7 foods with calcium to pack in your lunch

Most women need more calcium in their diets. But, if you don’t enjoy drinking a glass of milk and shy away from the calories hiding in ice cream, how can you get enough foods with calcium into your day? Easy! Think outside the bottle–of milk that is! Here are seven tasty calcium rich foods to add to tomorrow’s lunch.

1. Broccoli

Green veggies are packed with calcium. To get the most nutrition out of broccoli, eat it raw. Try packing a bag of florets and a creamy dairy-based dip for a mid-afternoon snack. Or, chop fresh broccoli as a salad topping.

2. Spinach

If you are making a salad for lunch, why not swap out that boring old lettuce for baby spinach leaves? The tender greens add flavor and calcium to your meal. Surprisingly baby spinach leaves are mild enough in flavor and so tender you’ll never notice the difference in a taco salad or shredded as a topping for quesadillas.

3. Cheese

Instead of packing a calorie-filled granola bar or pudding cup for lunch, why not nosh on cheese and fruit. Pack a mixture of calcium-rich cheese cubes and plump red or green grapes. Choose semi-hard cheeses such as cheddar or Colby.

4. Sesame seeds

Want to add crunch and flavor to a soup on the go or food-cart salad? Sprinkle some sesame seeds on the meal. Or, buy a jar of tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds, and use it when making a batch of protein-rich hummus. Pack the creamy dip to use as a salad dressing or topper for crunchy carrot sticks and broccoli florets.

5. Soy

Whether you opt for toasted soy nuts or a burger made from tofu, these foods with calcium are great low fat ways to add protein to your lunch. Going meatless? Look for ready-to-eat microwave meals made with fresh soybean pods or sliced tofu.

6. Flax seeds

The nutty flavor of flax seeds are a wonderful addition to fruit-flavored smoothies. If you’d rather sip a shake at your desk than take time to eat a regular meal, add these seeds when blending the smoothie. They add calcium and healthy omega-3 fatty acids to your light lunch.

7. Almonds

Do you usually need a snack just a few hours after eating lunch? Try nuts. Fill up on a handful of fiber-packed almonds. These will make you feel full longer and boost your calcium intake for the day. Yum!

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