Baby food
There is nothing wrong with older people eating certain baby foods for calcium, if you are bored with food or perhaps have problems with ill-fitting dentures. Check the nutrition information labels to make sure of the calcium content needed for an adult.
Green vegetables
Collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, broccoli, all contain a good proportion of calcium, although vegetable sources of the mineral are not so well absorbed into your system.
It is important to remember that there are some leafy vegetables which would be good calcium sources if it were not for the oxalic acid (oxalates) they also contain, which binds with calcium to block absorption when they are eaten in large amounts. These vegetables include asparagus, beet greens, silverbeet (Swiss chard), dandelion, lambsquarters, parsley, sorrel and spinach – so don’t rely on these for calcium. Rhubarb is also in this category of food containing oxalates, reducing calcium absorption.
If you take anticoagulants or thyroid medication, check first with your doctor before eating green leafy vegetables.
Seafood
When eaten with their bones, canned sardines and canned salmon will contribute important amounts of calcium to your diet. Try to select sardines packed in water. If sardines are canned in oil, calorie-watchers and the heart-conscious will drain this off carefully and dress the sardines with vinegar. When using a can of salmon, don’t discard the skin and tiny bones as they are all edible and contribute flavour as well as valuable calcium.
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