Got milk? If not, get something else. Dairy foods provide about 300 mg calcium per 1 cup serving. If lactose intolerance, allergies or personal preference steer you away from dairy foods, choose a substitute such as calcium-fortified soy milk, oat milk or rice milk.

We absorb calcium from some foods better than from others. For example, while spinach may be high in calcium, the human body does not readily assimilate it. Milk is generally the standard for comparison of calcium absorption in foods. This chart includes foods in which calcium is absorbed as well or better than calcium from milk.

— G.V.

Food

Serving Size

Calcium per Serving

Chinese cabbage

¹/₂ cup

239 mg

Bok choy

¹/₂ cup

80 mg

Kale

¹/₂ cup

61 mg

Turnip greens

¹/₂ cup

99 mg

Mustard greens

¹/₂ cup

212 mg

Tofu (calcium-set)

¹/₂ cup

258 mg

Cheddar cheese

1.5 oz

303 mg

Broccoli

1 cup

70 mg

Yogurt

1 cup

300 mg

Soy milk*

1 cup

300 mg

Fruit juice*

1 cup

300 mg

Milk (low-fat)

1 cup

300 mg

*calcium-fortified

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999, vol. 70