You Don’t Need To Drink Milk For Strong Bones!

Milk, curd, buttermilk, cream, butter, aromatic golden coloured desi ghee, cheese- the list of options available for us to use, from just dairy as the base is pretty comprehensive. But, what if someone is allergic to milk? Or they detest the taste? Or they develop lactose intolerance later on in life? You could also be vegan because you understand how dairy culture affects the environment on a large scale. Whatever your reason – we have a lot of alternative options available, and they are equally, or even better in some cases. Milk has generally been a well marketed source of calcium as it is easily absorbed by our body. This does not mean that calcium is not present in any other food sources. Let us talk about other easily available options- seeds, nuts and vegetables.

Calcium-Rich Foods Besides Milk

Calcium is one of the building block minerals for bone formation in our body. Our bones are worn down daily due to ageing, wear and tear and other factors. Replenishing reserves becomes important.This is where a nutritious calcium-rich diet will help. Large swathes of the Asian population are inherently dairy sensitive, and hence we know how to incorporate other sources. So, we consume more meat, plant based seeds, nuts, cereals, sprouts or steamed vegetables for best results, among others.

Best Plant-Based Calcium Sources For Bones

This is a good list with many kitchen essentials, so here we go-

• Fresh leafy greens like spinach, amaranthus, colocasia, broccoli, and methi or fenugreek greens are excellent sources of calcium.
• Ragi is an earthy powerhouse, flavor wise and keeps you cool in the summers too!
• Nuts and seeds- almond, peanuts, sesame seeds, walnuts, chia and flax seeds are all good sources of calcium.
• Sprouted pulses- like moong dal, red lentils, moth bean, bengal gram etc. They are also high in fiber.
• Dals- rajma, cooked chickpeas, black lentils (split or otherwise)
• Soybean and tofu
• Jaggery
• Coconut, dry dates
• Vegetables like cauliflower, coriander, dill, cluster beans etc.
• Mushrooms

Superfoods With More Calcium Than Milk

Milk is high in calcium, ofcourse, but these other sources are way better and can be labelled superfoods:

• Sesame seeds
• Tofu- rich in protein and calcium too
• EFish like sardines
• Figs
• Fortified plant milks
• Leafy greens

Let’s not forget the fact that they are all vegan sources of calcium too!

Conclusion

Lactose intolerance can cause bloating, diarrhoea and just make a good day bad. The fact that we can still use plant based milks by soaking our favourite nuts overnight, and then running them in the food processor the next morning still means we won’t compromise nutritionally. Also, vegan dairy substitutes taste just as great, and we can indulge in our favourite desserts too. So, what are you waiting for? Some til ladoos perhaps?