Calcium rich foods and my favourite Slimming World healthy extra A choices
Calcium is really important and you can get it from more than just milk so read on to find out more.
Just Average Jen is an independent blog not connected with any weight loss plan. Please check nutritional values and/or syns yourself.
What does calcium do?
Calcium is a mineral necessary for human life and an important part of every diet. Approximately 99% of the calcium in the body is stored in the bones and teeth.
It plays an important role in the development and maintenance of strong and dense bones earlier in life and helps to keep bones healthy and strong later in life.
Calcium is responsible for building, forming, and maintaining strong and healthy bones and teeth in the body and helps reduce the incidence of osteoporosis.
It also is a vital component in blood clotting and helps with wound healing. Calcium helps to control blood pressure, produce enzymes, and is essential for muscle contraction.
Calcium is best absorbed and metabolized by the body when taken with magnesium and vitamin D.
Recommended daily intake of calcium
Calcium is important for all humans of every age group. It is equally important for young people who are developing their bones and teeth all the way up to elderly people who are maintaining strong and healthy bones and teeth.
The following outlines the amount of calcium that Health Canada recommends each age group should consume in a day.
- Infants 0-6 months: 210 mg/day
- 7-12 months: 270 mg/day
- 1-3 years: 500 mg/day
- 4-8 years: 800 mg/day
- 9-18 years: 1300 mg/day
- 19-50 years: 1000 mg/day
- 51+ years: 1200 mg/day
Foods naturally rich in calcium
Although calcium supplements can help to increase a person’s daily intake of calcium, they should not replace calcium-rich foods.
The following are some of the most common food sources of calcium:
- sardines (7 medium): 395 mg
- cheddar cheese (1.5 oz): 325 mg
- goat’s milk (1 cup): 325 mg
- milk (1 cup): 310 mg
- yoghurt (3/4 cup): 280 mg
- spinach, steamed (1 cup): 245 mg
- turnip greens, cooked (1 cup): 197 mg
- almonds (1/2 cup): 175 mg
- calcium-enriched tofu (1/2 cup): 150 mg
- mustard greens, steamed (1 cup): 104 mg
- sunflower seeds, shelled (1/2 cup): 70 mg
- broccoli (1/2 cup): 70 mg
- ground cinnamon (2 tsp): 56 mg
- orange (1 medium): 55 mg
Why do we need the Slimming World Healthy Extra A?
The healthy extra a choice in the Slimming World plan (full plan details here) is to ensure your body gets enough calcium.
The Slimming World diet does not include unlimited things like milk or cheese but instead has an allowance for this, the healthy extra a choice.
The reason for this is to ensure everyone on the weight loss plan has their ideal amount of calcium.
How many Slimming World healthy extra a choices can you have in a day?
Slimming World advises two healthy extra A choices per day. This ensures that you have enough calcium in your diet to keep you healthy.
It is your choice whether that is made up of milk, cheese or a mixture of the two.
Whilst, as you can see above, there are a number of foods that are good sources of calcium these do not count as your Slimming World healthy extra A choice.
If you prefer to eat high in calcium foods and miss out on your healthy extra a choice that is of course your decision.
This would mean you were not following the Slimming World plan completely but as with everything, it is your body and your choice.
Unofficial Slimming World milk allowance for Healthy Extra A
If you are using milk as your healthy extra A choice and want to split it into coffees throughout the day for example then the easiest way to do this is to measure your allowance out in the morning using a jug or bottle.
Simply measure once and mark on your allowance with a marker pen and fill that up daily. It is as simple as that!
These are always subject to change so please consider these as approximate and check for yourself.
Cow’s milk allowance
The amount of cow’s milk you can have is different to other milks. These amounts are for one healthy extra choice and are always subject to change so please consider these as approximate and check for yourself.
- 350ml Skimmed milk
- 300ml 1% fat milk
- 250ml semi-skimmed milk
- 200ml whole milk
Goats milk as healthy extra a choice
- 400ml skimmed goats milk
- 275ml semi-skimmed goats milk
- 200ml whole goats milk
Lactose-free milk for healthy extra a choice
- 300ml semi-skimmed lactose-free dairy drink
- 350ml Moo Skimmed milk, lactose-free
- 300ml Moo Semi-skimmed lactose-free milk
- 250ml Asda Lactose-free semi-skimmed milk
- 250ml Avonmore lactose-free 1.5% fat milk
- 350ml Morrisons lactose-free skimmed milk
- 200ml Morrisons lactose-free whole milk
There are a number of other Lactose-free options all with varying amounts counting as your Healthy Extra A Choice. I found these super helpful while I was lactose free due to a side effect of medicine I was on.
