[Rosinante]

Once Lent starts on Wednesday, I'm going non-dairy but I don't want to get calcium-depleted.
What can I eat (besides a calcium supplement) to compensate?
I'd appreciate any help.
Thanks.

[Daimere]

Soy milk, rice drink, almond breeze. I think spinach is full of calcium.

[Tai]

I agree with the spinach recommendation. I think both black beans and navy beans are proteins with some calcium. In terms of veggies, both rhubarb and collards are a bit higher in calcium than most other veggies if you like them.

Although not a food, orange juice has some calcium as well.

[Fat Chick B Gone]

Any OJ or non-dairy milk that's fortified with calcium, tofu, any dark and leafy veggie and some grains.

I recommend doing an internet search on "vegan sources of calcium" which will give you oodles of ideas for non-animal derived sources of calcium. I like this reference.

[Macomom]

Canned Salmon - three ounces of canned salmon contain 181 mg calcium. Salmon also is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.
I put canned salmon in my food processor and give it a whirl to pulverize the little bones (the tricky ones that are really hard to get out), throw in a touch of mayo, some dill etc and voila!

[murphmitch]

The calcium in spinach is poorly absorbed, probably because of the high concentration of oxalate. Studies show that kale, a low-oxalate vegetable, is a good source of bioavailable calcium. Kale is a member of the same family that includes broccoli, turnip greens, collard greens and mustard greens. These low-oxalate, calcium-rich vegetables are likely to be better sources of available calcium.

Also canned sardines and salmon are excellent sources as well as beans and almonds. Many foods are calcium fortified: orange juice, cereals, breads, soy milk.

[nelie]

I don't eat dairy and haven't in well over a year...

Here is a good source on high calcium sources
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm

Also if you do eat spinach, make sure that you also have some form of citrus with it. Citrus helps make some of the nutrients more bioavailable in spinach. I read that somewhere but unsure where

Here is another site I found:
http://vegkitchen.com/tips/calcium.htm

Plant-Based Powerhouses

Many plant-based foods are rich in calcium (and many are also excellent sources of protein; see Chapter 5). In the leafy green vegetable category, you have many choices, including spinach, collards, kale, Swiss chard, lettuces, rhubarb, mustard and turnip greens, and even broccoli.

Soy foods have naturally occurring calcium and are also often enriched to further increase the calcium amount. Calcium-rich soy products include soy milk, nondairy cheeses, tofu, okara, tempeh, and veggie burgers and other mock meats, just to name a few. In cereals and grains, calcium can be found in quinoa, amaranth, corn, wheat, and brown rice. And you might be surprised to learn that many sea vegetables, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and even blackstrap molasses all contain significant amounts of calcium.

Quinoa—a surprising source of calcium

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is an ancient grain that has made a comeback in recent years. Its popularity is due in part to the fact that 1 cooked cup quinoa contains as much calcium as an entire quart of dairy milk!

A small sampling of vegan foods that are high in calcium:

* 1 cup hijiki — 648 milligrams
* 1 cup tofu — 516 milligrams
* 1 cup cooked collard greens — 358 milligrams
* 1 1/2 cups calcium-fortified oatmeal — 326 milligrams
* 1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice — 270 milligrams
* 10 medium figs — 270 milligrams
* 1 cup cooked spinach — 244 milligrams
* 1 cup cooked white beans — 160 milligrams

[Suzanne 3FC]

Broccoli

[WVUFan86]

As someone that does not choose to go non-dairy (i'm allergic ) I give you so many props. It's hard to go non-dairy when you look at everything that has milk in it. You go!

[Fat Chick B Gone]

It's really not hard to avoid at all if you eat a largely whole foods diet and read labels I've not had problems avoiding it at all.

[nelie]

Yeah I haven't had an issue avoiding dairy. I read labels, there are only 2 things that I eat regularly in which I have to choose my brands carefully. Bread as some bread has whey in it but most whole grain breads I've found don't and also chocolate but I've found plenty of brands that don't have milk products in them.

[Kae]

I'm lactose intolerant as well so I know the pain... thanks for the ideas.

[thinpossible]

If you like fish, canned sardines have a lot of calcium. 3 have about 25% of RDA of calcium.