How to get enough calcium without dairy?

[Koalamom]

How are you vegans getting enough calcium without dairy? My 2 yr old ds and I are both very allergic to dairy and so we have to cut it all out. My teeth seem very prone to cavities, more than ever it seems. I want to turn that around. And I am worried that my ds doesn't get enough calcium. I just can't afford expensive calcium supplments. We do have calcium citrate powder in the house but not sure if that is a useable form.

[sky_and_lavender]

According to Jack Norris, RD: "The calcium in kale, broccoli, collard greens, and soymilk is all absorbed relatively well." He has a whole post on Bones, Vitamin D and Calcium, and at the end are his tips for calcium intake: http://veganhealth.org/articles/bones#catips

I hope this helps!

[catnip]

As far as supplements, calcium citrate is the most absorbable kind. My husband has hypocalceimia (from a failed parathyroid surgery) and when he was symptomatic with super high doses of the cheaper calcium carbonate supplements, his endocrinologists switched him over to calcium citrate, and it made a big difference.

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by sky_and_lavender 

According to Jack Norris, RD: "The calcium in kale, broccoli, collard greens, and soymilk is all absorbed relatively well." He has a whole post on Bones, Vitamin D and Calcium, and at the end are his tips for calcium intake: http://veganhealth.org/articles/bones#catips

I hope this helps!

Thanks for the info and link. For some reason it is not opening at all, but I will keep trying.

Originally Posted by catnip 

As far as supplements, calcium citrate is the most absorbable kind. My husband has hypocalceimia (from a failed parathyroid surgery) and when he was symptomatic with super high doses of the cheaper calcium carbonate supplements, his endocrinologists switched him over to calcium citrate, and it made a big difference.

Oh good. That is the calcium I have. Does he take it with magnesium or anything else?

[catnip]

He's on a prescription dose, it's just straight calcium, but then he also takes a D4 supplement with it.

[MrsSlocombe]

I haven't been eating enough kale and collards lately, plus I'm pregnant, so I I've started taking calcium supplements.  I have been mostly vegan for more than ten years, and even during the month or two I was not vegan, I was only eating eggs, not dairy.  For most of that time, I relied on luck and/or leafy greens, and my calcium levels are good.  Apparently, I either am naturally good at retaining calcium, or the requirements (especially for someone not consuming a high-protein, standard American diet) really aren't as high as we think.  I'm just taking the supplements for the baby, to be extra sure.

Now that our CSA is done for the year, I'll be eating a lot more kale and collards, shipped from California.  Eating locally is great in theory, but the huge downside I found to it is that, on many weeks, the high-calcium greens were simply not available, and if they were, their quantities were limited and/or they sold out quickly.

[redbirdlady]

Broccoli is my go-to.  I also drink almond milk, which has plenty of calcium.

[dovey]

Tofu coagulated with calcium sulfate (gypsum) is also a good source of calcium.  You can make it yourself for a fraction of the price of storebought tofu (google "making tofu").  You may have to buy the calcium sulfate online, but if you live in a big city you can probably buy it at an asian supermarket.