Check the Slimming World website or app for more details.
Almond milk choices
- 400ml Almond drink, plain and unsweetened with added calcium.
- 400ml Plenish fortified almond milk, unsweetened, chilled.
- 400ml Tesco almond alternative to dairy milk, chilled and unsweetened
- 400ml Asda free-from almond milk alternative, unsweetened and chilled
- 400ml Tesco almond alternative to dairy milk, long life and unsweetened.
- 400ml Alpro almond drink, unroasted/roasted and unsweetened long life or chilled
Soya milk
- 400ml soya drink, plain and unsweetened, with added calcium
- 400ml Alpro soya drink, light, chilled
- 400ml Alpro soya drink, unsweetened, chilled or long life
Rice milk
- 225ml rice drink, plain and unsweetened with added calcium
- 225ml Alpro rice drink original, no added sugar, long life
Coconut milk
I love coconut milk!
- 400ml Alpro coconut drink, unsweetened, chilled
- 400ml Alpro coconut drink, original, no added sugars, chilled
Oat milk
Did you know you can make your own oat milk? It is surprisingly easy! If you prefer to buy it here is how much you can have as your healthy extra A choice.
They are always subject to change so please consider these as approximate and check for yourself. If you are on a plant-based diet this could be perfect.
- 325ml Alpro oat drink, unsweetened, long life.
- 300ml Alpro oat drink, original, no added sugars, chilled or long life.
Cheese allowance for Healthy Extra A
There are so many cheeses you can have for your healthy extra A choice and are always subject to change so please consider these as approximate and check for yourself.
Here are a few you may like to try.
25g of cheese
- Manchego
30g of cheese
- Cheddar
- Double Gloucester
- Red Leicester
- Emmental
- Gouda
- Gruyere
- Hard goats cheese
- Parmesan/Grana Padano/ Parmigiano Reggiano – fresh only, not dried!
35g of cheese
- Danish blue
- Edam
- Halloumi
40g of cheese
- Reduced-fat cheddar 30% or 50% less fat
- Reduced-fat Emmental
45g of cheese
- Feta
- Reduced-fat halloumi
50g of cheese
- Mozzarella made with cows milk
65g of cheese
- Reduced-fat feta
- Reduced-fat Greek style salad cheese
70g of cheese
- Reduced-fat mozzarella
90g of cheese
- Ricotta
Vegan cheese allowance, free-from and other speciality cheeses
These are always subject to change so please consider these as approximate and check for yourself.
- 30g Lactofree Mature Cheddar
- 40g Koko Dairy Free Alternative to cheddar
- 50g Tesco Lactose-free mozzarella
- 30g Cathedral city lactose-free cheddar, mature
- 45g Waitrose lactose-free Greek feta
My favourite healthy extra a cheeses you don’t have to weigh!
These are always subject to change so please consider these as approximate and check for yourself.
- 2 Kerry Cheesestrings, the original variety
- 2 mini Babybel original
- 3 mini Babybel light
- 2 Dairylea light cheese slices
- 3 Dairylea original triangles
- 4 Dairylea light triangles
- 4 McLelland Seriously Spreadable Lighter creamy cheese squares
- 2 Laughing cow triangles, original
- 5 Laughing cow light triangles, Emmental, cheddar, blue cheese or plain varieties
- 6 laughing cow extra light triangles
Slimming World healthy extra a FAQ’s
Of course these answers are ones I have found myself while following the plan, things can change so it is always a good idea to check yourself.
Is stilton a Slimming World healthy extra a choice?
Unfortunately not, if you want to enjoy stilton in a recipe like this yummy Broccoli and Stilton soup it needs to be synned.
Is Philadelphia a Slimming World healthy extra a choice?
Whilst Philadelphia is low in syns it is not a Slimming World healthy extra a choice. Of course, you can still enjoy it, just remember to count the syns.
What does the blue milk bottle mean at the side of some cheeses
Can my HEA choices be milk and milk? ie if i have skimmed milk can i have 700 ml per day? Thanks
I am vegan and am finding it difficult to find meat replacement products with free sync or low syn values. Any ideas?
This is so easy and it works xx