Vegetables High in Calcium

Including calcium rich vegetables and fruits is crucial for maintaining healthy bones and cardiovascular system. The list of vegetables high in calcium includes cabbage, broccoli, kale, turnip greens, spinach and okra amongst others. Read on to find out more...

Calcium is one of the essential minerals, responsible for maintaining healthy teeth, bones and cardiovascular system. Our body lose calcium during perspiration, urination and defecation. Thus, consuming fruits and vegetables high in calcium is a must to balance its level in the body. Lack of this mineral nutrient in the body may cause medical conditions, like weakened bones, blood clotting problem and blockage of blood vessels. As per medical research, calcium deficiency symptoms are manifested at a higher rate in women. For avoiding of the same, one should eat sufficient amount of calcium rich foods.

List of Vegetables Rich in Calcium

On an average, a healthy adult requires 700-1,000 mg calcium on a daily basis. In order to meet this recommended dietary allowance (RDA), make a point to incorporate foods that contain high amounts of calcium. At the mention of calcium rich foods, the first thing that comes to our mind is dairy based food items. Many of us are not aware about the natural sources of calcium, like fruits and vegetables. For your reference, the following is a list of vegetables high in calcium.

Turnip Greens: Cooked turnip greens yields about 200 mg of calcium in Ѕ cup serving. It also provides folate, vitamin, dietary fiber, copper and potassium. You can add slices of turnip and chopped turnip greens in mixed vegetable salads.

Cabbage: Cabbage and others vegetables belonging to the Brassicaceae family lead the list of high calcium foods. As per vegetable nutrition fact, cabbage (outside greens) is found to contain high amount of calcium (about 190 mg per Ѕ cup serving) than other veggies.

Broccoli: Broccoli is another healthy vegetable, loaded with vitamins, calcium, selenium and dietary fiber. The amount of calcium in Ѕ cup serving of broccoli is 33 mg. Purchase fresh spears and cook for the right time to reap health benefits of broccoli.

Kale: Consuming Ѕ cup of cooked kale yields 100 mg of calcium. Besides, this mineral, it is a good source of proteins, vitamin, magnesium and iron. Another health benefit of kale is in lowering blood cholesterol, provided that it is consumed after steaming.

Bok Choy: Consumed in raw or boiled form, bok choy is one of the healthy vegetables high in calcium. Serving Ѕ cup of raw shredded bok choy is equivalent to having 37 mg calcium, while consuming the same amount after boiling provides 79 mg calcium.

Spinach: Best consumed by boiling or steaming, do not overcook spinach to conserve maximum nutrients in the dishes. Serving Ѕ cup of cooked spinach is sufficient to give 125 mg calcium. However, due to high amount of oxalate, absorption of calcium is lesser.

Dandelion Greens: In Ѕ cup of raw dandelion green, you get about 52 mg of calcium. Serving the same amount of boiled dandelion greens provides about 74 mg of calcium mineral. Also, this calcium enriched food contains high percentage of vitamin, folate dietary fiber, magnesium and phosphorus.

Carrot: This colorful root vegetable is a rich source of beta carotene and calcium along with other nutrients. Drink 1 cup fresh carrot juice and you will get 57 mg calcium out of it. Or else, add raw carrots in salads or consume steam carrots.

Collard Greens: Included in the list of vegetables high in calcium, collard greens are appreciated for their cholesterol lowering and cancer preventing health benefits. Consuming Ѕ cup of boiled collard greens gives 133 mg of calcium. In order to stay healthy, include collard greens (serving amount 1-1 Ѕ cups) 2-3 times per week.

Swiss Chard: This green leafy vegetable contains low calories and provides some of the essential nutrients, like vitamin C, B complex vitamins, beta carotene and minerals. With reference to food and nutrition data, consuming Ѕ cup pf boiled swiss chard gives 51 mg calcium.

Artichoke: Whether you add raw artichoke or boiled artichoke, it is one of the good sources of calcium. According to nutrition reports, 1 fresh artichoke is sufficient to give as much as 56 mg calcium, while serving the same in boiled form provides 54 mg calcium.

Celery: Celery is best consumed raw in salads or cooked form. This low calorie green vegetable is a rich source of lutein, potassium and calcium. Serving 1 cup of raw celery yields 41 mg calcium. To reap maximum benefits, consume fresh celery in raw form.

Kelp: Kelp is loaded with healthy nutrients, including vitamin, amino acids, dietary fiber, calcium and many other minerals. This food high in calcium provides 68 mg of the mineral per Ѕ cup serving amount. Including kelp in the diet increases the stamina, and reduces the risk for high cholesterol and hypothyroidism.

Other Vegetables: In addition to the above mentioned vegetables high in calcium, others veggies that contain high amount of the mineral include okra, lettuce, sweet onion, pea, green pepper, rutabagas, pumpkin, scallions, soybeans, sweet potato, wasabi, watercress and beet greens.

So, this was a brief information about the list of vegetables high in calcium. You can also devour fruits high in calcium like orange, papaya, watermelon, etc. It is to be noted that adding foods high in calcium in the regular diet plan is the easiest way to ensure good health, rather than relying on dietary formulations. For deficiency cases, the doctor may prescribe calcium supplements in specific doses for a particular period.