There are many foods  rich in calcium, but no contender comes close to milk and yoghurt! There are two reasons for this. The first, as indicated by the table below, is simply because dairy contains a substantially greater amount of calcium than other foods:

So, although you may hear in conversational chitchat that almonds are in fact a fantastic source of calcium- such claims must be taken in context. In comparison to other nuts, almonds are certainly the best source of calcium, but still can’t be relied upon as your solitary dietary source - unless you are going to eat  3 cups of almonds on a daily basis!
1000mg is the AI (adequate intake) nutrient recommendation for calcium for average healthy men and women between the ages of 19-50 years. Thus, it is easy to see how hard this objective would be to achieve without dairy in the diet!
The other factor that stands dairy in good stead, is something called mineral bioavailability, which refers to the absorption potential of minerals (like calcium) in food. The total amount of calcium digested, does not necessarily equate to the amount that is absorbed. Many molecules in food may interfere with mineral bioavailability, either by enhancing or inhibiting absorption.
The absorption of calcium is enhanced by lactose- the natural sugar found in all dairy products, which means that the calcium contained in milk, yoghurt and cheese has a high bioavailability.
Conversely, the absorption of calcium is repressed by food compounds known as oxalates and phytates, which are present in certain vegetables. Thus, although spinach is “renowned” for being a good source of calcium, the bioavailability is low- i.e. because it is bound to inhibiting compounds, the calcium in spinach is unable to be absorbed by the intestine and  utilized by the body.
Calcium supplements are of course the other route to attaining your daily dose of calcium, but are also a more expensive option!  Supplements are useful, but not essential, for those who do not have elevated calcium needs or enjoy one or two delicious Honeydew dairy foods throughout the day!

Honeydew’s resident dietician is registered with the Health Professions Council
of South Africa. She is also a wife, mother and active individual who understands
the important influence of healthy eating on the whole family.