Most people think of milk as the best source of calcium — and milk is a good source: One 8-ounce glass of 2 percent milk supplies 120 mg of it. But for people who are lactose intolerant, who don’t drink a lot of milk, or who can’t digest cheese, there are excellent calcium-rich ingredients to add to smoothies or to stir into juices.
Here are some foods to use in smoothies or juice to boost your calcium intake:
Almonds: 1 ounce of almonds (approximately 23 nuts) has 75 mg calcium. Add it to smoothies.
Blackstrap molasses: 1 tablespoon has 137 mg of calcium. Stir it into the juice or add it to ingredients in smoothies.
Collard greens: 1 cup of collard greens has 266 mg of calcium. Juice it raw or add it raw or lightly steamed to smoothies.
Kale: 1 cup of boiled kale has 94 mg of calcium. Juice it raw or add it raw or lightly steamed to smoothies.
Papaya: 1 medium papaya has 73 mg of calcium. It’s great juiced or in smoothies.
Sesame seeds: 1/4 cup has 351 mg of calcium. You can add sesame seeds to smoothies.
Spinach: 1 cup of boiled spinach has 245 mg of calcium. Juice it raw or add it raw or lightly steamed to smoothies.
Seaweed: 1 cup of raw kelp has 136 mg of calcium (more than a glass of milk). It’s best rehydrated and used in smoothies.
Tahini: 2 tablespoons raw tahini (sesame seed butter) has 126 mg of calcium. Add it to smoothie ingredients.