Grilled Sardines With Aioli
Sardines may be small, but they're big fish when it comes to calcium, heart-healthy fats, and robust flavor. Try fresh sardines -- tossed on the grill for a smoky, delicious hors d'oeuvre. Drizzle with garlicky aioli sauce for as much calcium as you'd get in eight ounces of yogurt.- Sardines (3 oz.): 325 mg calcium
- Aioli sauce (2 Tbsp): 21 mg calcium
Arugula Salad
When it comes to leafy greens, arugula is a super food: rich in vitamins and bone-building calcium. Toss in some shredded parmesan cheese and slivered almonds to get 215 mg of calcium in a small, tasty salad. That’s twice what you'd get in a slice of cheese quiche.- Arugula (1 cup): 125 mg calcium
- Almonds (12 nuts): 35 mg calcium
- Parmesan (1 Tbsp): 55 mg calcium
Flatbread Pizza
As an appetizer or a meal, a flatbread pizza with the right toppings can be packed with calcium. And that's before adding cheese! Start with crumbled, canned salmon and plenty of arugula for a pie that's got more calcium than a large glass of milk.- Salmon (3 oz.): 325 mg calcium
- Arugula (1 cup): 125 mg calcium
- Flatbread crust: 113 mg calcium
Figs Stuffed With Manchego Cheese
Stuff sweet, chewy fresh figs with interesting cheeses to make an appetizer full of flavor. Spanish Manchego is a tangy choice made from sheep's milk and loaded with calcium. Two Manchego-stuffed figs provide 362 mg of calcium -- with just 150 calories.- Manchego (1 oz.): 300 mg calcium
- Figs (2): 62 mg calcium
Stuffed Grape Leaves
Stuffed grape leaves are a Greek specialty. They're usually made with rice, aromatic herbs and spices, ground beef, and leaves from a grape vine. The olive-green leaves have some calcium, and dipping them in non-fat Greek yogurt boosts the total. Six stuffed leaves with 1/4 cup of yogurt sauce add up to 147 mg of calcium – about 15% of what you need in a day.
Stuffed Endive
Crisp endive leaves are just the right shape for finger food. Combine low-fat cream cheese and smoked salmon, then scoop the mix into an endive leaf. A few small bites of these before dinner and you'll get about 100 mg of calcium. The major sources:- Cream cheese (2 Tbsp): 58 mg calcium
- Smoked salmon (6 oz.): 18 mg calcium
Dandelion Greens
Dandelions can invade a prized lawn, but cooks love the greens for their peppery flavor. The leaves are also loaded with nutrients, and have more calcium than you'd get from spinach. Wilted or sautéed, dandelions make a flavorful side dish. Oil, garlic, and other seasonings help balance the peppery bite.- Dandelion greens (1 cup): 147 mg calcium
Broccolini
This green vegetable tastes a little sweeter than its big brother broccoli. Broccolini has small florets and long, tender stalks that don't need to be peeled. Roast or sauté the spears for robust flavor. Or steam them briefly, making sure not to lose the vivid green color. Quick cooking helps retain the vitamins.- Broccolini (1 cup): 55 mg calcium
Baby Bok Choy
With green leaves and white stalks, baby bok choy looks like regular bok choy in miniature. But this variety of Chinese cabbage is milder and more tender. Try cooking and serving heads of baby bok choy whole, rather than chopping the vegetable. It works great in a stir fry or as a side dish.- Baby bok choy (1 cup): 75-80 mg calcium
Salmon Croquettes With Dill Sauce
Salmon croquettes are a savory way to get more calcium. And canned salmon offers 10-20 times more calcium than fillets. Whip up a creamy dill sauce with non-fat Greek yogurt for 315 mg of calcium in two cakes. The major sources:- Canned salmon (6 oz.): 181 mg calcium
- Greek yogurt (2 Tbsp): 59 mg calcium
Stuffed Sesame Chicken
Want to kick up the calcium in your everyday chicken meal? Stuff a chicken breast with a mix of creamy ricotta cheese and spinach. Coat it with sesame seeds, season, and bake as usual. One serving has 251 mg of calcium -- about a quarter of what you need every day.
