Sources of Nutrients – Food Sources of Calcium

Food Sources of Calcium

All foods listed in this chart are ≥ 20% (200 milligrams) of the Daily Value (DV) of 1000 milligrams (mg) for calcium.  The DVs are used on the Food and Drug Administration’s Nutrition Facts Label and is based on a 2000 calorie diet.  A food that contains 200 mg. or more of calcium contributes a substantial amount of calcium to the diet and is used here to define a good source.

Food Item Serving Size* Calcium (Mg)
Yogurt, plain, skim milk 8-oz container 452
Yogurt, plain, low fat 8-oz container 415
Yogurt, fruit, low fat 8-oz container 345
Cheese, ricotta, part skim milk ½ cup 335
Milk, nonfat, fluid 1 cup 306
Milk, fluid, 2% milkfat 1 cup 285
Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat 1 cup 276
Yogurt, plain, whole milk 8-oz container 275
Cheese, ricotta, whole milk ½ cup 255
Cheese, includes cheddar, mozzarella (part-skim),  muenster and provolone 1 oz 204 – 214
Cereal, ready-to-eat, fortified 1 oz 236 – 1043

Other Food Sources of Calcium

All foods listed in this chart contain less than 200 milligrams of calcium.  When these foods are used in combination with foods high in calcium and/or other foods in this list, they can assist in reaching the nutrition standard for calcium.

Food Item Serving Size* Calcium (Mg)
Collards, frozen, chopped, cooked boiled, drained ½ cup 179
Cornbread, prepared from recipe, made with low fat (2%) milk 1 piece (2 oz) 162
Spinach, frozen, boiled, cooked, drained ½ cup 146
Soybeans, green, cooked, boiled, drained ½ cup 131
Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, 2 tbsp 128
Turnip greens, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained ½ cup 125
Fish, salmon, pink, canned, solids with bone and liquid 2 oz 119
Cowpeas (Blackeyes), immature seeds (not dried) cooked, boiled, drained ½ cup 106
Food Item Serving Size* Calcium (Mg)
Frozen yogurt, soft-serve ½ cup 103
Cereal, oats, instant, fortified, plain, prepared with water 1 packet 99
English muffins, plain, enriched, with calcium propionate 1 muffin 99
Beans, white, mature seeds, canned ½ cup 91
Kale, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained ½ cup 90
Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained ½ cup 89
Soybeans, mature, cooked, boiled ½ cup 88
Ice cream, vanilla ½ cup 84
Cabbage, Chinese (pak-choi), cooked, boiled, drained ½ cup 79
Cheese, processed, American 1 oz 78
Waffles, plain, frozen, ready-to-eat 1 waffle (33 g) 77
Fish, ocean perch, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat 2 oz 76
Cereal, cream of wheat, regular, cooked with water 2/3 cup 75
Beans, baked, canned, with pork and tomato sauce ½ cup 71
Dandelion greens, cooked, boiled, drained ½ cup 71
Cheese, cottage, creamed ½ cup 70
Nuts, almonds 1 oz (24 nuts) 70

Reference:  Adapted from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17.