Calcium Rich Foods

I promised I would post about the HUGE number of calcium rich food options we have in our world. In my last post I discussed the negative repercussions of hoping we’re getting our calcium from dairy products. We’ve been told for so long that calcium comes from dairy, that it has become who we are and that can be difficult “mental programming” to replace. We focus so much on dairy that we don’t realize that there are a vast range of beneficial, healthy, and all around life-saving foods high in calcium for us to enjoy! Plus…I’ve added a delicious calcium rich snack recipe! Your family will love it!
First, I’ll start off by letting you know that the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) of calcium are:
Infants
0-0.5 year      400 mg
0.5-1 year      600 mg
Children
1-10 years      800 mg
Young adults and adults
Males 11-24 years     1,200 mg
Males 25+                    800 mg
Females 11-24           1,200 mg
Pregnant or Lactating 1,200 mg

Calcium is the most abundant mineral found in the human body, so we know that it’s important!
Below are some examples of non-dairy sources of calcium:

**Per 3 1/2 oz serving or a little less than 1/2 cup

Kelp                                            1,093 mg
Carob flour                                   352 mg
Collard greens                              250 mg
Kale                                                249 mg
Turnip greens                               246 mg
Almonds                                       234 mg
Parsley                                          203 mg
Dandelion greens                        187 mg
Brazil nuts                                     186 mg
Garlic, raw                                      181 mg
Arugula, raw                                 160 mg
Watercress                                    151 mg
Figs, dried                                      126 mg
Sunflower seeds                           120 mg
Wheat bran                                   119 mg
Buckwheat, raw                            114 mg
Sesame seeds, hulled                   110 mg
Broccoli                                          103 mg
Spinach                                             99 mg
Walnuts                                            99 mg
Soybeans, cooked                           73 mg
Pecans                                               73 mg
Wheat germ                                      72 mg
Peanuts                                              69 mg
Miso                                                   68 mg
Romaine lettuce                                68 mg
Rutabaga                                            66 mg
Green beans                                       56 mg
Artichokes                                           51 mg
Pumpkin seeds                                   51 mg
Beans, cooked                                    50 mg
Cabbage                                               49 mg
Soybean sprouts                                 48 mg
Wheat                                                   46 mg
Orange                                                  41 mg
Celery                                                    41 mg
Cashews                                               38 mg
Rye grain                                              38 mg
Carrots                                                  37 mg
Barley                                                    34 mg
Sweet potatoes                                    32 mg
Brown rice                                            32 mg
                                      Healing Foods 118
 
It is definitely clear that a great deal of the green leafy vegetables and also nuts and seeds are full of calcium. One important thing that I have mentioned before is the concept of ‘sprouting’. When nuts, seeds, beans and grains are dry, the enzymes used to digest them are dormant, hence the reason for so much bloating and gas often after eating them. Ever wonder how “degassing” beans works? The answer? Sprouting. It’s simple and really makes a difference. Below are a couple of further simple explanations found on different websites.
Sprouting enlivens the enzymes that are dormant within each almond. These enzymes activate when they come in contact with water (the soaking process), and the nuts are “awakened”. The potential growth for each almond is to become a tree—and when we eat sprouted almonds our bodies receive this concentrated vital energy and nutrition

http://www.almondessence.com/Transforming.cfm

Soaking dried beans activates the beans to begin the germination process. Once wet, the beans release enzymes that begin to break down their complex sugars into more simple ones. It is the bean's complex sugars that give you gas and indigestion after eating beans that haven't been pre-soaked.

http://www.chezbettay.com/pages/basics1/basics_beans1.html

Sprouting is simple. Just put the almonds, beans, seeds, whatever you want to use, into a small bowl and fill with purified water. Let soak in a spot out of the sunlight. I usually just set the bowl on the countertop.

Here is a great explanation for sprouting almonds. (The same applies to other nuts, seeds, etc.) My only difference is that I only rinse them once and then put in the fridge. Only sprout the amount you plan to use in about 1 week, because they’ll be yucky past that point.

One great snack recipe for both your children and you is Sprouted Hummus. It can be used as a vegetable dip, or you can use it with salad, and it’s delicious!

SPROUTED HUMMUS

INGREDIENTS

2 TBSP fresh squeezed orange juice

1 clv raw garlic

2 TBSP raw, sprouted tahini (easy recipe below)

sea salt, to taste

1 c raw garbanzo beans (sprouted) *do not use canned beans

juice of 1 lemon or lime

optional seasonings: chopped chives, paprika, cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS

Sprout garbanzo beans overnight in bowl of purified water. Rinse and dry well. Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender until creamy and smooth. Add water to thin to desired consistency. DONE!

*Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

**after sprouting the beans, you’ll have more than 1 cup. I usually use the extra beans and tahini and double/triple the hummus recipe. You can adjust the flavors to your taste. If you want it more citrus-y add more citrus, If you want it saltier, add more salt. Spicier? Add more cayenne.

 

SPROUTED TAHINI

1 cup raw sprouted sesame seeds (not roasted)

1/2 cup purified water

pinch of sea salt (optional)

Soak sesame seeds in bowl of purified water overnight. Rinse well. Put all ingredients into blender and blend to make a paste. You can save the extra in the fridge and spread on bread, veggies, etc. or you can use it to double/triple the hummus recipe. *store bought tahini can cost more than $10 for an itty bitty jar. DON’T be fooled. It’s THIS easy to make on your own!!

ENJOY!

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