as a vegan how can i get enough calcium?

Question

also protein besides beans and peanut butter.

as a VEGAN not a vegiterean. i can't have milk OR eggs.

Answer 1

Vitamin supplements are the best way.

Answer 2

widespread milk has no milk calcium. The milk is warmth pasteurized and each and all of the calcium evaporates. Then they mixture liquid calcium with the milk in a technique commonly used as fortifying. Vegans can get organic genuine calcium from Kale Spinach and a form of alternative sources.

Answer 3

Calcium- green leafy vegetables. Spend some time in the sun for the Vitamin D too (you need this to process calcium.) Otherwise you can look for foods fortified with vitamin D2 (not D3, it is made from wool and/or animal skin)

protein- pretty much anything that isn't fiber, alcohol, fat, or carbohydrates.

If you eat a variety of grains, nuts and other vegetables you are going to get enough protein. There is protein in almost everything. Even fruit contains protein, though only a small amount.

Spirulina is a rich source of calcium and is also protein dense and seitan (made from wheat gluten) has a higher protein density than any meat.

Answer 4

Believe it or not there is calcium in vegetables... namely broccoli, spinach has some as well. I saw that in an article in a health food store. I'm afraid beans and nuts are the only alternative protein sources I know of.

Answer 5

I'm not a vegan, but here are some search results(I don't know the accuracy of the links I posted, just giving you some of the results for the searches I did):D

Protein(for more, just type *vegan sources for protein* in your preferred search engine, plus I read some where that hemp seeds are an excellent source of protein, and that is the last link in this list):

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/food/nutrition/protein.php
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/article/771
http://www.soystache.com/plant.htm
http://www.hempprotein.us/

Calcium(for more, just type *vegan sources for calcium* in your preferred search engine):

http://www.vegansociety.com/html/food/nutrition/calcium.php
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm
http://www.soystache.com/calcium.htm
http://www.veganviews.org.uk/vv98/vv98calcium.html
http://www.all-creatures.org/mfz/health-calciuminvegandiet.html

Answer 6

Calcium and protein seem to be peoples greatest worries when going on a vegan diet.

The dairy and meat industry has many of us fooled into thinking that if we don't drink cows milk and eat animal flesh that we will wither away and our bones will break and shatter.

Milk is calcium rich that is true, it is also rich in protein. It contains enough calcium and protein to cause a 75 pound calf to become a 400 pound calf in 6 months. Cows milk is the perfect food..... For a calf.

Where does the cow get all that calcium and protein to make this rich white liquid called milk? From plants of course! Plants and especially greens contain the calcium and protein needed to even feed huge powerfull animals like elephants, horses, cows and many many more.

Did you know that other countries like china and japan have some of the least cases of osteoporosis in the world? Yet most of them never use dairy products as a part of their diet. And countries like the US, Canada, new Zeland, The UK, Australia and many more have some of the highest cases of osteoporosis and they consume the most dairy products.

Wonder why this can be true? There are many reasons for this, first of all the high consentration of animal protein (meat, milk, eggs) than many coutries consume is very harmfull to their bodies. Humans don't need as much protein as we are led to believe, the time in our lives that we needed the most protein in when we are growing. Humans grow the fastest between the ages of 1 day to 6 months, in this time a baby will double its birth weight. 5% of the calories in human breast milk is made out of protein, 20% of the calories in cows milk is protein, cows grow 4 times faster than humans so this makes sense, cows milk also has a much higher consentraition of other things like minerals (calcium). On average the human body will lose 4/5 of an ounce of protein in a day (that is about 23 grams) on a vegan diet even getting 100grams of protein per day from eating a variety of foods is easy (100 grams would be too much anyway) 35 for females and 45 grams for males is more than enough. Each animal species has speacialized milk for their young. Protein does not store in the body very well unlike fat, excess protein has to be sent through the kidneys and out through the bladder. Excess protein in the body especialy when it is being digested causes allot of acid, your body has to do something about this, so it uses the calcium from your bones to settle the acid. Why do so many people get kidney, and gal stones? from all the extra calcium people consume in dairy products and mineral supliments. Stones that people get removed from their bodies are made with 95% calcium.

Plant based foods are all good sources of amino acids (the building blocks of protein) by eating you food with a little variety you will aquire all the amino acids needed to create haelthy protein. Your body makes 15 of the 23 amino acids found in protein anyway so getting the other 8 is not considered a problem for a vegan. On a vegan diet your calcium requirments are much lower than on a omnivorouse diet, because you consume 0 animal protein. Eat your greens, raw nuts and seeds they contain plenty of calcium.

All minerals, including calcium, come originally from the ground and enter animals through plants. Thus, plants are loaded with calcium, iron, zinc, copper, etc., and the more plants you eat the more minerals you acquire. The relationship between people and plants works so well that there has never been a case of dietary calcium deficiency ever reported – in other words, all natural diets are sufficient to meet the needs of growing children and adults (infants need breast milk). Calcium pills have a few adverse effects like constipation and inhibition of iron absorption. The most serious mistake a person can make is to believe cow’s milk is a “good” and necessary source of calcium. Heart disease, cancer, type-2 diabetes, arthritis, and infectious disease are only a few of the common consequences of drinking milk from other animal species.

I never seek out high protein sources, yet I live a very active and health lifestile, on a diet eating dominantly fruit and vegetables, I do also eat a fair share of grain, nuts, seeds, legumes. My hair, skin, nails, teeth are in very good shape these are all places where a lack of calcium and protein would show, I have high energy, and almost never get sick.

I would take it easy on the peanut butter it has 100 calories or more in 1 table spoon, and is very fatty. Beans are ok in moderation but too many can make you feel a little gasy.

Do some more research on the vegan diet, this will help make sure it works out well for you.

Read this http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/feb/whenfriendsask.htm
http://www.drmcdougall.com/med_hot_protein.html

Answer 7

Calcium, needed for strong bones, is found in dark green leafy vegetables, tofu made with calcium sulfate, calcium-fortified soy milk and orange juice, and many other foods commonly eaten by vegans. Although lower animal protein intake may reduce calcium losses, there is currently not enough evidence to suggest that vegans have lower calcium needs. Vegans should eat foods that are high in calcium and/or use a calcium supplement.
Because of heavy promotion by the American dairy industry, the public often believes that cow's milk is the sole source of calcium. However, other excellent sources of calcium exist so that vegans eating varied diets that contain these foods need not be concerned about getting adequate calcium. Sources of well-absorbed calcium for vegans include calcium-fortified soy milk and juice, calcium-set tofu, soybeans and soynuts, bok choy, broccoli, collards, Chinese cabbage, kale, mustard greens, and okra 1. Grains, beans (other than soybeans), fruits, and vegetables (other than those listed) can contribute to calcium intake but cannot replace these key foods. Table 1 shows the amount of calcium in selected foods. When you realize that there is as much or more calcium in 4 ounces of firm tofu or 3/4 cup of collard greens as there is in one cup of cow's milk, it is easy to see why groups of people who do not drink cow's milk still have strong bones and teeth.
Table 1: Calcium Content of Selected Vegan Foods

Food


Amount


Calcium (mg)
Tofu, processed with
calcium sulfate* 4 ounces 420
Blackstrap molasses 2 Tbsp 400
Collard greens, cooked 1 cup 357
Calcium-fortified orange juice 8 ounces 300
Soy or ricemilk, commercial,
calcium-fortified, plain 8 ounces 200-300
Commercial soy yogurt, plain 6 ounces 80-250
Turnip greens, cooked 1 cup 249
Tofu, processed with nigari* 4 ounces 80-230
Tempeh 1 cup 215
Kale, cooked 1 cup 179
Soybeans, cooked 1 cup 175
Okra, cooked 1 cup 172
Bok choy, cooked 1 cup 158
Mustard greens, cooked 1 cup 152
Tahini 2 Tbsp 128
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup 94
Almonds 1/4 cup 89
Almond butter 2 Tbsp 86
Soy milk, commercial, plain 8 ounces 80

*Read the label on your tofu container to see if it is processed with calcium sulfate or nigari.

Note: Oxalic acid, which is found in spinach, rhubarb, chard, and beet greens binds with the calcium in those foods and reduces its absorption. These foods should not be considered good sources of calcium. Calcium in other green vegetables, like kale, collard greens, Chinese mustard greens, and Chinese cabbage flower leaves is well absorbed1,19. Fiber appears to have little effect on calcium absorption except for the fiber in wheat bran that does have a small effect20.

Sources: Composition of Foods. USDA Nutrient Data Base for Standard Reference, Release 18, 2005 and Manufacturer's information.

Table 2: Sample Menus Providing More Than 1000 milligrams of Calcium
Calcium (mg)
Breakfast:
1 serving Cindy's Light
and Fluffy Pancakes (p. 23) 195
1 cup Calcium-Fortified Soy milk 300
Lunch:
1 serving Hummus on Pita Bread (p. 27) 178
6 Dried Figs 68
1/4 cup Almonds 89
Dinner:
1 serving Scrambled Tofu and
Bok Choy over Brown Rice (p. 96) 190
1 serving Green Salad and
Tangerine Dressing (p. 39) 30
1 serving Chocolate Pudding (p. 114) 92
TOTAL 1142
Breakfast:
1 serving Tropical Fruit Smoothie (p. 16) 102
1 Toasted Bagel with 89
2 Tbsp Almond Butter 86
Lunch:
1 serving Mini Pizzas (p. 34) 235
1 serving Creamed Spinach (p. 68) 121
Dinner:
1 serving Lemon Rice Soup (p. 46) 82
1 serving Tofu Squash Burgers (p. 102) 135
1 cup Steamed Broccoli 94
1 serving Chocolate Pudding (p. 114) 92
TOTAL 1036

Page numbers refer to recipes in the book Simply Vegan: Quick Vegetarian Meals.

Additional foods should be added to these menus to provide adequate calories and to meet requirements for nutrients besides calcium.

There are factors that increase the risk of osteoporosis and that cannot be changed. These include small frame size, female gender, aging, heredity, Caucasian or Oriental race, early menopause, and prolonged immobilization. Other factors like cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol, physical inactivity, and inadequate calcium and vitamin D (see Simply Vegan Chapter on Vitamin D) are under our control. Vegans of all ages can promote bone health by consuming enough calcium and protein, getting adequate vitamin D, limiting use of sodium, and getting regular exercise, especially weight-bearing exercise.

Answer 8

Ground up puppies have a lot of calcium in them.

Ok sorry, I think you've chossen a healthy lifestyle. Check out fruit like blueberries. In fact here's a web site that gives you nutrition facts on most foods. www.calorieking.com
just keep searching foods and find out what goodies they have in them.

and please dont eat puppies, it was just a joke.

Answer 9

If you're worried about calcium, they have calcium tablets that you can buy and take daily. Also, many vegetables have proteins.

Answer 10

Rennies, the indegestion tablet, are pure calcium carbonate, so if you take one of those a day then you'll be fine.

Answer 11

Bacon and eggs with a glass of cold milk daily for breakfast. Some cereals like Total with milk is a good source of calcium.