Calcium content varies depending on
ingredients for many foods. That means a food may have a little
more or a little less calcium than what is listed on this
chart. This is because different brands sometimes have slightly
different ingredients. Check food
labels to see how much calcium is in different foods.
Choose fat-free or low-fat versions of these foods most often.
Aim for 1,300 milligrams or 130% of the daily
value (DV) everyday.* Add
it up!
| Food |
Portion |
Calcium |
| Milligrams |
%DV* |
| Plain, fat-free yogurt |
1 cup |
450 |
45 |
| Grilled cheese sandwich** |
1 sandwich |
371 |
40 |
| American cheese |
2 ounces |
348 |
35 |
| Ricotta cheese, part skim |
1/2 cup |
337 |
35 |
| Fruit yogurt |
1 cup |
315 |
30 |
| Cheddar cheese |
1 1/2 ounces |
305 |
30 |
| Milk (fat free or low fat) |
1 cup |
300 |
30 |
| Orange juice with added calcium |
1 cup |
300 |
30 |
| Soy beverage with added calcium |
1 cup |
250–300 |
25–30 |
| Mozzarella cheese, part skim, low moisture |
1 ounce |
207 |
20 |
| Tofu (with calcium sulfate on ingredient
list) |
1/2 cup |
204 |
20 |
| Waffle, homemade with milk, 7-inch |
1 |
191 |
20 |
| Macaroni and cheese |
1/2 cup |
180 |
20 |
| Collards, boiled, frozen |
1/2 cup |
179 |
20 |
| English muffin, whole wheat |
1 |
175 |
20 |
| Rice beverage, with added calcium |
1 cup |
150–300 |
15–30 |
| Pudding, made with milk — chocolate,
vanilla, lemon, banana |
1/2 cup |
147–160 |
15 |
| Cheese pizza |
1 slice |
111–147 |
11–15 |
| Collards, boiled |
1/2 cup |
118 |
10 |
| Frozen yogurt (fat free or low fat) |
1/2 cup |
105 |
10 |
| Broccoli, cooked or fresh |
1 cup |
90 |
10 |
| Kale, boiled |
1/2 cup |
90 |
10 |
| Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried |
1 tablespoon |
88 |
10 |
| Ice cream |
1/2 cup |
84 |
8 |
| Bok choy, cooked or fresh |
1/2 cup |
80 |
8 |
| Cottage cheese, 2% fat |
1/2 cup |
78 |
8 |
| Almonds, dry roasted |
1 ounce |
71 |
8 |
| White bread |
2 slices |
70 |
8 |
| Cottage cheese, 1% fat |
1/2 cup |
69 |
6 |
| French toast, made with milk |
1 slice |
65 |
6 |
| Oatmeal, instant with added calcium |
1 packet |
100 |
11 |
| Cereal with added calcium |
1 ounce |
300 |
30 |
| Milk, Lactose Reduced |
1 cup |
300 |
30 |
* % DV = % of Daily Value used on food labels. The
Daily Value for calcium is 1,000 milligrams (mg). 5% DV
or less of a nutrient is low; 20% DV or more is high. Label
values are rounded. Visit the KidsHealth
and FDA
Web sites to read more about food labels.
** Using 2 slices of white bread, 1 1/2 ounces cheese, nonstick
cooking spray.
Sources: American Dietetic Association's Complete
Food and Nutrition Guide, by Roberta Larson Duyff, Chronimed
Publishing, 1996; Bowes and Church's Food Values of Portions
Commonly Used, revised by Jean A.T. Pennington, Lippincott-Raven
Publishers, 1998; USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
(Release 14, 2001); Imagine Foods Rice Dream and Pacific
Foods.
Sources: United States Department of Health and Human
Services, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005,
Appendix B - Food Sources of Selected Nutrients: Appendix
B-4: Non-Dairy Food Sources of Calcium.
Sources: Bone Health and Osteoporosis, A Report
of the Surgeon General, 2004, Chapter 7: Lifestyle Approaches
to Promote Bone Health, Table 7-2: Selected Food Sources
of Calcium, pg 161.
Note: % Daily Value numbers are often rounded.
That means the %DV numbers may not be the exact value.
Rounded numbers are easier to work with. Numbers that end
in 1 through 4 are generally rounded to the next lower number
that ends in 0. For example 74 rounded to the nearest ten
would be 70. Numbers that end in a digit of 5 or more are
generally rounded up to the next even ten. For instance
the number 88 rounded to the nearest ten would be 90.
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