Vegan Calcium Sources (PLUS, Meal Plan)

Updated: October 20, 2022

Vegan calcium sources

Calcium Food Sources | Daily Meal Plan | Is Calcium Carbonate Vegan?

If you are a vegan, you pay extra attention to everything you eat and drink, including the supplements you take.

You also know that calcium is a critical element to keeping (or rebuilding) healthy bones. But, for hundreds of years, the most popular sources of calcium were cow’s milk (or goat’s milk) and other dairy products like cheese and yogurt. And those aren’t sources you will accept.

A balanced vegan diet will ensure you receive your recommended daily allowance. But more than just the total calcium you consume is important. Absorption is vital too.

Some foods, such as spinach, contain a high amount of calcium but is bound to a substance called oxalate and that inhibits calcium absorption. While the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to spinach and health, you can still replace spinach with low-oxalate vegetables such as cabbage and kale. These options will do more for your bone health.

As a vegan, you really do have many sources and options of calcium containing foods.

vegan calcium sources - okra

In the “edible list” you will find:

  • Black eyed peas
  • Sesame seeds
  • Kale
  • Turnip greens
  • Seaweed (like wakame)
  • White beans
  • Firm tofu
  • Okra

For something to drink:

  • Organic soy milk
  • Almond milk
  • Cashew milk
  • Blackstrap molasses
  • Fortified orange juice.

All of these provide your body with healthy amounts of calcium. So let’s break them down and see just how much calcium you get with each…

Calcium Food Sources

Let’s look at a simple chart(1) of some of the top rich calcium sources you can add to your food plan.  Ensure you get the calcium you need in the most vegan-friendly form.

Calcium Content of Selected Vegan Foods
Blackstrap molasses, 2 tbsp. 400 mg
Collard greens, cooked, 1 cup 357 mg
Other plant milks, calcium-fortified, 8 ounces 300-500 mg
Tofu, processed with calcium sulfate, 4 ounces 200-420 mg
Calcium-fortified orange juice, 8 ounces 350 mg
Soy or rice milk, calcium-fortified, plain, 8 ounces 200-300 mg
Commercial soy yogurt, plain, 6 ounces 300 mg
Turnip greens, cooked, 1 cup 249 mg
Tofu, processed with nigari, 4 ounces 130-400 mg
Tempeh, 1 cup 184 mg
Kale, cooked, 1 cup 179 mg
Soybeans, cooked, 1 cup 175 mg
Bok choy, cooked, 1 cup 158 mg
Mustard greens, cooked, 1 cup 152 mg
Okra, cooked, 1 cup 135 mg
Tahini, 2 tbsp. 128 mg
Navy beans, cooked, 1 cup 126 mg
Almond butter, 2 tbsp. 111 mg
Almonds, whole, 1/4 cup 94 mg
Broccoli, cooked, 1 cup 62 mg

* Soy: There has been some confusion about soy and its effects on health. To clear up that confusion go to, “5 Myths About Soy You Probably Still Believe“.

* Calcium Fortified: Unfortunately, you can’t rely upon juices and milks fortified with calcium. Here’s why

In addition to these calcium containing foods, it’s also important to reach your nutrient requirements for other bone healthy vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, vitamin D3, K2, C and adequate protein intake. Following a balanced, whole food diet is a great way to ensure your body is getting the basics. To make up for the shortfall, you can supplement with a clinically supported, multi-nutrient bone supplement.

Daily Meal Plan

Stuck for a daily meal plan?Vegan calcium sources

Here’s a simple one you can use (or adjust with the ingredients above) for you own personal plan:

Breakfast:

Make two servings of oatmeal in 1 cup of almond milk. Top with fresh fruit and a teaspoon of chia seeds. (Chia seeds contain 177 mg of calcium per one ounce!)

Lunch:

Make a delicious roasted beet and kale salad. Top with chopped almonds, sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. For the dressing: mix together two parts olive oil to one part freshly squeezed lemon juice (with salt and pepper to taste).

Dinner:

Roast sweet potatoes in the oven and stuff with navy beans and sauteed mustard greens.

Snack:

Spread two tablespoons of tahini onto two rice cakes.

Want more recipes with full ingredients list and directions? Download our Free Recipes for Stronger Bones Ebook, which contains plant-based, vegan and gluten-free recipes.

[recipe_widget]

Is Calcium Carbonate Vegan?

