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Healthy Eating: CALCIUM1
Linda B. Bobroff2This document is best viewed as a PDF. It is also available in Spanish as Alimentación Saludable: Calcio.
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Why is calcium important?
Calcium is the major mineral found in our bones and teeth. Many older adults don't get enough calcium from the foods they eat. This can lead to bone loss and the bone disease osteoporosis. Osteoporosis puts people at a high risk for bone fractures.What foods contain calcium?
- Dairy foods (milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream)
- Kale and many other greens
- Romaine lettuce
- Broccoli
- Legumes, like kidney beans and lentils
- Tofu
- Nuts
Good sources of calcium!
Food
Calcium (mg/serving)
Tofu, raw, firm, ½ cup,
(fortified with calcium)
860
Yogurt, lowfat, fruit, 1 cup
300-400
Milk, lowfat, 1 cup
300
Fortified orange juice, ¾ cup
200
Kale, frozen, cooked 1 cup
90
Broccoli, cooked, ½ cup
45
Kidney beans, cooked, ½ cup
30
How much calcium do I need?
The new recommended intake for men and women 51 years of age and older is 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium every day.If you are not getting enough calcium from foods, you may need to take a calcium supplement. Talk to your doctor or dietitian for more information.
Footnotes
1. This fact sheet is FCS8561, one of a series of the Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida, IFAS Extension Services. This leaflet was developed with funding from Florida Department of Elder Affairs, in partnership with state, county, and local agencies. First published: March 2000. Revised: March 2006. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.2. Linda B. Bobroff, PhD, RD, Ld/N, professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultrual Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Leaflet design by Paulina Wittkowsky, MS, RD, formerly with the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.
Copyright Information
This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication.