Top 20 Vegetables Highest in Calcium

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Written by Daisy Whitbread, BSc (Hons) MSc DipIONPowered by USDA Nutrition Data
Top 20 Vegetables Highest in Calcium

Calcium is a mineral necessary for the growth and maintenance of strong teeth and bones, nerve signaling, muscle contraction, and secretion of certain hormones and enzymes. (1)

A deficiency in calcium can lead to numbness in the fingers and toes, muscle cramps, convulsions, lethargy, loss of appetite, and abnormal heart rhythm. (1)

Finding calcium in vegetables and fruits is a concern for vegans, or those on a raw food diet. While there is some evidence that oxalates in vegetables can hinder calcium absorption, they are still a good source of calcium. (1) Futhermore, and the calculated daily value (DV) already takes into account absorption and bio-availability. For more, see the section on calcium absorption.

Vegetables high in calcium include collard greens, spinach, turnip greens, kale, mustard greens, beet greens, bok choy, okra, Swiss chard, and broccoli raab. (2) The daily value (DV) for calcium is 1300mg. (1, 3)

Below is a list of high calcium vegetables, for more see the list of high calcium fruits and high calcium foods.

You can also see 200 vegetables high in calcium using the nutrient ranking tool.

List of Vegetables High in Calcium

Collard Green Leaves1 Collard Greens
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
268mg
(21% DV)		141mg
(11% DV)		855mg
(66% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Collards. (Source)
A Bowl of Spinach2 Spinach
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
245mg
(19% DV)		136mg
(10% DV)		1183mg
(91% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Spinach. (Source)

Note: Some claim that oxalates in leafy green vegetables (like spinach) harm calcium absorption. Studies on the effect of oxalates are mixed. (4,5,6) In general, leafy greens as part of a balanced diet are a good source of calcium.

Turnip Greens3 Turnip Greens
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
197mg
(15% DV)		137mg
(11% DV)		1370mg
(105% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Turnip Greens. (Source)
Leaves of Kale4 Kale
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
172mg
(13% DV)		132mg
(10% DV)		943mg
(73% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Scotch Kale. (Source)
Mustard Greens5 Mustard Greens
Calcium
per Cup		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
165mg
(13% DV)		118mg
(9% DV)		908mg
(70% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Mustard Greens. (Source)
Beet Greens6 Beet Greens
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
164mg
(13% DV)		114mg
(9% DV)		844mg
(65% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Beet Greens. (Source)
Bok Choy7 Pak-Choi (Bok Choy)
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
158mg
(12% DV)		93mg
(7% DV)		1550mg
(119% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Pak-Choi (Bok Choy) (Cooked). (Source)
Sliced Okra8 Okra
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
123mg
(9% DV)		77mg
(6% DV)		700mg
(54% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Okra. (Source)
Swiss Chard9 Swiss Chard
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
102mg
(8% DV)		58mg
(4% DV)		580mg
(45% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Swiss Chard. (Source)
Broccoli Raab (Rapini)10 Broccoli Raab (Rapini)
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
100mg
(8% DV)		118mg
(9% DV)		944mg
(73% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Broccoli Raab. (Source)
Podded green peas11 Podded Peas
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
94mg
(7% DV)		59mg
(5% DV)		227mg
(17% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Podded Peas. (Source)
An acorn squash12 Acorn Squash
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
90mg
(7% DV)		44mg
(3% DV)		157mg
(12% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Baked Acorn Squash. (Source)
Half a Butternut Squash13 Butternut Squash
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
84mg
(6% DV)		41mg
(3% DV)		205mg
(16% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Butternut Squash. (Source)
Parsley14 Parsley
Calcium
per Cup		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
83mg
(6% DV)		138mg
(11% DV)		767mg
(59% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Parsley. (Source)
Sweet Potatoes15 Sweet Potatoes
Calcium
per Cup Mashed		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
77mg
(6% DV)		30mg
(2% DV)		59mg
(5% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Mashed Sweet Potatoes. (Source)
Celeriac16 Celeriac
Calcium
per Cup		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
67mg
(5% DV)		43mg
(3% DV)		205mg
(16% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Celeriac. (Source)
Broccoli Stalk17 Broccoli
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
62mg
(5% DV)		40mg
(3% DV)		229mg
(18% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Broccoli (Cooked). (Source)
Brussels Sprouts18 Brussels Sprouts
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
56mg
(4% DV)		36mg
(3% DV)		200mg
(15% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Brussels Sprouts (Cooked). (Source)
Soybean Sprouts19 Soybean Sprouts
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
55mg
(4% DV)		59mg
(5% DV)		146mg
(11% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Soybean Sprouts. (Source)
  • 1 cup of boiled soybeans (edamame) provides 13% DV (175mg) of calcium

See all beans and legumes high in calcium.

Green Beans20 Green (Snap) Beans
Calcium
per Cup Cooked		Calcium
per 100g		Calcium
per 200 Calories
55mg
(4% DV)		44mg
(3% DV)		251mg
(19% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Green Snap Beans. (Source)

See All 200 Vegetables High in Calcium

Factors which Affect Calcium Absorption

  • Amount of Calcium Consumed - The more calcium you consume, the less you absorb. Though consuming more calcium will increase your total level. (1)
  • Age - Children absorb about 60% of the calcium from foods, while adults absorb only 20%. Calcium absorption decreases with age and people over 50 should eat more calcium. (1)
  • Pregnancy - Pregnant women absorb more calcium. (1)
  • Vitamin D Intake - Vitamin D enhances calcium absorption. It can be found in foods or created by exposing skin to sunshine. (1)
  • Phytic and Oxalic Acid - Even though some studies suggest phytic and oxalic acid affect calcium absorption, people eating a balanced diet will not be affected. Further, the percent daily value already accounts for this absorption factor. High amounts of oxalic acid are found in plant foods like spinach, collard greens, sweet potatoes, rhubarb, and beans. Phytic acid is found in whole bread and wheat bran. (1,4,5,6)
  • Sodium, Protein, Alcohol, Caffeine (Coffee and Tea) - A diet high in sodium, protein, alcohol, and caffeine (coffee and tea) can reduce absorption and retention of calcium by causing more calcium to be excreted. Alcohol also interferes with the metabolism of vitamin D. (1)
  • Vinegar May Increase Absorption - A study on the absortpion of calcium in rats found that when the diet was composed of 1.6% vinegar the rats absored more calcium and also had stronger bones. (7)

About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

About Nutrient Targets

Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.

Some of the most popular targets include:
  • Daily Value (%DV) - The %DV is a general guideline for everyone and accounts for absorption factors. It is the most common target in the U.S. and is the target on the nutrition labels of most products. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
  • Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) - The Reference Dietary Intake (RDI) is a customized target accounting for age and gender. It is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization. The daily value (%DV) builds on the reference dietary intake to create a number for everyone.
  • Adequate Intake (%AI) - Sets a target for Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats. The Adequate Intake is also set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. It represents a number to ensure adequacy but lacks the same level of evidence as the Reference Dietary Intake. In short, the number is less accurate than the RDI.

    • See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

    Want to set your own targets? Sign up for an account and set custom targets in the daily meal planner.

View more food groups with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

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Data Sources and References

  1. Office Of Dietary Supplements Fact Sheet: Calcium
  2. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
  3. NIH: Dietary Supplement Label Database
  4. In vitro bioavailability of calcium and iron from selected green leafy vegetables
  5. Effects of fiber, phytic acid, and oxalic acid in the diet on mineral bioavailability.
  6. Calcium Absorption from Kale
  7. Enhancing effect of dietary vinegar on the intestinal absorption of calcium in ovariectomized rats
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