How Much Calcium is in Your Plant Milk? How the Brands Measure Up

Last Update in December 2022! When we talk about dairy-free living, concerns of calcium frequently come up. But calcium is abundant in our food supply. It’s naturally found in many foods, and is also added via fortification. In fact, there was a time when doctors waived the red flag over calcium toxicity concerns. Convenience food producers were tossing calcium into nearly everything, and sometimes in high quantities. General Mills was adding over 1000 milligrams of calcium to just 1 cup of Total cereal! Companies have since scaled back, and Total is no longer fortified with calcium. Instead, we’re seeing calcium fortification where we most expect it, like in our dairy-free milk alternatives.

How Much Calcium is in Your Plant Milk? How the Brands Measure Up

Plant milks aren’t naturally rich in calcium, so fortification is needed if a dairy milk nutrition “experience” is desired. Our chart below includes the calcium levels for over 100 brands, along with the type of calcium. To learn more about the calcium types, see our guide to calcium supplements.

Calcium and vitamin D fortification often go hand in hand, and vitamin D is beneficial for calcium usage and bone health. So I’ve included a column for vitamin D, too. The amounts listed below are for 1 cup of dairy-free milk beverage, with dairy (cow’s) milk listed at the top for reference. We used the “original” or “plain” varieties for this comparison. Calcium fortification amounts might vary a little between flavors.

*The vitamin D in store-bought milk is actually fortified. How much a milk producer adds via fortification (if any at all) is up to them. So this amount might vary from brand to brand.

Which Dairy-Free Milk Beverages Have the Most Calcium?

The hands-down winner, with a whopping 595 milligrams of calcium per cup is Califia Farms Protein Oat Milk. Silk Ultra Protein (soy-base) and Silk Protein (made with almond, cashew, and pea milk) take the number two and three spots, respectively.

Ripple Kids is actually in the #7 spot, with 455 milligrams of calcium per cup. I mention this as a caution, since children aged 8 and under have lower calcium needs than kids aged 9 and older.

Is Calcium Fortification as Good as Dairy Calcium?

It isn’t necessarily about the medium of calcium consumption, but more about the dynamic of how that calcium is absorbed and used in your body. This depends on the type of calcium consumed, other nutrients consumed during the day (for example, magnesium and vitamin D aid in calcium absorption), hormones, and other factors that, some of which can hinder absorption. We’ll discuss those elements soon, in our healthy bone and calcium series (see below for links). But the short answer is yes, research has found that calcium supplementation is at least as good as calcium consumption via milk.

How Do the Higher Calcium Milk Beverages Taste?

In many cases, you won’t even notice the fortification. Calcium is a mineral, so it can add a slight powdery finish to creamy milks, but it’s often seamless in manufactured brands. But see our Dairy-Free Milk Alternative Reviews section for the opinions of others! Each post has Amazon-style reviews at the bottom.

More Dairy-Free Calcium Questions Answered

• How Much Calcium Do I Need on a Dairy-Free Diet?
• The Dairy-Free Calcium Chart with Over 100 Foods
• Calcium-Rich Foods and Over 25 Everyday Ways to Enjoy Them
• How to Choose the Best Dairy-Free Calcium Supplements

For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!