The key to a long life: eat high-calcium, dairy-free foods

A glass of milk is not the only way to get calcium. Calcium sources are found in a variety of dairy-free foods such as nuts and green veggies. These tips will show you how to get your recommended three to five servings of non-dairy calcium per week.

Yes, there is calcium in some vegetables. And your body can absorb the calcium in veggies even better than it can calcium in milk. The levels aren't quite as high as in dairy foods, though.

• You'd have to eat 350 grams (1 1/2 cups) of cooked kale, 575 grams (2 1/4 cups) of cooked broccoli, or 2 kilograms (8 cups) of cooked spinach to equal the calcium in a glass of fat-free milk.
• That means to reach a daily quota of 1,200 milligrams of calcium, you'd need to eat 1.5 kilograms (6 cups) of kale, 2.25 kilograms (9 cups) of broccoli, or 8 kilograms (32 cups) of cooked spinach.

Think of calcium-rich veggies as a nice add-on that can help you reach your goal and provide a range of minerals and vitamins that help calcium keep bones strong. The best vegetable sources of calcium are collards, kale, broccoli, spinach, and bok choy.

Calcium can be found in healthy amounts in almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, filberts, sesame seeds, tahini (sesame seed paste), sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.

A good idea:

• Keep a canister of your favourite seeds on your kitchen table and add 5 grams (1 teaspoon) as a topping to cereals, vegetables, salads, and soups.

A serving of 10 dried figs provides 269 milligrams of calcium, quite a large amount.

It takes a creative cook to figure out how to get more rhubarb into your diet, but it's worth it.

• 250 grams (1 cup) of cooked rhubarb has 348 milligrams of calcium, making it one of nature's top sources of the mineral.
• Only the stalks of a rhubarb plant are edible, and they are quite tart. That's why rhubarb is primarily paired with sweet fruits in breads, cakes, pies and ice cream.

As we've said, beans are an anti-aging superfood, and here's one more reason: they're good sources of calcium. A 250-gram (1-cup) serving of boiled white beans has a substantial 161 milligrams.

Some contain as much calcium as a glass of fat-free milk, but be sure to read the label so you know how much you're getting. Don't shortchange yourself by thinking your juice or milk has more calcium than it really does. Shake soy milk well before pouring; calcium added to it can settle to the bottom.

Tofu made with calcium sulfate (check the ingredients label) supplies a respectable 204 milligrams of calcium in a 125-gram (1/2 cup) serving.