Nutrient table · IFCT 2017 · ICMR-NIN 2020

Calcium content of Indian foods

Per 100 g, sesame seeds are the richest calcium source in IFCT 2017 at 1,664 mg, followed by poppy seeds at 1,372 mg and ajwain at 1,034 mg. Among foods eaten in larger amounts, agathi leaves give 901 mg, khoa 602 mg, paneer 476 mg and ragi 364 mg. Both men and women need 1,000 mg of calcium a day, according to ICMR-NIN 2020.

01The nutrient

What calcium does, and where Indian diets stand

Calcium builds and maintains bones and teeth, and the small amount circulating in the blood keeps nerves firing, muscles contracting and the heart beating in rhythm. When the diet falls short, the body draws calcium out of bone to keep blood levels steady, which over the years can thin the skeleton.

Indian diets often fall short because milk and curd intake varies widely, and many households, especially in the south and east, drink little milk. Cereal-based meals are low in calcium, and some greens carry oxalate that locks away part of what they hold. Women, adolescents and older adults are most at risk of low intake.

This table ranks 242 foods from IFCT 2017 by calcium per 100 g. Seeds and spices lead because they are dry and mineral-dense. After them come dairy, leafy greens such as agathi, ponnaganni, knol-khol leaves and drumstick leaves, and ragi, the only grain to reach the top 25.

02The full table

All 242 foods ranked by calcium

Per 100 g of the edible portion, highest first. The last two columns show the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers.

