Hello everybody! As the second blogpost in this food guide series, I am going through the different vegan sources of calcium and how to be healthy and well-nourished on a vegan diet. Luckily, it’s flippin’ easy. It should be said that I am not a trained nutritionist, and these are not tips I’ve come up with on my own, I can thank Harvard Department of Health for helping out in that department. These are the guidelines I follow to stay on top of my food game. Staying healthy is the most important thing, and believe it is way easier to live a plant-based lifestyle than most people think.
A study from Harvard University established that the average person’s needs between 700-1000 mg of calcium per day
Many vegetables are high in calcium, and can easily substitute dairy and seafood, which are normally culturally known to be high in calcium. However studies from Harvard University show that these vegetables have an equal amount of calcium, and thus, no need to drink your milk for healthy teeth and bones, no sir.
Let’s start with vegetables. Collard greens have the one of the highest amounts of calcium på ounce. 360 milligrams per 8 ounces. Broccoli has 200 mg, kale has 180 mg, soybeans have 175 and bok choi has 165 per 8 ounces. It sounds like a lot. But eating a little bit of green with each meal will give you what your body requires. I mix a bit in my smoothies, then some in my salad etc.
Many fortified foods also come with an increased amount of calcium. Unsweetened rice milk, as well as almond and soy milk often has a high level of calcium, and to my personal surprise, so does fortified orange juice. Some other foods which calcium levels are great are tofu, tahini and many cereals (some cereals have as much as a whole day’s suggested intake in only 4 ounces).
