How can I get enough calcium if I don’t drink milk?

Many people ask me how they can get enough calcium during pregnancy. Sometimes they are lactose intolerant, occasionally they have a milk allergy or often they just don’t like the taste of milk. Some people also find that their ability to digest dairy products or their desire to eat dairy changes in pregnancy.

It might surprise you to know that the amount of calcium recommended for women does not actually increase in pregnancy. Your body is able to absorb more calcium from food during pregnancy to meet you and your baby’s needs. It’s important to meet your needs for calcium because it helps to build strong bones and teeth, and helps to maintain normal blood pressure, healthy muscles, heart and nerves.

Pregnant women over 19 years old need 1000 mg/day of calcium from food or supplements.

Usually I would suggest two or three servings a day of milk, cheese or yogurt to meet your calcium needs in pregnancy. However instead of milk or milk products, you can choose calcium fortified beverages such as soy milk, orange juice, almond milk, coconut or rice milk. These non-dairy choices often have the same amount of calcium as cow’s milk. Other foods that are good sources of calcium are tofu, beans, okra, bok choy, kale, broccoli, fish with bones, sesame seeds and almonds.

To increase your calcium intake, try some of the meals or snacks from this sample menu that is rich in non-dairy sources of calcium (the calcium sources are in green).

Breakfast 350 mg		Fruit smoothie made with calcium fortified soy milk/orange juice/almond milk/rice milk Whole grain bread with a fried egg
Morning snack 125 mg		Orange and almonds
Lunch 100 mg		Salad with navy beans, broccoli, and couscous
Afternoon Snack 25 mg		Dried figs
Dinner 225 mg		Stir fry with bok choy, tofu, and brown rice
Evening Snack 250 mg		Water with prenatal vitamin Pita with hummus
Total Calcium	1075 mg