From the day you're born until the day you die, calcium is one of those crucial nutrients that you've got to have. If you don't get your daily calcium fix, you could wind up with thin, brittle bones. The recommended amount varies depending on age and gender. If you're wondering how much is enough, use the following as a guideline for determining your recommended amount.

  Pre-teens, teens and young adults need 1,300 mg of calcium daily, to support those dramatic "growth spurts" that happen seemingly overnight. 

Adults 24-50 generally need at least 1,000 mg a day to maintain healthy bones. The exceptions to that are pregnant women and breastfeeding moms; they need 1,200 mg a day.  

The over-50 crowd should aim for a minimum of 1,200 mg of calcium daily, to offset the loss of bone that occurs as a natural part of aging.

  Post-menopausal women who are not on estrogen replacement therapy may need as much as 1,500 mg of calcium daily. 

As for the little people, the recommendation is 500 mg of calcium a day for 1- to 3-year-olds and 800 mg daily for children 4 to 8.

  Although fast-growing toddlers need the calories and fat that whole milk provides, most of the rest of us don't. It's a good idea to help children from about age 3 onward start developing a taste for skim milk. Skim milk has no fat and contains fewer calories and more calcium than whole or low-fat milk.

  Outside the dairy food group, calcium is found in smaller amounts in dark, leafy greens, broccoli, okra, canned salmon with bones, sardines, tofu made with calcium sulfate, dried beans, bok choy, dried figs and fortified fruits and juices. 

  Below is a list to help you make sure you eat the foods that will give you the calcium you need.

 

Food	Calcium Milligrams
Yogurt, plain, nonfat (1 cup)	450
Tofu, regular (processed with calcium*) (1/2 cup)	435
Yogurt, plain, low-fat (1 cup)	415
Yogurt, fruit (1 cup)	315
Milk, skim (1 cup)	300
Milk, 2% (1 cup)	295
Milk, whole (1 cup)	290
Chocolate milk, 1% (1 cup)	285
Chocolate milk, 2% (1 cup)	285
Calcium-fortified soy milk (8 ounces)	250-300
Swiss cheese (1 ounce)	270
Calcium-fortified orange juice (3/4 cup)	225
Cheese pizza** (1/8 of a 15-inch pizza)	220
Cheddar cheese (1 ounce)	205
Salmon, canned with edible bones (3 ounces)	205
Mozzarella cheese, part skim (1 ounce)	185
Macaroni and cheese** (1/2 cup)	180
Blackstrap molasses (1 tablespoon)	170
Pudding (1/2 cup)	150
Tofu, regular (processed without calcium*) (1/2 cup)	130
Frozen yogurt (1/2 cup)	105
Turnip greens (1/2 cup)	100
Sardines with edible bones (1 ounce)	90
Ice cream (1/2 cup)	85
Dried figs (3)	80
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup)	75
Tempeh (1/2 cup)	75
Parmesan cheese (1 tablespoon)	70
Milk chocolate bar (1 ounce)	70
Mustard greens (1/2 cup)	50
Okra (1/2 cup)	50
Orange (1)	50
Kale (1/2 cup)	45
Broccoli (1/2 cup)	45
Anchovies with edible bones (5)	45
Tortillas (made from lime-processed corn*)	40
Pinto beans (1/2 cup)	40
Rutabaga (1/2 cup)	35
Chinese cabbage (1/2 cup)	30
Cream cheese (2 tablespoons)	25
Tuna, canned (3 ounces)	10
Lettuce greens (1/2 cup)	10

*Read the labels.

**The amount of calcium may vary, depending on the ingredients.

Chart Source: The American Dietetic Association's Complete Food and Nutrition Guide by Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, CFCS