How much calcium is in your groceries?

We know that milk is good for our bones, but where else can we get our daily calcium?

Bash them around too much and you may break one or two but, generally, we don’t think too much about our bones, until later in life when we might be diagnosed with osteoporosis. This is where our bones are fragile and can break easily, and it’s a very common problem for older people.

When we’re younger, we need to build our bone mass. When we’re older, it’s about retaining as much as we can. Ensuring we eat (and drink) enough calcium is the basis of building and keeping strong bones.

Calcium is mainly found in milk and dairy. Other sources are fish, in the small, soft bones, and some veges, nuts, beans and seeds. Eating foods high in protein or salt can reduce the amount of calcium available to the body.

How much do you need each day?

Preschoolers
500mg-700mg

Primary schoolers
700mg-1000mg

Teenagers
1300mg

Adults
1000mg, increasing to 1300mg for women over 50 and men over 70

We compared the amount of calcium in these favourite foods to the 1000mg recommended daily intake for adults.

Any product examples given here were correct at time of publication. However, remember to check the ingredients and nutrition information every so often, as these can change over time.