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How to Get Your Daily Calcium

There may be over 200 bones in the human skeleton, but our bodies don't produce this essential mineral. The recommended daily intake (RDI) of calcium for women over 19 years old is 1,000 mg and we need to make sure we get enough from our diets. If we don't, our bodies will drain calcium from our bones, leading to the dreaded osteoporosis.

New studies show that it's better for your bones to get calcium from the foods you eat, instead of from supplements. So how can you make sure you're getting enough? To see what I ate yesterday to reach my daily calcium goal

Meal Food Calcium (mg)
Breakfast 6 oz. glass of milk 300
1 cup of Kashi GoLean cereal 60
1/2 cup sliced strawberries 0
Lunch 2 slices whole wheat bread 40
1 oz. sliced cheddar cheese 202
4 slices cucumber 4
2 slices tomato 4
1/2 avocado 12
1/4 cup almonds 93
1/3 cup raisins 18
Optional Snack
(for pre-workout)
6 oz. cup of vanilla yogurt 290
Dinner 3 oz. grilled chicken 0
1/2 cup steamed broccoli 31
1 small baked sweet potato 22

It really isn't that hard to get enough calcium. Just make sure to include a variety of dairy products and dark greens veggies in your diet. If you're interested in knowing what other foods contain calcium, check out this list.


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