If you are looking for non-dairy sources of Calcium, you are at the right place! A common belief is that Calcium is available only in milk, cheese or other animal-based products. However, this is so far from the truth! There are many vegetables which offer high amounts of Calcium, required to meet your dietary requirements. Including leafy greens, legumes and different other Calcium rich vegetables in your diet can not only support good bone health but also provide your body with many vital nutrients. In this article, we shall understand a little more in detail about the importance of calcium and check out some of the vegetables high in Calcium.
What Is Calcium?
Calcium is an important mineral to maintain the health of bones, teeth and blood. It is the most abundantly found compound in the body, with the bones comprises of 90% of Calcium. For the body to absorb Calcium, Vitamin D is very important, which can gain from supplements and sunlight. There are many foods in the market that are rich in calcium. The chief sources of calcium are dairy products like milk, cheese, butter and yoghurt. Other non-dairy sources include seafood, vegetables, fruits, tofu and fortified food.
What Is The Role Of Calcium In The Body?
Calcium ensures your bones strong by maintaining their density. Especially in aged people, Calcium can prevent bones from getting brittle, thereby reducing the chances of breakages and fractures. This mineral also plays a crucial role in blood coagulation and the regulation of muscle contractions. Calcium is also needed for the production of many important enzymes needed for good muscle strength. It is important to note that Calcium absorption is high only until 25-30 years of age. Beyond this age, you are very likely to be at risk of osteoporosis or bone fractures, as Calcium absorption gets low.
How Much Of Calcium Do You Need?
The requirements of Calcium per day varies with gender and age groups. This breakup can help you understand it in detail:
- Ages 1 – 3 Years – 700 mg/day
- Ages 4 – 8 Years – 1,000 mg/day
- Ages 9 – 50 years – 1000 mg -1300 mg/day
- Ages 51 – 70 Years (Male) – 1000 mg/day
- Ages 51 – 70 Years (Female) – 1200 mg/day
- Breast-feeding or Pregnant Women – 1000 mg/day
High Calcium Vegetables List In India:
Now that you have understood the importance of calcium, let’s understand which vegetables have Calcium along with how much Calcium in each vegetable. Intake of these vegetables with Calcium can ensure better functionality of your organs, along with a strengthened skeletal system. Below are the 18 best calcium vegetables.
1. Collard Greens:
Bones form one of the most vital structures in our body. Hence keeping them filled with calcium is extremely necessary. Collard greens are a rich source of Vitamin A and contain good proportions of calcium as well. Proper intake of this vegetable can provide our body with good sources of calcium. One cup of collard greens contains more than 350 milligrams of calcium.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 52.5 mg or 5 % DV
- Total Calories: 10.8
- How To Include In Your Diet: Stir Fry, Salads.
2. Kale:
Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables containing calcium along with other valuable minerals and natural elements. The calcium content in Kale is absorbable. This vegetable has 45 distinct varieties of flavonoids and will serve you with antioxidant benefits. This is one of the high in calcium vegetables along with other nutrients.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 90.5 mg or 9 % DV
- Total Calories: 33.5
- How To Include In Your Diet: Stir Fry, Salads.
3. Broccoli:
Broccoli comes with good amounts of protein and calcium. These vegetables can provide your body with a number of mineral and valuable elements which will help you grow. Broccoli comes with dietary fibre, folate and vitamins such as A, C and K along with 75 milligrams (per cup) of calcium. No other vegetables are high in calcium like this Broccoli.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 31.4 mg or 3 % DV
- Total Calories: 19.9
- How To Include In Your Diet: Stir Fry, Salads. Soups.
4. Spinach:
This is another protein and calcium rich vegetable which should be consumed daily. Spinach is an incredibly useful vegetable which contains about 6 milligrams of calcium per cup. This vegetable can boost your immunity quickly because of the contents of useful vitamins such as A, K, etc. Spinach also comes with sufficient amounts of manganese.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 29.7 mg or 3 % DV
- Total Calories: 6.9
- How To Include In Your Diet: Salads, Soups, Stir Fry.
5. Turnip Greens:
The green portions of turnip are rich in calcium. One cup of chopped turnip greens contains about 105 milligrams of calcium. These vegetables are very good for health and can provide you with good quality proteins and vitamins. Most of the people prefer this vegetable for cooking which is high in calcium along with some other healthy vitamins.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 105 mg or 10 % DV
- Total Calories: 17.6
- How To Include In Your Diet: Stir-Fry, Curries and Dal.
See More: Calcium-Rich Foods In India
6. Soybeans:
Soybeans come with 175 milligrams of calcium per cup serving. However, people suffering from certain diseases cannot eat this food as they might be harmful to your health. Only 100 % organic soybean will be healthy for you. This is one of the best vegetables high in calcium.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 241 mg or 24 % DV
- Total Calories: 776
- How To Include In Your Diet: Curry, Soups, Tofu.
7. Garlic:
Garlic is good for health and is necessary for adding a little taste to a number of dishes. When it comes to calcium, garlic contains about 5 milligrams of calcium per clove which is equal to 181 milligrams of calcium of per 100-gram serving. This is one of the excellent calcium-rich vegetables.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 246 mg or 25 % DV
- Total Calories: 203
- How To Include In Your Diet: Seasoning, Curries and Garlic Oil.
