According to analysis of the most recent data, it’s possible that a significant portion of adults in this country do not consume adequate calcium from their diet.

The same could be said about dietary fibre, particularly in the United States.

In fact, calcium and fibre are two of the nutrients most responsible for lowering one’s risk of colorectal cancer.

Let me start by saying that dairy ( milk, cheese, yogurt) and dairy alternatives ( fortified plant-based beverages) are both significant sources of dietary calcium.

As are the fish bones we’d find in fatty canned fish products like salmon and sardines.

But none of these foods also contain fibre, so what I’ve done today is picked out 6 families of foods that are notable for their calcium content, some of which may surprise you.

They all happen to be plant-based too.

Let’s get to the good stuff.

My Top 6 Plant-Based Sources Of Calcium + Fibre

I came up with this list with a few important criteria in mind beyond just purely calcium content.

My aim was to select foods from different groupings, and especially identify selections that offered nutritional value beyond just calcium.

If you’ve been reading my most recent content on the importance of under-consumed nutrients ( such as magnesium, Vit A, potassium, fibre) you will by now notice significant trends relating to how frequently specific families of foods appear in each of these lists.

That should be a signal as to their importance in your diet going forward.

Here we go:

Soy-Based Foods – Including specific types of tofu, tempeh, soy beans and edamame.

Leafy Greens – Particularly kale, collards, spinach,okra and broccoli.

Specific Fruits – Such as oranges, kiwis and figs.

Legumes – Especially white beans, kidney beans, navy beans and chickpeas.

Starchy Veggies – Like squash and sweet potato.

Nuts/Seeds – Including almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds.

Until next time,

Andy De Santis RD MPH