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Getting Enough Calcium? Easy Guidelines for Meeting Your Daily Quota

Calcium is critical for bone growth, development, and maintenance at every age and stage of life. A daily diet rich in dairy foods makes it easy to get adequate amounts of calcium. But how much is enough?

The following guidelines issued by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and endorsed by the American Medical Association indicate adequate calcium intake by age group.

Dietary Reference Intakes

Age Group (years)	Adequate Intake (mg/day)
1-3	500 mg
4-8	800 mg
9-18	1,300 mg
19-50	1,000 mg
51+	1,200 mg
Source: Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences

When purchasing food products, read the Nutrition Facts panel on the side or back of the products' packages. Calcium is listed as a percent daily value based on a 2000-calorie diet to help consumers keep tabs on their daily calcium intake. The fact is, while calcium is an essential part of any balanced diet and is found in a wide variety of foods, most people just don't get enough calcium each day. Use the following chart to ensure you're meeting your daily calcium quota:

Quick-Read Equivalency Chart

Food	Serving Size	Calcium (mg)
Live & Active Culture Yogurt (plain)	One cup	450 mg
Calcium-fortified Orange Juice	One cup	300 mg
Milk, (nonfat)	One cup	300 mg
Chocolate milk 1%	One cup	285 mg
Swiss Cheese	One ounce	270 mg
Cheddar cheese	One ounce	205 mg
Salmon (edible with bones)	3 ounces	180 mg
Frozen yogurt	1/2 cup	155 mg
Turnip greens, cooked	1/2 cup	125 mg
Dried figs	3	80 mg
Broccoli, cooked	1/2 cup	35 mg
Source: The Food Processor. Esha Research 7.0, 1998