Alternative Sources of Calcium for Paleo Eaters

Paleo Diet Recommends Calcium-Rich Sources Other Than Milk

 Up until recently, many of us believed that milk is an essential part of our diet mainly because it is a rich source of calcium. The mineral, as we all know, is essential in keeping our bones and teeth health, and in ensuring that our vascular contraction and muscles are functioning well.

When we were children, we used to drink a cold glass of milk every after meal specifically to meet this nutritional need. A glass of milk contains approximately 300 mg of calcium.

Why Paleo Diet Advises Against Milk Intake

As we grew older, many of us shied away from drinking milk for one reason or another. Others stopped drinking milk because they have become either vegans, vegetarians or follow a dairy-free diet, or even just plainly don’t like the taste of milk. Others who follow the Paleo diet also avoid milk.

Paleo diet advocates recommend that we should get calcium from other sources because these are highly insulinotropic. Furthermore, other sources of calcium are rich in other vitamins and nutrients.

It is recommended that adults from 19 to 50 years should have a calcium intake of 1,000 mg daily. If you follow the Paleo diet or if you are looking for an alternative to milk to fulfill your recommended calcium intake, we have listed down the best sources of calcium. Remember to pair these calcium-rich foods with sufficient intake of vitamin D as our body needs this nutrient in order to absorb calcium.

Paleo diet suggests that you also include foods rich in vitamin D, such as fatty fish, to ensure that you absorb sufficient amounts of this vitamin.

Top alternative sources of calcium:  

1. Oranges. This citrus fruit is not only a rich source of vitamin C, each navel orange also contains 60 mg of calcium.

2. Sardines. Each serving of three-ounce sardines, canned in oil with the bones, provides a remarkable 325 mg of calcium. This is equivalent to 33 percent of our daily recommended intake value.

3. Soy Milk. Plain silk variety of soy milk packs as much calcium as skim, two-percent and whole milk counterparts.

4. Sesame Seeds. One ounce of sesame seeds provides 280 mg of calcium.

5. Almonds. An ounce of this tasty nuts gives you with 80 mg of calcium.

6. Salmon. Salmon does not only provide us with healthy fats and proteins, it also is a rich source of calcium. A three-ounce canned salmon with bones provides us with 181 mg of calcium.

7. Yogurt. A serving of an eight-ounce plain, low-fat yogurt already gives us 415 mg of calcium. Is even more than what milk provides, equivalent to 42 percent of our recommended daily intake of the calcium. Paleo diet advocates suggest that you choose plain yogurt since the flavored ones have been added with sugar.

8. Broccoli. A cup of broccoli serves us with 180 mg calcium.

Now that we have established the fact that there are a number of great sources of calcium, now you can fully embrace Paleo diet without reservations.

 

 

Leave a reply

The Paleo Diet - Eat Healthy, Be Healthy, Live Healthy

Paleo Diet Recipes