The Daily Smoothie Report … Brought to you by Calcium and how to obtain it in a Vegan diet.   The key to healthy bones is more than calcium. However, it is a vital player in your growth and development, meaning it is essential that we all receive enough. While a balanced vegan diet will easily make sure you receive your recommended daily allowance (700mg for adults, 800-100mg for adolescents) it is also important to consider how much of the calcium you eat is being actively absorbed by your body.

Some foods, such as spinach, contain a high amount of calcium but are bound to a substance called 'oxalate' which hinders calcium absorption. This is why replacing spinach with low-oxalate vegetables such as rocket, cabbage and kale are key to a calcium-rich diet.  Interestingly, calcium in cow's milk is not as easily absorbed, meaning that vegetables such as kale are much better sources of calcium than animal milks or 'dairy'.

Salt and caffeine have been shown to inhibit calcium uptake, so moderate your intake. Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables will increase calcium absorption, while adequate protein intake (roughly 1g of protein per kg of your healthy body weight) will also help.

Vegan-friendly sources of Calcium are spring greens, cabbage, watercress, kale, broccoli, parsley, almonds, chickpeas, tahini, drinking water, flax seeds, figs, collards, okra, tofu, white beans, raisins, butternut squash, prunes, dates, kiwis, mulberries and kumquats.

Today’s smoothie blast was created with water, ginger, turmeric, broccoli, blueberries, seedless red grapes and flax seeds.  Tasty!