Milk is a Calcium Champion but There are Many Alternatives
Milk is a well known source of calcium, but fortunately for people with allergic reactions to it, or who simply want a different taster experience, the healthful alternatives are plentiful, health experts say.
| 06 Jun 2026 | 10:45
Japanese silky tofu can serve as a way to capture calcium for consumers who for allergy reasons or simple taste preferences do not want to get the healthful benefits via standard cow’s milk. (
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Milk is mighty rich in calcium which builds and supports bones and teeth, muscles nerves, and hormones. But for people with serious food allergies or who simply don’t like the taste, there are fortunately plenty of ways to capture the same calcium-rich benefits of milk from other foods.
Two weeks ago, clinical dietitian Christina Manian gave Health.com a list of alternatives for people whose bodies cannot digest lactose (the sugar in milk) or who are allergic to casein (its primary protein) or just plain don’t like cow juice.
To be sure, the benefits of milk are many: one 8-ounce cup delivers 300 milligrams, about one-third the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adult men and women. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine says that is enough to prevent–but not cure–a national deficiency.
But if looking for alternatives due to allergies or simple taste preferences, that are alternatives that can pack nearly as big a wallop when it comes to delivering wholesome benefits.
Topping Manian’s list of substitutes: firm Tofu with 506 mg calcium in one 8-ounce cup. That’s a generous 200 mg more than the 300 mg in one cup of whole, 2 percent, or skim milk from a cow. How come the same amount in all three? As the Science Insights website explains, most people think removing fat lowers calcium. It doesn’t: during and after processing, the calcium stays in the liquid portion. Another healthful drink: calcium-fortified orange juice with 349 mg calcium per cup.
Nuts and seeds are also nifty. A cup of almonds has 363 mg calcium plus dietary fiber, protein, and vitamin E to support immune, tissue, gut, and heart health. Three ounces of Tahini (ground sesame seeds), a spread similar to nut butters, easily adds 363 mg calcium to toast. Four tablespoons of small black and white Chia Seeds tosses about 333 mg calcium plus notable amounts of antioxidants., protein, and dietary fiber into smoothies, salads, pancakes and such.
Beans are a bit more complicated. Raw, green soybeans pack an average 505 mg calcium per cup but the required 2-step prep, first soaking the beans and then boiling them, replaces some solid bean stuff with water so it takes about 10 ounces of cooked beans to match a cup of milk. The same math applies to cannellini and Navy beans. approximately 55-47 mg per half cup raw but boiling drops both by a third. Naturally, green is also good. Cooked collard greens count calcium at 402 mg in a cup-and a half. As with other leafy veggies, collards also deliver Vitamins C and K plus the pigment beta-carotene to support blood clotting, immunity, and eye health.
And Dr. M says don’t forget fish, particularly the handy measured tins of sardines and salon. Sardines are packed tight in the tins along with their bones, so one 3.75 ounce can deliver 351 mg calcium. A 6-ounce can of salmon has about 10 more, for 361 mg of calcium and both have heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and vitamin D.
The surprise food on the list is yogurt which some folks who can’t drink milk have no problem digesting because the live and active cultures in yogurt produce lactase, an enzyme which helps to break down lactose in the digestive tract giving the body more time to process the remaining lactose and profit from the 488 mg calcium per cup in regular yogurt.