Indian foods ranked by calcium per 100 g
Rank	Food	Group	Per 100 g	Man's daily need	Woman's daily need
1	Sesame seeds (til)	Nuts and oilseeds	1,664 mg	166%	166%
2	Poppy seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	1,372 mg	137%	137%
3	Ajwain (carom seeds)	Spices, herbs and condiments	1,034 mg	103%	103%
4	Agathi leaves	Green leafy vegetables	901 mg	90%	90%
5	Cumin seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	878 mg	88%	88%
6	Coriander seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	718 mg	72%	72%
7	Curry leaves	Spices, herbs and condiments	659 mg	66%	66%
8	Khoa (mawa)	Milk and dairy	602 mg	60%	60%
9	Niger seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	572 mg	57%	57%
10	Cloves	Spices, herbs and condiments	567 mg	57%	57%
11	Paneer	Milk and dairy	476 mg	48%	48%
12	Pippali (long pepper)	Spices, herbs and condiments	414 mg	41%	41%
13	Black pepper	Spices, herbs and condiments	405 mg	41%	41%
14	Mustard seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	402 mg	40%	40%
15	Ponnaganni	Green leafy vegetables	388 mg	39%	39%
16	Cardamom	Spices, herbs and condiments	378 mg	38%	38%
17	Knol-khol leaves	Green leafy vegetables	368 mg	37%	37%
18	Ragi (finger millet)	Cereals and millets	364 mg	36%	36%
19	Amaranth spinosus	Green leafy vegetables	359 mg	36%	36%
20	Amaranth leaves (chaulai)	Green leafy vegetables	330 mg	33%	33%
21	Garden cress seeds (halim)	Nuts and oilseeds	318 mg	32%	32%
22	Drumstick leaves (moringa)	Green leafy vegetables	314 mg	31%	31%
23	Parsley	Green leafy vegetables	288 mg	29%	29%
24	Fenugreek leaves (methi)	Green leafy vegetables	274 mg	27%	27%
25	Pumpkin leaves	Green leafy vegetables	271 mg	27%	27%
26	Horse gram (kulthi)	Pulses and legumes	269 mg	27%	27%
27	Asafoetida (hing)	Spices, herbs and condiments	266 mg	27%	27%
28	Flaxseeds (alsi)	Nuts and oilseeds	257 mg	26%	26%
29	Soya bean	Pulses and legumes	239 mg	24%	24%
30	Radish leaves	Green leafy vegetables	234 mg	23%	23%
31	Almond	Nuts and oilseeds	228 mg	23%	23%
32	Garden cress leaves	Green leafy vegetables	217 mg	22%	22%
33	Colocasia leaves (arbi patta)	Green leafy vegetables	216 mg	22%	22%
34	Bathua leaves	Green leafy vegetables	211 mg	21%	21%
35	Safflower seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	211 mg	21%	21%
36	Betel leaves	Green leafy vegetables	207 mg	21%	21%
37	Mint leaves	Spices, herbs and condiments	205 mg	21%	21%
38	Mud crab	Fish and seafood	201 mg	20%	20%
39	Rice bean	Pulses and legumes	200 mg	20%	20%
40	Quinoa	Cereals and millets	198 mg	20%	20%
41	Mustard leaves (sarson)	Green leafy vegetables	191 mg	19%	19%
42	Amaranth seed (rajgira)	Cereals and millets	181 mg	18%	18%
43	Sunflower seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	176 mg	18%	18%
44	Mace	Spices, herbs and condiments	174 mg	17%	17%
45	Bombay duck	Fish and seafood	159 mg	16%	16%
46	Moth bean (matki)	Pulses and legumes	154 mg	15%	15%
47	Phalsa	Fruits	153 mg	15%	15%
48	Beet greens	Green leafy vegetables	151 mg	15%	15%
49	Pak Choi leaves	Green leafy vegetables	150 mg	15%	15%
50	Tamarind	Fruits	149 mg	15%	15%
