Food & Recipes

Grilled Sardines With Aioli

Sardines may be small, but they're big fish when it comes to calcium, heart-healthy fats, and robust flavor. Try fresh sardines -- tossed on the grill for a smoky, delicious hors d'oeuvre. Drizzle with garlicky aioli sauce for as much calcium as you'd get in eight ounces of yogurt.

• Sardines (3 oz.): 325 mg calcium
• Aioli sauce (2 Tbsp): 21 mg calcium

Arugula Salad

When it comes to leafy greens, arugula is a super food: rich in vitamins and bone-building calcium. Toss in some shredded parmesan cheese and slivered almonds to get 215 mg of calcium in a small, tasty salad. That’s twice what you'd get in a slice of cheese quiche.

• Arugula (1 cup): 125 mg calcium
• Almonds (12 nuts): 35 mg calcium
• Parmesan (1 Tbsp): 55 mg calcium

Flatbread Pizza

As an appetizer or a meal, a flatbread pizza with the right toppings can be packed with calcium. And that's before adding cheese! Start with crumbled, canned salmon and plenty of arugula for a pie that's got more calcium than a large glass of milk.

• Salmon (3 oz.): 325 mg calcium
• Arugula (1 cup): 125 mg calcium
• Flatbread crust: 113 mg calcium

Figs Stuffed With Manchego Cheese

Stuff sweet, chewy fresh figs with interesting cheeses to make an appetizer full of flavor. Spanish Manchego is a tangy choice made from sheep's milk and loaded with calcium. Two Manchego-stuffed figs provide 362 mg of calcium -- with just 150 calories.

• Manchego (1 oz.): 300 mg calcium
• Figs (2): 62 mg calcium

Stuffed Grape Leaves

Stuffed grape leaves are a Greek specialty. They're usually made with rice, aromatic herbs and spices, ground beef, and leaves from a grape vine. The olive-green leaves have some calcium, and dipping them in non-fat Greek yogurt boosts the total. Six stuffed leaves with 1/4 cup of yogurt sauce add up to 147 mg of calcium – about 15% of what you need in a day.

Stuffed Endive

Crisp endive leaves are just the right shape for finger food. Combine low-fat cream cheese and smoked salmon, then scoop the mix into an endive leaf. A few small bites of these before dinner and you'll get about 100 mg of calcium. The major sources:

• Cream cheese (2 Tbsp): 58 mg calcium
• Smoked salmon (6 oz.): 18 mg calcium

Dandelion Greens

Dandelions can invade a prized lawn, but cooks love the greens for their peppery flavor. The leaves are also loaded with nutrients, and have more calcium than you'd get from spinach. Wilted or sautéed, dandelions make a flavorful side dish. Oil, garlic, and other seasonings help balance the peppery bite.

• Dandelion greens (1 cup): 147 mg calcium

Broccolini

This green vegetable tastes a little sweeter than its big brother broccoli. Broccolini has small florets and long, tender stalks that don't need to be peeled. Roast or sauté the spears for robust flavor. Or steam them briefly, making sure not to lose the vivid green color. Quick cooking helps retain the vitamins.

• Broccolini (1 cup): 55 mg calcium

Baby Bok Choy

With green leaves and white stalks, baby bok choy looks like regular bok choy in miniature. But this variety of Chinese cabbage is milder and more tender. Try cooking and serving heads of baby bok choy whole, rather than chopping the vegetable. It works great in a stir fry or as a side dish.

• Baby bok choy (1 cup): 75-80 mg calcium

Salmon Croquettes With Dill Sauce

Salmon croquettes are a savory way to get more calcium. And canned salmon offers 10-20 times more calcium than fillets. Whip up a creamy dill sauce with non-fat Greek yogurt for 315 mg of calcium in two cakes. The major sources:

• Canned salmon (6 oz.): 181 mg calcium
• Greek yogurt (2 Tbsp): 59 mg calcium

Stuffed Sesame Chicken

Want to kick up the calcium in your everyday chicken meal? Stuff a chicken breast with a mix of creamy ricotta cheese and spinach. Coat it with sesame seeds, season, and bake as usual. One serving has 251 mg of calcium -- about a quarter of what you need every day.

Stuffed Manicotti

Stuffing manicotti pasta shells is a simple way to add flavor and calcium to a pasta dish. Use skim ricotta cheese to trim some calories in this easy classic. Cover the shells with spicy or garlicky tomato sauce and bake for a quick dinner. Two stuffed shells have more calcium than a glass of milk.

• Part-skim ricotta (½ cup): 335 mg calcium
• Tomato sauce (½ cup ): 16 mg calcium

Spaghetti with Komatsuna Greens

Japanese mustard greens, called komatsuna, are high in calcium. For a colorful pasta dish, toss peppery komatsuna with spaghetti noodles. Add tangy, sun-dried cherry tomatoes and sprinkle parmesan on top. Whole-wheat pasta adds fiber and the whole meal comes in around 500 calories.

• Komatsuna (1 cup): 104 mg calcium
• Parmesan (¼ cup): 220 mg calcium

Almond Cake

Almond cake uses finely ground almonds instead of wheat flour. Their subtle flavor balances the sugar and citrus zest, and the nuts provide a little calcium, too. Add a low-fat, lemon cream cheese frosting to get about 110 mg of calcium in one serving.

Chocolate Mousse

This ultra-creamy dessert is one sweet way to help meet your calcium needs.

The chocolate, milk, and eggs in the recipe all contribute small amounts to add up to 100 mg of calcium per half cup. If you crave chocolate mousse -- but not the full load of calories, fat, and cholesterol -- try the reduced-fat versions found in many markets.