Vegans do not eat animals or products that come from animals. So, the question you probably have is this: is calcium carbonate vegan?

We have a better question: Would you rather eat rocks or plants?

If you take calcium supplements right now, check the label. The calcium used is most likely calcium carbonate. That comes from limestone or some other such rock.

AlgaeCal Plus is the most effective plant-based calcium product you can use. Three separate clinical trials clearly demonstrate that the calcium (plus more than 70 additional essential elements) you find in AlgaeCal Plus is more body-friendly than any rock-based calcium supplement. It also doesn’t include the long list of side effects from rock-based calcium supplements (like nausea, constipation, and bloating to name a few).

AlgaeCal Plus is a natural, whole foods solution to your health – it even increases bone density!

Take a look at AlgaeCal Plus now.


Source:

  1. vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.php

Article Comments

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  1. Patricia Haase

    June 25, 2016 , 2:35 pm

    This is so helpful – thank you very much 🙂 I am transitioning to a whole foods plant based diet at the moment for my health and becoming vegan for the animals so this information is especially useful for me. I have been taking AlgaeCal Plus for quite some time now and am sure it is helping because after having quite a fall recently had no broken bones despite having low bone density (the reason why I started AlgaeCal in the first place – hoping for positive results with my next Dexa). As a company I believe you truly value your customers. You are always more than happy to answer emails and in todays world where so much seems to be about profit it is so refreshing to feel that personal connect. Thank you for great products and great information x

  2. Monica

    June 27, 2016 , 12:39 am

    Hi Patricia,

    Thank you so much for your feedback! We are so happy to hear that the information you are receiving is of value and you’re getting all your questions answered from emails and customer service.

    As always, we are always here if you need us!

    – Monica @ AlgaeCal

  3. Lorraine

    July 31, 2016 , 2:13 pm

    I am having trouble swallowing AlgaeCal capsules. Are they available in anyother form? Otherwise is it advisable to add them to my morning smoothie?

  4. Monica

    August 1, 2016 , 1:01 am

    Hi Lorraine.

    They are only available in capsule form. However, you can pull the capsules apart and add them to your morning smoothies and juices etc. We do not recommend adding them to any hot liquids or water because of the naturally occurring minerals though.

    Hope this helps!

    – Monica @ AlgaeCal

  5. Bea

    August 11, 2017 , 12:13 am

    Is the vitamin D3 in your products vegan though?

  6. Monica

    August 11, 2017 , 8:15 am

    Hi Bea,

    No, the D3 used in AlgaeCal Plus and Basic is not vegan, but it is considered vegetarian. However, we do have quite a few vegan/vegetarian readers and so we are offering all types of health information, even if that means our products do not fall within that.

    – Monica @ AlgaeCal

  7. Mel Crowther

    June 27, 2019 , 2:19 am

    Just wondering if this situation has changed now? Is the D3 now from a vegan source please?

    Many thanks – Mel

  8. Megan AlgaeCal

    July 3, 2019 , 11:46 am

    Hi Mel!

    Thanks for checking in. We haven’t changed the source of our D3, so it’s still considered vegetarian, but not Vegan. Hope that helps! ?

    -Megan @ AlgaeCal

  9. Lee Hall

    October 26, 2019 , 1:00 am

    It does not help vegans. Any plans to switch to vegan D3 – which is common now?

  10. Megan AlgaeCal

    October 29, 2019 , 1:43 pm

    Hi Lee!

    We currently do not have plans to switch to a vegan D3, but we do take all feedback into account – so your comment is not going unheard! Thank you for taking the time to comment and we do apologize for any inconvenience this causes you.

    -Megan @ AlgaeCal

  11. Laura

    October 7, 2023 , 3:26 pm

    I’m feeling a bit deceived by Algaecal. I took the statement “plant based” that is in the Algaecal plus description to mean that this product is totally vegan. What is the animal source of the algaecal D-3? Why can’t you make our Algaecal which we need to build our bones and avoid the harsh medications doctors prescribed for osteoporosis totally plant based including the added D3 source?

