Calcium & Food
For most people, making sure they have enough calcium is as simple as having at
least three serves of dairy food each day. Other good sources of calcium are salmon
and sardines (but only if you eat the bones), baked beans, almonds and spinach. The
following table provides a guide to the calcium provided by different foods.
| 250ml calcium enriched milk (355mg) |
100g canned salmon (185mg with bones) |
35g fetta cheese (124mg) |
| 200g tub regular fruit yoghurt (358mg) |
100g canned mackerel (180mg) |
1 medium sized egg (120mg) |
| 200g tub of low fat fruit yoghurt (342mg) |
50g canned sardines or 2 small herrings (150mg) |
1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese (110mg) |
| 250ml of skim milk (318mg) |
10g tablespoon skim milk powder (145mg) |
1 dozen oysters or scallops (105mg) |
| 250ml regular milk (294mg) |
½ cup baked custard or blancmange (145mg) |
½ cup of stewed rhubarb (100mg) |
| 35g cheddar cheese (275mg) |
2 - 3 scoops of ice cream (135mg) |
1 cup baked beans (100mg) |
| |
|
½ cup of spinach or silverbeet (95mg) |
| |
|
5 squares milk chocolate (75mg) |
Note: One serve of dairy food contains 275mg of calcium.
High Calcium Foods - equivalent to 1 - 1½ serves* of dairy food,
Medium Calcium Foods - equivalent to ½ - 1 serve* of dairy food,
Low Calcium Foods - equivalent to ¼ - ½ serve* of dairy food.
As the chart shows dairy products are an ideal source of calcium as well
as containing a number of important nutrients needed for a healthy balanced diet.