Stuffed Manicotti
Stuffing manicotti pasta shells is a simple way to add flavor and calcium to a pasta dish. Use skim ricotta cheese to trim some calories in this easy classic. Cover the shells with spicy or garlicky tomato sauce and bake for a quick dinner. Two stuffed shells have more calcium than a glass of milk.- Part-skim ricotta (½ cup): 335 mg calcium
- Tomato sauce (½ cup ): 16 mg calcium
Spaghetti with Komatsuna Greens
Japanese mustard greens, called komatsuna, are high in calcium. For a colorful pasta dish, toss peppery komatsuna with spaghetti noodles. Add tangy, sun-dried cherry tomatoes and sprinkle parmesan on top. Whole-wheat pasta adds fiber and the whole meal comes in around 500 calories.- Komatsuna (1 cup): 104 mg calcium
- Parmesan (¼ cup): 220 mg calcium
Almond Cake
Almond cake uses finely ground almonds instead of wheat flour. Their subtle flavor balances the sugar and citrus zest, and the nuts provide a little calcium, too. Add a low-fat, lemon cream cheese frosting to get about 110 mg of calcium in one serving.
Chocolate Mousse
This ultra-creamy dessert is one sweet way to help meet your calcium needs.The chocolate, milk, and eggs in the recipe all contribute small amounts to add up to 100 mg of calcium per half cup. If you crave chocolate mousse -- but not the full load of calories, fat, and cholesterol -- try the reduced-fat versions found in many markets.
Spanish Romesco Sauce
Searing tomatoes boosts their sweetness and flavor and is key to this piquant sauce from Spain. Pan sauté or slow roast several tomatoes in an oven with a whole head of garlic. Toss them in a blender with almonds, olive oil, and a splash of balsamic vinegar, and you've got Romesco sauce, a Catalonian classic. "It's delicious with chicken and fish," says Jennifer Hill, a dietitian and recipe developer.
Tomatoes on the Grill
Halve tomatoes, brush the cut side with olive oil, and grill them -- cut side down -- until they've softened and charred. The heat intensifies the tomato flavor, says dietitian Hill, and also boosts its antioxidant power by converting lycopene, a micronutrient, into a form more easily used in the body.
Tomato Tartlets
For a light entree, Hill suggests simple tartlets. Unroll a sheet of puff pastry, brush with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese, and layer on plenty of grape tomatoes or slices in concentric circles. Bake for 20 minutes at 400° F. Heirloom tomatoes in different colors can be pretty. Add a green salad for a colorful lunch packed with fresh veggies.
Ethiopian Spicy Tomato Lentil Stew
Berbere, a traditional Ethiopian seasoning mix of chili, garlic, fenugreek, and several other spices, makes this vegetarian dish super-flavorful and aromatic. Tomatoes and carrots add sweet flavor notes -- and provide vitamins A and C. Lentils are a rich source of iron, fiber, and protein. Easy to prepare in about 45 minutes, Ethiopian tomato-lentil stew is also low in fat and calories.
Cool, Colorful Gazpacho
Choose the most flavorful, juicy tomatoes you can find for this chilled soup. Use a 3:1 ratio of tomatoes to other ingredients such as bell peppers, onions, and cucumbers. For a sweet twist, try watermelon/tomato gazpacho, suggests New York City nutritionist Carolyn Brown, MS, RD. Both of these bright red fruits are full of the antioxidant lycopene.
A Better BLT
Stack whole-wheat bread with thick slices of tomato, tasty greens like arugula, and two slices of thick-cut, uncured bacon. Go easy on the mayo -- less than a tablespoon -- and your sandwich weighs in at fewer than 500 calories. Skip one slice of bacon if you'd like to shave about 100 calories from this tomato-lover's classic.
Caprese Salad
Fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, leafy basil, and olive oil are all you need to whip up this summer salad. Heirloom tomatoes in golden-yellow or dark green stripes will add extra color interest. For an appetizer version, skewer a cherry tomato, a mini-ball of fresh mozzarella (called bocconcini) and a basil leaf; then finish each skewer with an olive oil drizzle.
Simple Herbed Tomato Sauce
Making your own tomato sauce is easy, and healthier and less expensive than buying it. Keep ingredients simple: sauté tomatoes, garlic, and onions...with herbs, spices, salt, and pepper to taste. Use fresh tomatoes in season and canned for more flavor at other times of the year.