51	Nutmeg	Spices, herbs and condiments	148 mg	15%	15%
52	Coriander leaves	Spices, herbs and condiments	146 mg	15%	15%
53	Gongura (gogu) leaves	Green leafy vegetables	145 mg	14%	14%
54	Fenugreek seeds (methi dana)	Spices, herbs and condiments	135 mg	14%	14%
55	Pistachio	Nuts and oilseeds	135 mg	14%	14%
56	Rumex leaves	Green leafy vegetables	131 mg	13%	13%
57	Crab	Fish and seafood	128 mg	13%	13%
58	Oyster	Fish and seafood	126 mg	13%	13%
59	Rajma (red kidney beans)	Pulses and legumes	126 mg	13%	13%
60	Turmeric powder	Spices, herbs and condiments	122 mg	12%	12%
61	Clam	Fish and seafood	121 mg	12%	12%
62	Cluster beans (gawar)	Vegetables and mushrooms	121 mg	12%	12%
63	Milk	Milk and dairy	118 mg	12%	12%
64	Jaggery	Sugars and natural drinks	107 mg	11%	11%
65	Walnut	Nuts and oilseeds	105 mg	11%	11%
66	Tilapia	Fish and seafood	99 mg	10%	10%
67	Cauliflower leaves	Green leafy vegetables	97 mg	10%	10%
68	Basella leaves	Green leafy vegetables	94 mg	9%	9%
69	Okra (bhindi)	Vegetables and mushrooms	86 mg	9%	9%
70	Silver carp	Fish and seafood	86 mg	9%	9%
71	Cowpea (lobia)	Pulses and legumes	82 mg	8%	8%
72	Spinach	Green leafy vegetables	82 mg	8%	8%
73	Fig	Fruits	79 mg	8%	8%
74	Field bean (dry)	Pulses and legumes	78 mg	8%	8%
75	Baby corn	Vegetables and mushrooms	77 mg	8%	8%
76	Whole masoor (lentil)	Pulses and legumes	76 mg	8%	8%
77	Dried peas	Pulses and legumes	75 mg	8%	8%
78	Lobster	Fish and seafood	73 mg	7%	7%
79	Raisins	Fruits	73 mg	7%	7%
80	Red gram (toor or arhar)	Pulses and legumes	72 mg	7%	7%
81	Dates	Fruits	71 mg	7%	7%
82	Field beans (fresh pods)	Vegetables and mushrooms	71 mg	7%	7%
83	Tamarind leaves	Green leafy vegetables	67 mg	7%	7%
84	Broad beans	Vegetables and mushrooms	64 mg	6%	6%
85	Tender red gram (fresh toor)	Vegetables and mushrooms	59 mg	6%	6%
86	Lettuce	Green leafy vegetables	57 mg	6%	6%
87	Black gram (urad)	Pulses and legumes	56 mg	6%	6%
88	French beans	Vegetables and mushrooms	56 mg	6%	6%
89	Wood apple (kaitha)	Fruits	56 mg	6%	6%
90	Brussels sprouts	Green leafy vegetables	54 mg	5%	5%
91	Peanuts (groundnut)	Nuts and oilseeds	54 mg	5%	5%
92	Freshwater Eel	Fish and seafood	53 mg	5%	5%
93	Cabbage	Green leafy vegetables	52 mg	5%	5%
94	Egg	Meat, poultry and eggs	49 mg	5%	5%
95	Prawns	Fish and seafood	49 mg	5%	5%
96	Bael	Fruits	48 mg	5%	5%
97	Ber (Indian jujube)	Fruits	47 mg	5%	5%
98	Sole fish	Fish and seafood	47 mg	5%	5%
99	Yam (suran)	Roots and tubers	47 mg	5%	5%
100	Bengal gram (chana)	Pulses and legumes	46 mg	5%	5%
101	Rabbit	Meat, poultry and eggs	46 mg	5%	5%
102	Raw jackfruit	Vegetables and mushrooms	46 mg	5%	5%
103	Catla	Fish and seafood	44 mg	4%	4%
104	Masoor dal (red lentil)	Pulses and legumes	44 mg	4%	4%
105	Green gram (moong)	Pulses and legumes	43 mg	4%	4%
106	Scarlet runner bean	Vegetables and mushrooms	43 mg	4%	4%
107	Sardine	Fish and seafood	42 mg	4%	4%
108	Currants	Fruits	40 mg	4%	4%
109	Celery stalk	Vegetables and mushrooms	39 mg	4%	4%
110	Rohu	Fish and seafood	39 mg	4%	4%
111	Wheat (whole, suji and dalia)	Cereals and millets	39 mg	4%	4%
