Milk tends to be the go-to source of calcium for many people, but if you are lactose intolerant, you have a whole different challenge.
The good news is that milk is far from the only way to get calcium in your diet. In fact, there are plenty of lactose-free, calcium-rich foods available for the lactose intolerant.
Here are just a few options to try so you can start to get the calcium you need today.
Aged cheese
Cheese is made from milk and therefore contains a significant amount of calcium. If you are lactose intolerant, opt for aged cheeses such as blue cheese, Cheddar, or Parmesan.
According to health experts, the increased fermentation time reduces their lactose content to very low levels.
Sardines
If sardines and salmon don’t make you nervous, give them a try. Small fish like sardines or canned salmon with bones can provide you with a good amount of calcium.
Think about it – calcium is stored in our bones, so it makes sense that eating bones would give us calcium.
Leafy greens
Ingestion of leafy greens is another great way of meeting the daily recommended intake of calcium.
Examples of leafy greens that are good sources of calcium include spinach, kale, collard greens, and turnip greens. One easy way to get enough leafy greens is to add them to a salad or sandwich.
Yoghurt
For those who are not lactose intolerant, plain yoghurt, like milk, is also an excellent calcium source.
It actually provides more calcium, for the same serving size, than milk. You can always make plain yoghurt flavourful by adding fruits.