8. Arugula:
Arugula contains about 3.2 milligrams of calcium per cup. Arugula is the healthiest food also. This contains vitamins, antioxidants and minerals are very helpful to health. This food has low calories which can be digested easily. This is one of the ideal vegetables rich in calcium.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 3.2 mg or 1 % DV
- Total Calories: 0.5
- How To Include In Your Diet: Salads, Stir-Fry.
9. Okra:
Okra comes with good proportions of calcium and is one of the best sources among the list of Calcium rich vegetables. This vegetable contains 177 milligrams of calcium (in one sliced cup) which is also equal to 96 milligrams of calcium per 100 grams serving. Many Indian people use this high in calcium vegetables regularly in their recipes.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 8.1 mg or 8 % DV
- Total Calories: 31
- How To Include In Your Diet: Curries, Stir-Fry, Roasted Okra, Chips.
10. Watercress:
Watercress is one such amazing vegetable that is very good for the body when it comes to providing excellent calcium intakes that are very effective towards strengthening your bones. One of the best things about watercress is that you can easily just include it into your diet at any point in time and enjoy the results that it has to offer quite effectively. Watercress can be easily found at any departmental store or wholesale food market at affordable prices so there is nothing to worry about when looking for high octane calcium rich vegetables.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 40.8 mg or 4 % DV
- Total Calories: 3.7
- How To Include In Your Diet: Salads.
11. Mustard Greens:
Though this a seasonal vegetable eating it at the right time will easily provide for you all the additional calcium that you need so as to lead a healthy life. You can purchase mustard greens from any departmental store at affordable prices and it can be incorporated into your diet on a daily basis with no hiccups. Enjoy mustard greens as a part of your main course on a daily basis to enjoy a very appropriate intake of calcium for the development of your body.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 57.7 mg or 6 % DV
- Total Calories: 14.6
- How To Include In Your Diet: Stir Fry, Curries.
12. Beet Greens:
This normally refers to the leaves of the beetroot which obviously can be enjoyed as a very nutritious food source especially when it comes to calcium intake for the body. You can add it as a top of to any good dish or even make a very tasty dish out of it itself for the most desired effect. So, enjoy beet greens today by purchasing it from any well-established departmental store in the country for calcium sources vegetarian.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 44.5 mg or 4 % DV
- Total Calories: 8.4
- How To Include In Your Diet: Stir-Fry, Salads.
See More: Calcium-Rich Fruits In India
13. Bok Choy:
A famous Chinese vegetable Bok Choy or Pak Choi can be cooked very fast and tastes absolutely brilliant with a dash of garlic and olive oil. Enjoy Pak Choi at least once a day for the most desired results. It is a part of high calcium vegetables which is exactly what your body needs when you are looking for something to help balance the calcium levels in your body.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 74 mg or 5 % DV
- Total Calories: 9
- How To Include In Your Diet: Stir-Fry, Salads, Soups.
14. Spring Onions:
One of the best garnishes in the book spring onions are a very strong source of vegetables rich in calcium as well and the fact that you can eat this vegetable raw provides for a direct provision of strong calcium to your body.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 72 mg or 7 % DV
- Total Calories: 32
- How To Include In Your Diet: Stir-Fry, Salads, Soups.
15. Leek:
Leek is also a kind of spinach that would taste great when cooked with olive oil ginger and garlic. It is one of the world’s foremost calcium provisions vegetables making it the last on the list of calcium rich vegetables but not the least.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 52.5 mg or 5 % DV
- Total Calories: 54.3
- How To Include In Your Diet: Stir-Fry, Salads, Soups.
16. Butternut Squash:
Butternut squash is another low-calorie vegetable, which offers good amounts of calcium. Along with that, this nutritious veggie contains high amounts of important vitamins like B6 and many vital minerals like potassium that strengthen our bones and muscles. This is also wonderful for strengthening our immune system, treating digestive disorders and improving the overall functionality of organs.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 84 mg or 6 % DV
- Total Calories: 82
- How To Include In Your Diet: Roasted Squash, Puree and Soups.
17. Sweet Potatoes:
Sweet potatoes are laden with health benefits and are a wonderful source of natural Calcium. They also contain high amounts of Potassium, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin C and many other important nutrients. Sweet potato is healthier than a normal potato in terms of low-carbohydrates, low-calories. Being anti-oxidant rich, it can help in reducing cell damage.
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 77 mg or 6 % DV
- Total Calories: 258
- How To Include In Your Diet: Fries, Boiled, Puree, Salads.
See More: Foods For Strong Bones
18. Green Beans:
Green beans are another amazing source of Calcium with about 55 mg in 1 cup serving. These nutritious beans also offer a plethora of health advantages to our body like improved vision, healthy heart and strengthening the immune system. That’s not all! Green beans are loaded with dietary fibre to treat digestive disorders and keep constipation at bay!
- Calcium In 1 Cup: 55 mg
- Total Calories: 31
- How To Include In Your Diet: Stir Fry, Curries.
This list of Calcium rich vegetables is not exhaustive! There are many other vegetables which offer significant amounts of calcium along with other important nutrients. The idea here is to go for a balanced diet, which comprises of a variety of vegetables, fruits and dairy to get the best of all worlds! Along with these servings, be sure to get enough Vit-D for better absorption of calcium. Remember stronger bones, make a stronger you!
