comment below and share your thoughts with us!
Resources:
- Balk, E. M. et al. “Global Dietary Calcium Intake among Adults: A Systematic Review.” Osteoporosis International 28.12 (2017): 3315–3324. PMC. Web. 7 June 2018.
- School of Public Health, Harvard T.H.Chan. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-and-milk/calcium-full-story/ on June 7th
高鈣食物
By: Debbie Lui
許多人都知道鈣對於我們的健康是不必可少的營養素，它在神經功能，肌肉收縮，凝血以及建立和保持我們的骨骼強壯中起主要作用。雖然如此，根據最近的一項研究顯示，大多數成年人都在日常不能達到鈣攝入量的需求。¹ 有時你可能想知道除了乳製品以外，還有什麼含鈣量高的食物可以選擇。鈣質不是單是牛奶和芝士。 現在，我們越來越注重健康，亦關注飲食。但是，有些人可能不知道應選擇什麼食物來維持營養的飲食。 在這篇文章中，我會跟你們分享奶製品以外的高鈣食物，並會分享一些你可能不知道有關於鈣的資訊。
記住去看看會用到以下食物的TLS食譜！立即與你的家人和朋友分享這篇文章。
1.豆腐
鈣含量：一杯800毫克
豆腐由大豆製成，而大豆是一種高鈣的食物。如果你正在跟隨一個高鈣的飲食計劃，硬豆腐會是你的最佳選擇，因為硬豆腐比普通軟豆腐含有更多的鈣。豆腐味道平淡，可以簡單隨意與其他美味食材配合。此外，它是一種低熱量和低鈉食品，是減重飲食的好食材！
2.杏仁
鈣含量：一杯65毫克
在許多不同的堅果中，杏仁的營養價值最高，它可以作為小食或製成沙律等食譜。杏仁奶由於含鈣量高，也是一種很好的牛奶替代品。無論你喜歡怎樣配合食用，你都可以享受其營養價值和健康益處！
3.秋葵
鈣含量：10秋葵含200毫克
秋葵是含有大量鈣的蔬菜之一。因此，對於素食者或目前正在進行排毒計劃的人來說，這是一個不錯的選擇。用各種烹飪方法烹調秋葵都十分美味，今天嘗試你最喜愛的秋葵菜式！
- 無花果
鈣含量：一杯240毫克
不僅是深綠色蔬菜含有高鈣質，水果例如無花果也是鈣的來源。大約半杯的無花果含有120毫克鈣，幾乎與半杯牛奶中的鈣含量一樣多。新鮮無花果和無花果乾可以很容易地在超市上找到，新鮮的無花果可以配以沙律進食或新鮮進食！如果你正在尋找一個美味可口的沙律食譜，你可以嘗試加入新鮮的無花果！
5.沙丁魚罐頭
鈣含量：１罐裝460mg
除了鈣，罐裝沙丁魚還含有豐富的維生素B12和維生素D，有益於神經和骨骼系統。如果你正在尋找鈣含量高的蛋白質，罐頭沙丁魚是你的選擇之一。總體來說，它很容易準備，是你的沙律或三明治的選擇。要食得更健康，一定要記得選擇水浸沙丁魚，避免油浸沙丁魚罐頭。
6.芝麻
鈣含量：每100克芝麻含975毫克
許多人都會驚訝發現芝麻是高鈣食品之一，雖然芝麻通常用於裝飾或調味，但它可以是用來製奶昔的食材。你可去看看在較早前的朱古力芝麻奶昔食譜，你只需將芝麻籽，脫脂牛奶，冰香蕉和TLS高纖蛋白營養飲品攪拌一起製作飲料即可。在飲食中加添鈣質可以就是這樣簡單！
7.奇亞籽
鈣含量：100克奇亞籽含631毫克
最近，每個人都在討論這個超級食品－奇亞籽。奇亞籽有什麼特別之處？你會驚訝發現奇亞籽實際上比牛奶含有多五倍的鈣！ 100克奇亞籽含有631毫克鈣！對於素食者來說，它也是可以提供完整的蛋白質和奧米加-3脂肪酸的重要來源！你可以簡單地在沙律或飲品中添加浸泡過的奇亞籽，例如：檸檬水或奶昔！
你知道嗎？
1）僅靠鈣是不足以建立強壯的骨骼
如果你認為需要維持骨骼只需耍鈣質，你可能需要了解更多有關鈣質的信息。
單靠鈣質是不能維持骨骼健康，它需要維生素D來幫助骨骼吸收鈣質。維生素D在維持骨骼健康方面起著關鍵作用。這就是為什麼我們經常看到牛奶額外添加維生素D。當我們的身體鈣含量低時，維生素D幫助鈣被吸收進入血液中，並減低鈣在尿液中流失。維生素D的重要來源來自直接陽光，維生素D的食物來源包括金槍魚，三文魚，肝臟和蛋黃。²
2）運動有助預防骨質疏鬆
我們知道運動帶來許多健康益處，對我們的心血管系統，新陳代謝，情緒以及我們的骨骼強度都有好處。負重運動，如慢跑，舉重，行山或跳舞是讓我們的骨骼變得更強壯的重要活動。這是因為當我們運動時，會對我們的骨頭造張力和壓力，使骨骨內的細胞而作出反應，從而使骨骼變得堅固和緻密。
除了乳製品，有許多食物可以為你提供鈣，上述推薦的食物適合任何正在尋找更多的食物選擇的人士來增加他們飲食中的鈣攝入量。這些食品在超市很容易找到，其中大部分都可以全年四季找到。嘗試將這些食物添加到你最喜愛的菜式或飲品中。你可以用你的創意製造個人化的食譜，而最重要的是，你可以在飲食中獲得所需的鈣！不要忘記，維生素D和運動需要一起配合才能建立健康和強壯的骨骼。
在下面留言並與我們分享你的想法！
Resources:
- Balk, E. M. et al. “Global Dietary Calcium Intake among Adults: A Systematic Review.” Osteoporosis International 28.12 (2017): 3315–3324. PMC. Web. 7 June 2018.
- School of Public Health, Harvard T.H.Chan. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-and-milk/calcium-full-story/ on June 7th
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