112	Lotus root (kamal kakdi)	Roots and tubers	38 mg	4%	4%
113	Rani	Fish and seafood	38 mg	4%	4%
114	Tiger prawns	Fish and seafood	38 mg	4%	4%
115	Anchovy	Fish and seafood	37 mg	4%	4%
116	Water Chestnut	Roots and tubers	37 mg	4%	4%
117	Carrot	Roots and tubers	35 mg	4%	4%
118	Jackfruit (ripe)	Fruits	35 mg	4%	4%
119	Knol-khol (kohlrabi)	Vegetables and mushrooms	35 mg	4%	4%
120	Mullet	Fish and seafood	35 mg	4%	4%
121	Cashew nut	Nuts and oilseeds	34 mg	3%	3%
122	Ivy gourd (kundru)	Vegetables and mushrooms	34 mg	3%	3%
123	Drumstick (moringa pods)	Vegetables and mushrooms	33 mg	3%	3%
124	Coconut	Nuts and oilseeds	32 mg	3%	3%
125	Guinea fowl	Meat, poultry and eggs	31 mg	3%	3%
126	Mackerel	Fish and seafood	31 mg	3%	3%
127	Pointed gourd (parwal)	Vegetables and mushrooms	31 mg	3%	3%
128	Spring onion	Vegetables and mushrooms	31 mg	3%	3%
129	Wheat flour (atta and maida)	Cereals and millets	31 mg	3%	3%
130	Colocasia root (arbi)	Roots and tubers	30 mg	3%	3%
131	Apricot (dried and processed)	Fruits	29 mg	3%	3%
132	Barley	Cereals and millets	29 mg	3%	3%
133	Colocasia stem	Vegetables and mushrooms	29 mg	3%	3%
134	Milk fish	Fish and seafood	29 mg	3%	3%
135	Moon fish	Fish and seafood	29 mg	3%	3%
136	Silan	Fish and seafood	29 mg	3%	3%
137	Avocado	Fruits	28 mg	3%	3%
138	Custard apple (sitaphal)	Fruits	28 mg	3%	3%
139	Green peas (fresh)	Vegetables and mushrooms	28 mg	3%	3%
140	Jowar (sorghum)	Cereals and millets	28 mg	3%	3%
141	Radish	Roots and tubers	28 mg	3%	3%
142	Sweet potato	Roots and tubers	28 mg	3%	3%
143	Bajra (pearl millet)	Cereals and millets	27 mg	3%	3%
144	Coconut water	Sugars and natural drinks	27 mg	3%	3%
145	Raw mango	Vegetables and mushrooms	27 mg	3%	3%
146	Sweet lime (mosambi)	Fruits	26 mg	3%	3%
147	Tapioca (cassava)	Roots and tubers	26 mg	3%	3%
148	Cauliflower	Vegetables and mushrooms	25 mg	3%	3%
149	Jamun	Fruits	25 mg	3%	3%
150	Snake gourd	Vegetables and mushrooms	25 mg	3%	3%
151	Black berry	Fruits	24 mg	2%	2%
152	Chembali	Fish and seafood	24 mg	2%	2%
153	Cherries	Fruits	24 mg	2%	2%
154	Chillies (green and red)	Spices, herbs and condiments	24 mg	2%	2%
155	Oyster mushroom (dried)	Vegetables and mushrooms	24 mg	2%	2%
156	Pumpkin	Vegetables and mushrooms	24 mg	2%	2%
157	Salmon	Fish and seafood	24 mg	2%	2%
158	Country chicken (desi)	Meat, poultry and eggs	23 mg	2%	2%
159	Duck	Meat, poultry and eggs	23 mg	2%	2%
160	Lemon (juice)	Fruits	23 mg	2%	2%
161	Raw papaya	Vegetables and mushrooms	23 mg	2%	2%
162	Squid	Fish and seafood	23 mg	2%	2%
163	Catfish	Fish and seafood	22 mg	2%	2%
164	Octopus	Fish and seafood	22 mg	2%	2%
165	Bitter gourd (karela)	Vegetables and mushrooms	21 mg	2%	2%
166	Onion	Spices, herbs and condiments	21 mg	2%	2%
167	Quail	Meat, poultry and eggs	21 mg	2%	2%
168	Amla (Indian gooseberry)	Fruits	20 mg	2%	2%
169	Garlic	Spices, herbs and condiments	20 mg	2%	2%
170	Hilsa (ilish)	Fish and seafood	20 mg	2%	2%
171	Orange	Fruits	20 mg	2%	2%
172	Tinda (round gourd)	Vegetables and mushrooms	20 mg	2%	2%
173	Turkey	Meat, poultry and eggs	20 mg	2%	2%
174	Ash gourd (petha)	Vegetables and mushrooms	19 mg	2%	2%
