Free · No signup · Updated October 2026
Calcium calculator: how much calcium is in your meal?
Adults need 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium a day. A cup of milk or yogurt brings about 300 mg, and a slice of cheddar about 200 mg. Type what you ate or snap a photo, and see the calcium in each food.
- Best for checking one meal’s calcium
- Free, no account, no email
- Results in a few seconds
- Estimated from USDA values
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How much calcium do you need a day?
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements sets these daily amounts. The calculator compares your meal with 1,000 mg.
| Who | Calcium a day |
|---|---|
| Adults 19 to 50 | 1,000 mg |
| Men 51 to 70 | 1,000 mg |
| Women 51 and older | 1,200 mg |
| Men 71 and older | 1,200 mg |
The Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation advises getting calcium from food first and taking a supplement only for the gap. The body uses calcium with vitamin D, which most food carries little of.
Which everyday plates carry the most calcium?
Dairy leads, then tofu set with calcium, canned fish with bones, and leafy greens such as kale. These six plates carry the most in Cloche’s food data.
| Plate | Portion | Estimated calcium | Of 1,000 mg reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tofu Stir Fry | 1 plate | 630 mg | 63% |
| Latte | medium, 12 oz | 497 mg | 50% |
| Grilled Cheese | 1 sandwich | 494 mg | 49% |
| Mac and Cheese | 1 bowl | 450 mg | 45% |
| Iced Matcha Latte | 16 oz, with milk | 432 mg | 43% |
| Burrito Bowl | 1 bowl | 405 mg | 41% |
How does the calcium calculator work?
Describe the meal the way you’d say it. Cloche splits it into foods, sizes each one and estimates the calcium from USDA values. Spinach carries calcium that the body absorbs poorly; the number shows what is in the food, not what you absorb.
More free tools: the fiber calculator and the saturated fat calculator. Every number is an estimate; we publish how far off the estimates run against USDA reference foods.
Questions people ask
How much calcium do I need a day?
1,000 mg for adults 19 to 50 and men up to 70, and 1,200 mg for women over 50 and men over 70, according to the NIH.
What foods are highest in calcium?
Milk, yogurt and cheese, tofu made with calcium sulfate, canned sardines and salmon with bones, fortified plant milks, and kale and bok choy.
Can you get enough calcium without dairy?
Yes. Calcium-set tofu, fortified soy or almond milk, canned fish with bones, beans, kale and almonds together can reach 1,000 mg.
Is calcium from spinach absorbed?
Poorly. Spinach is high in oxalate, which binds its calcium, so only about 5% is absorbed. Kale and bok choy are absorbed far better.
See your calcium for the week, not one meal
Cloche is a food journal for iPhone. Say what you ate or take a photo, and it keeps your calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K for every day, with the meals that brought the most.
Cloche is on TestFlight, Apple’s app for trying an app before its release. It’s free while it is. Leave your email and the invite comes from [email protected].