Posted by Good Health Coach 
Great source of calcium and other vital nutrients
Okay, so we’ve established that you may not need dairy, but you do need calcium. So, without milk, how do we get calcium in our diet?
Let’s answer the question about the non-dairy food that provide more calcium than a glass of milk…..drum roll please……blackstrap molasses?!? What the heck is that? Well, when they refine sugar they basically boil all of the nutrients out of it. The darkest grade of syrup that remains is called blackstrap molasses. The darkest and thickest varieties are full of minerals like calcium, iron and potassium. Basically, it’s all of the stuff they boil out of sugar cane during the sugar refinement process. Two tablespoons of this molasses contains 400mg of calcium. That’s pretty good considering one cup of milk contains 306mg of calcium.
Of course, I’m not suggesting that you drink blackstrap molasses to fulfill your recommended daily allowance of calcium. No, mix it up a bit. So, what are other sources of calcium?
Collard greens are a great source of calcium.
Dark green vegetables are also full of calcium. Most notably is collard greens. One cup of collard greens has been tested and shown to have anywhere from 266mg to 357mg of calcium. Bok choy, kale and dandelion greens are other great sources of calcium. Of course dark green vegetables are also great for iron, especially when eaten with a light starch, which helps iron absorption.
Figs and raisins are other great sources of calcium. These fruits as well as nuts, such as almonds, make great snacks that are filled with calcium. Almond butter is one of my favorites and 2 tablespoons has 86mg of calcium. You can get almond milk, as well. Eight ounces of almond milk packs 200-300mg of calcium, making it a great alternative for milk. Personally, I make my own almond milk and it takes less than a minute and costs a lot less than buying it at the grocery store.
With so many choices available in nature, you can see that getting your recommended 1000-1200mg of calcium a day is not that difficult. There are many great places to find recipes, so my advice is pick a few things that you like that are rich in calcium and find some good recipes to use them. Let’s push that number of people that get their calcium up from 21% to 100%. We just need to eat our fruits and vegetables. Until next time, enjoy good health and dairy-free wellness!
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Thanks for this post Verria! Non-dairy calcium sources are SO important. I love that you took the extra step to include how much calcium we can expect to get from these alternatives.
I have a bottle of blackstrap molasses, just like the one in your picture, in my pantry, and I couldn’t live without it. Molasses is a great addition to recipes that require brown sugar. I also like it in my morning coffee.
Great information, Verria!
Here are a couple of things I do to get these items into my diet… a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses mixed into hot (tea-temperature) water makes a nice warm beverage on a cold morning. As for greens, I like to either mix them into a morning omelet or I’ve found that sauteed greens with some onions and a few slices of organic chicken-apple sausage (optional, in case you’re not a meat eater) and then topped with a tiny sprinkle of balsamic vingear makes a great and filling breakfast.
I’ve found that if I find ways to add greens into your my early in the day, then I don’t have to figure out how to include it all in my evening meal.