175	Chow chow (chayote)	Vegetables and mushrooms	19 mg	2%	2%
176	Ginger	Spices, herbs and condiments	19 mg	2%	2%
177	Guava	Fruits	19 mg	2%	2%
178	Button mushroom	Vegetables and mushrooms	18 mg	2%	2%
179	Chikoo (sapota)	Fruits	18 mg	2%	2%
180	Pigeon	Meat, poultry and eggs	18 mg	2%	2%
181	Pomfret	Fish and seafood	18 mg	2%	2%
182	Sugarcane	Sugars and natural drinks	18 mg	2%	2%
183	Beet root	Roots and tubers	17 mg	2%	2%
184	Brinjal (baingan)	Vegetables and mushrooms	17 mg	2%	2%
185	Pine nuts (chilgoza)	Nuts and oilseeds	17 mg	2%	2%
186	Zucchini	Vegetables and mushrooms	17 mg	2%	2%
187	Cucumber	Vegetables and mushrooms	16 mg	2%	2%
188	Mango	Fruits	16 mg	2%	2%
189	Samai (little millet)	Cereals and millets	16 mg	2%	2%
190	Bottle gourd (lauki)	Vegetables and mushrooms	15 mg	2%	2%
191	Capsicum	Vegetables and mushrooms	15 mg	2%	2%
192	Papaya	Fruits	15 mg	2%	2%
193	Puffed rice (murmura)	Cereals and millets	15 mg	2%	2%
194	Strawberry	Fruits	15 mg	2%	2%
195	Varagu millet	Cereals and millets	15 mg	2%	2%
196	Apple	Fruits	14 mg	1%	1%
197	Mango ginger (amba haldi)	Spices, herbs and condiments	14 mg	1%	1%
198	Matha	Fish and seafood	14 mg	1%	1%
199	Plantain (raw banana)	Vegetables and mushrooms	14 mg	1%	1%
200	Pomelo	Fruits	14 mg	1%	1%
201	Ridge gourd (turai)	Vegetables and mushrooms	14 mg	1%	1%
202	Chicken (broiler)	Meat, poultry and eggs	13 mg	1%	1%
203	Karimeen (pearl spot)	Fish and seafood	12 mg	1%	1%
204	Grapes	Fruits	11 mg	1%	1%
205	Kalava	Fish and seafood	11 mg	1%	1%
206	Karonda	Fruits	11 mg	1%	1%
207	Pangas	Fish and seafood	11 mg	1%	1%
208	Pineapple	Fruits	11 mg	1%	1%
209	Pomegranate	Fruits	11 mg	1%	1%
210	Bamboo shoot	Vegetables and mushrooms	10 mg	1%	1%
211	Black snapper	Fish and seafood	10 mg	1%	1%
212	Muskmelon	Fruits	10 mg	1%	1%
213	Pork	Meat, poultry and eggs	10 mg	1%	1%
214	Potato	Roots and tubers	10 mg	1%	1%
215	Seer fish (vanjaram)	Fish and seafood	10 mg	1%	1%
216	Soursop	Fruits	10 mg	1%	1%
217	Tomato	Vegetables and mushrooms	10 mg	1%	1%
218	Tuna	Fish and seafood	10 mg	1%	1%
219	Bhetki (barramundi)	Fish and seafood	9 mg	1%	1%
220	Maize (corn)	Cereals and millets	9 mg	1%	1%
221	Manila tamarind (jungle jalebi)	Fruits	9 mg	1%	1%
222	Parrot fish	Fish and seafood	9 mg	1%	1%
223	Poha (rice flakes)	Cereals and millets	9 mg	1%	1%
224	Rambutan	Fruits	9 mg	1%	1%
225	Plum	Fruits	8 mg	1%	1%
226	Red snapper	Fish and seafood	8 mg	1%	1%
227	Shark	Fish and seafood	8 mg	1%	1%
228	Emu	Meat, poultry and eggs	7 mg	1%	1%
229	Peach	Fruits	7 mg	1%	1%
230	Pear	Fruits	7 mg	1%	1%
231	Rice	Cereals and millets	7 mg	1%	1%
232	Goat meat (mutton)	Meat, poultry and eggs	6 mg	1%	1%
233	Litchi	Fruits	6 mg	1%	1%
234	Queen fish	Fish and seafood	6 mg	1%	1%
235	Banana	Fruits	5 mg	1%	1%
236	Chicken mushroom	Vegetables and mushrooms	5 mg	1%	1%
237	Mangosteen	Fruits	5 mg	1%	1%
238	Sheep meat (lamb)	Meat, poultry and eggs	5 mg	1%	1%
239	Shiitake mushroom	Vegetables and mushrooms	5 mg	1%	1%
240	Star fruit	Fruits	5 mg	1%	1%
241	Watermelon	Fruits	5 mg	1%	1%
242	Chicken liver and gizzard	Meat, poultry and eggs	4 mg	0%	0%

Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily needs: ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (brief note).

Cite this page

NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Calcium content of Indian foods. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/nutrients/calcium/

03Vegetarian sources

The top vegetarian sources of calcium

Top vegetarian sources of calcium per 100 g
Food	Group	Per 100 g
Sesame seeds (til)	Nuts and oilseeds	1,664 mg
Poppy seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	1,372 mg
Ajwain (carom seeds)	Spices, herbs and condiments	1,034 mg
Agathi leaves	Green leafy vegetables	901 mg
Cumin seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	878 mg
Coriander seeds	Spices, herbs and condiments	718 mg
Curry leaves	Spices, herbs and condiments	659 mg
Khoa (mawa)	Milk and dairy	602 mg
Niger seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	572 mg
Cloves	Spices, herbs and condiments	567 mg
Paneer	Milk and dairy	476 mg
Pippali (long pepper)	Spices, herbs and condiments	414 mg
Black pepper	Spices, herbs and condiments	405 mg
Mustard seeds	Nuts and oilseeds	402 mg
Ponnaganni	Green leafy vegetables	388 mg

04How much you need

Calcium requirements for Indians

ICMR-NIN 2020 sets the recommended dietary allowance for calcium at 1,000 mg a day for both the 65 kg reference man and the 55 kg reference woman. The estimated average requirement for calcium, the intake that meets the needs of half of healthy adults, is 800 mg a day for both.

Because the body absorbs calcium less well from plant foods, it helps to build several calcium sources into the day rather than relying on one. Anyone with osteoporosis, a history of kidney stones or a parathyroid condition should ask a doctor about calcium before using supplements.

05Using the table

From a table to a plate

Figures are per 100 g of raw food. Nobody eats 100 g of sesame or cumin, so a teaspoon of til in a chutney adds only a modest amount, while 100 g of paneer or a large serving of cooked greens is a realistic portion. Absorption varies too: calcium from milk, curd and paneer is taken up well, while oxalate in spinach and amaranth, and phytate in whole grains, bind part of it. Milk itself sits outside the top 25 per 100 g only because it is mostly water.

Have a glass of milk, a bowl of curd or a piece of paneer every day; dairy calcium is among the best absorbed.
Grind roasted til into chutney, podi or laddoos, since even a spoonful lifts the calcium in a meal.
Use ragi for at least one meal a day, as mudde, dosa, roti or porridge.
Cook agathi, drumstick leaves, knol-khol leaves and methi into dal or poriyal several times a week.
Get some daily sunlight or ask a doctor about vitamin D, which the body needs to absorb calcium well.
Spread calcium foods across the day, because the gut absorbs smaller amounts more efficiently than one large dose.

06Questions

What people ask about calcium

Which Indian food has the most calcium?

Per 100 g, sesame seeds lead IFCT 2017 at 1,664 mg, then poppy seeds at 1,372 mg and ajwain at 1,034 mg. Among everyday foods, agathi leaves at 901 mg, khoa at 602 mg, paneer at 476 mg and ragi at 364 mg are the most useful.

How much calcium does an adult need a day?

ICMR-NIN 2020 recommends 1,000 mg of calcium a day for adult men and women alike, with an average requirement of 800 mg. A day that includes dairy, ragi or sesame, plus a green leafy vegetable, gets most people close.

Is ragi or milk better for calcium?

Per 100 g, ragi flour has 364 mg of calcium, far more than milk, which is mostly water. But a glass of milk is easy to drink daily and its calcium is well absorbed, while ragi's phytate holds some back. The two work best together, as in ragi malt made with milk.

Does spinach provide a lot of calcium?

Spinach is not among the top calcium foods in IFCT 2017, and much of its calcium is bound by oxalate. Leaves such as agathi at 901 mg, ponnaganni at 388 mg and drumstick leaves at 314 mg per 100 g are stronger choices.

Should I take a calcium tablet?

Many people meet their needs from food alone. Tablets can help when the diet is low, around menopause or when a doctor finds weak bones, but too much calcium can cause problems. Ask a doctor before starting one, especially with a history of kidney stones.

07Keep exploring

Calcium content of Indian foods

What calcium does, and where Indian diets stand

All 242 foods ranked by calcium

The top vegetarian sources of calcium

Calcium requirements for Indians

From a table to a plate

What people ask about calcium

Which Indian food has the most calcium?

How much calcium does an adult need a day?

Is ragi or milk better for calcium?

Does spinach provide a lot of calcium?

Should I take a calcium tablet?

Related reading and tables

Calcium-rich Indian foods beyond milk

Calories (energy) content of Indian foods

Protein content of Indian foods

Dietary fibre content of Indian foods

Total fat content of Indian foods

Carbohydrate content of Indian foods

Iron content of Indian foods

Zinc content of Indian foods

Magnesium content of Indian foods

Potassium content of Indian foods