How to get enough calcium on a plant-based diet (and why you need it)

Calcium is a key mineral for bone & tooth health, but not only! It plays an essential role in a lot of body functions and contrary to popular belief, it is present in many non-dairy foods. Here’s how much calcium you need daily and how to find it when following a vegan diet.

Why do we need calcium?

Our body is unable to produce calcium but absolutely needs this mineral to function properly and keep us healthy, which is we have to get it from our diet.

Body functions

Calcium is mainly known for its key role in maintaining strong, dense bones as well as keeping our teeth healthy.

But calcium is also needed for a lot of your body’s essential functions, such as blood circulation, hormone release and muscle contraction.

How much calcium do we need?

The Reference Daily Intake (RDI) is 1,000 mg per day for adults under 50 (1,200 mg over 50). Children require around 1,300 mg per day.

Calcium and vitamin D

In order to be able to absorb calcium, we need to be getting enough vitamin D. Sunshine being the best source of Vitamin D, it is highly recommended to take a daily vitamin D supplement if you don’t live in a tropical country. Living in England, I take these Vitamin D drops every morning.

Getting enough calcium on a plant-based diet

We grew up with the idea that we need to drink cow milk and eat cheese to get enough calcium. The truth is, dairy products are far from being the only ones providing us with this essential mineral. It is indeed found in many different plants.

Calcium-rich plant-based foods

Soy foods

Soy beans (including edamame beans) and foods made from soy beans, such as tofu and tempeh are great calcium sources.

Beans & chickpeas

These legumes are staples in a plant-based diet and help you hit your daily calcium requirements. The highest in calcium are white & navy beans (13% RDI per portion), black beans (11%), chickpeas (9%). Although containing a lower amount of calcium, a portion of lentils provides 4% of your RDI.

Nuts

Almonds are the richest in calcium, providing nearly 100 mg per 35g (10% RDI), followed by Brazil nuts (6%). All other nuts do contain small amounts of calcium (around 2-3% RDI per serving). Incorporating walnuts, hazelnuts or macadamia nuts can help you top up your calcium intake.

Tahini

Did you know that tahini (sesame butter) is a better source of calcium than sesame seeds? Yes! 13% per 2 tablespoons versus 2% per 20g of seeds. One more reason to use tahini in your dressings or even for baking. Check out my tahini cookie recipe.

Chia and flax seeds

These seeds provide a lot of nutrients including calcium. Adding two tablespoons of these seeds to your porridge, granola or salad will bump up your daily calcium intake by 5%.

Interested in finding out more about other nutrients? Check out this blog post on how to get enough iron from plant foods and this post about hitting your omega-3 requirements on a vegan diet.

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