  12. Samantha AlgaeCal

    October 10, 2023 , 12:14 pm

    Thank you for your honest feedback, Laura. We apologize that we currently do not offer a completely plant-based formulation with all ingredients. However, we appreciate your concern and would like to clarify that the calcium in our AlgaeCal is entirely plant-based. The source of our Vitamin D3 is lanolin, which is derived from wool wax and is considered an animal by-product. Rest assured that no animals are harmed in its production.
    At this time, we do not have any plans to change our AlgaeCal formulation as it has shown fantastic results year after year. Nevertheless, we appreciate your concern and will surely pass it on as feedback to our team. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!
    – Sam

  13. Annie

    December 28, 2020 , 8:16 pm

    I’m a vegan who is impressed with reading about the results of your product. Now that vegan D3 is available, would you consider switching to it? I’ll bet there are a lot of vegans who would be taking this if the D3 was vegan.

  14. Megan AlgaeCal

    December 29, 2020 , 2:11 pm

    Hi Annie, good question!

    We currently don’t have plans to switch to a vegan D3 source. However, this is something we are keeping in mind for future considerations, so thank you for taking the time to share your feedback ❤️

    -Megan @ AlgaeCal

  15. Holly

    June 10, 2024 , 3:21 am

    Please switch to vegan D3. This way anyone could take it and enjoy the benefits.

  16. Yoori AlgaeCal

    June 10, 2024 , 8:39 pm

    We truly appreciate your feedback, Holly. I’d be happy to share this with our team for consideration :).
    – Yoori

  17. Donna L Howard

    November 29, 2022 , 3:52 am

    Soy milk is very high in oxalate, and black-eyed peas are very high as well, not to mention phytates. These possibly can’t be good for your bones, since oxalate binds to calcium and doesn’t let it absorb.

  18. Chelsea Dugas

    December 7, 2022 , 11:46 am

    Thanks for sharing your concerns with us, Donna! You’re right, these two foods do contain oxalates, as do many other foods. That said, for most people, oxalate-containing foods aren’t a health concern, unless they are at high risk of kidney stone formation. For more information on oxalates, who should avoid them, and how to avoid kidney stone formation from oxalates, feel free to view THIS ARTICLE. As for phytates, an easy get around is to soak your legumes in water with an acid (lemon juice or vinegar) for several hours or overnight. This will help to break down the phytic acid. Hope this helps! 🙂

    – Chelsea @ AlgaeCal

  19. Susan

    September 29, 2024 , 5:01 am

    I just started algae cal. Is algae cal plus better, or is the regular algae cal just as effective?

  20. Yoori AlgaeCal

    September 30, 2024 , 6:07 pm

    Thank you for reaching out, Susan, and welcome to the AlgaeCal community! 🙂

    To answer your question, if your goal is to increase bone density, we always suggest our AlgaeCal Plus formulation for those who can take it because the added Magnesium, Vitamin K2, D3, Boron, and C makes AlgaeCal Plus a more balanced formulation and supports calcium absorption and placement into your bones, making it much more effective at increasing bone density. Our regular AlgaeCal is our raw AlgaeCal powder with only Vitamin D3 added. It is suggested for those who cannot consume Vitamin K2.

    In addition, we also suggest our Strontium Boost alongside the AlgaeCal Plus. See, AlgaeCal on its own is clinically supported to increase bone density by an average of 1.3% per year. However, we naturally lose around 1% of our bone density per year after the age of 40, and sometimes more depending on other factors like hormonal changes, genetics, lifestyle, etc. AlgaeCal alone is not always able to overcome this accelerated bone loss, which is why we recommend Strontium Boost – because it tripled the rate of bone building in our studies!

    Please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-820-0184 (US & Canada Toll-free) or email [email protected] for any additional questions, and personalized recommendations. We are happy to help. 🙂

    – Yoori

This article features advice based on cutting-edge research from our industry experts to give you the best possible information to support your bone-building journey.

Lara Pizzorno
MDiv, MA, LMT - Best-selling author of Healthy Bones Healthy You! and Your Bones; Editor of Longevity Medicine Review, and Senior Medical Editor for Integrative Medicine Advisors.,
Dr. Liz Lipski
PhD, CNS, FACN, IFMP, BCHN, LDN - Professor and Director of Academic Development, Nutrition programs in Clinical Nutrition at Maryland University of Integrative Health.,
Dr. Emma Gasinski
PT, DPT, RYT - Physical therapist and certified yoga teacher with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals,
Dr. Lawrence (Larry) A. May
MD, FACP, Harvard Medical School Graduate, Physician, Author, Public Speaker - Doctor of Internal Medicine at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center and author of several articles and books, including the widely utilized and best selling medical textbook Primary Care Medicine,