Dealing with a cow milk allergy can make getting your calcium a difficult task. Calcium is an essential mineral that shouldn’t be ignored in your diet. A cow milk allergy may make getting calcium complicated, but all you need is a little creativity. Not every healthy source of calcium has to come from a cow, goat or any other animal. This blog post looks at why calcium is important, how much calcium you need and the different cow milk free sources of calcium!

1.How Much Calcium Do You Need?

Without calcium, your body would have a tough time working correctly. Calcium isn’t just good for strengthening your bones, it also keeps our skeletal structure healthy, allows our blood to clot properly and influences how effective our nerves are at sending messages to different parts of your body.

Generally, the older you are, the more calcium you need. Calcium is usually recommended within ranges of 1000 – 1200mg a day. You can get your calcium from natural sources such as foods or a vitamin supplement. Calcium is one of the minerals that our body needs but cannot produce on its own. Each day you lose calcium as you sweat, use the bathroom and cut your nails. The following four tips will help you get adequate amounts of calcium in your diet.

2. Drink More Bone Broth

Bone broth has a significant place in human history. Pretty much every culture around the globe has some form of traditional beef, chicken, fish or lamb bone broth recipe. Bone broth is incredibly dense with nutrients and has an amazing effect on your body. If you enjoy soup, making bone broth is an excellent way to supplement your diet with calcium.

A study from the University of Nebraska Medical Centre found that the amino acids in bone broth are responsible for reducing inflammation in the body and improving digestion. There has also been some correlation between bone broth and fighting allergies. The next time you’re making any kind of soup, add some bones to the broth. Your body will thank you!

3. Ditch Lettuce For Dark Leafy Greens

Most of us associate cows and milk with calcium, so it may be a bit odd to see vegetables on this list. Dark leafy legumes like broccoli and spinach are packed with calcium. Instead of regular lettuce (which is mostly water) on your sandwiches, you can replace it with spinach to make sure you’re getting enough calcium. Not only are vegetables are an excellent source of calcium, but they also contain vitamins C, A and manganese which all help your body properly absorb calcium. Kale is another excellent source of calcium that’s easily absorbed by your body.

4. Canned Fish Is A Quick Source Of Calcium

Fish is a surprisingly excellent source of calcium. Sardines are loaded with vitamin B-12 and vitamin D which help your body absorb the high levels of calcium. Sardines can be enjoyed in a wide variety of recipes so don’t worry about having to eat plain sardines. Canned salmon is another great source of calcium. Just half a can contains almost 50% of your daily calcium needs and tons of protein. Get creative with how you incorporate canned fish into your diet!

5. Make Sure You’re Getting Your Vitamin D

Vitamin D significantly helps our bodies absorb calcium. Without enough vitamin D in your system, all the excess calcium in your diet goes to waste. A quick 10-20 minutes a day of sunlight can help stabilize your vitamin D levels. You can also get vitamin D from foods fortified with vitamin D such as eggs and orange juice. If you live in a region with minimal sunlight, you can use a vitamin D supplement to keep your levels high.