Calcium
Parmesan is the richest calcium source in our database at 1184 mg per 100 grams, with sesame seeds at 975 mg, Gouda at 700 mg and chia seeds at 631 mg. As a daily reference the EU NRV names 800 mg. Cheese and seeds therefore carry the highest contents per 100 grams.
The wordings from the regulation
Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 permits for calcium, among others: "calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones", "calcium contributes to normal muscle function" and "calcium contributes to normal blood clotting". The first of those three is one of the few claims using the word needed rather than contributes to — the regulation fixes the exact wording per nutrient, and it pays not to mix them up.
The richest sources, with real figures
Per 100 grams: parmesan 1184 mg, sesame seeds 975 mg, Gouda 700 mg, chia seeds 631 mg and mozzarella 505 mg. What the list does not show is portion size, and that makes the difference here. You grate ten grams of parmesan over a dish, eat thirty grams of cheese on bread, and scatter fifteen grams of seeds through a yoghurt. So always convert to the portion you actually eat.
800 mg a day and how you get there
The EU NRV is 800 mg per day. Dairy is the largest daily supplier in the Netherlands, not because its content per 100 grams is highest but because the portions are large and frequent: a glass of milk, a tub of quark, two slices of cheese. Plant-based works too, but then through several smaller contributions at once — sesame, chia, almonds, pulses and fortified plant alternatives.
Whose intake drops below the reference
Two patterns recur in our intakes. The first is cutting dairy entirely without replacement. The second is a long, aggressive calorie restriction in which dairy portions are the first casualty because they cost calories. Both are repairable on the plate. Whether it actually applies to you is not something a table can decide; with complaints or specific doubt, your GP is the route.
Bones, strength training and supplements
We sell no supplements and name no brands. But this, because it is the most relevant coaching note on this page: for the skeleton, loading is as much a stimulus as nutrition. Strength training with progressive load therefore belongs in this conversation, alongside calcium and alongside vitamin D, which under the regulation contributes to normal calcium absorption. We build all three into one plan rather than isolating one.
How we compile this list
We sort every row in the DCRAFT food database on the measured value per 100 grams and take the top of that list. Rows recorded per piece, per slice or per portion do not count, because a value per piece cannot be compared with a value per 100 grams. Products listed under a brand name are left out: their composition changes outside our control, and a ranking resting on it ages without us noticing. Where several products carry precisely the same value, it comes from one shared row in our source data and we name one product from that group. We set this rule out here because a ranking without a visible selection rule is an opinion rather than a measurement.
Frequently asked questions
Which foods contain the most calcium?
Parmesan leads at 1184 mg per 100 grams, and then sesame seeds at 975 mg and Gouda at 700 mg.
How much calcium per day?
The European reference intake comes to 800 mg per day (EU NRV). That value serves as an average for adults and appears on labels.
Can you get enough calcium without dairy?
Yes, but it then runs through several smaller contributions: sesame seeds, chia seeds, almonds, pulses and fortified plant alternatives together.
Why does vitamin D appear on this page?
Because Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 records the wording that vitamin D contributes to normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus. The two therefore belong in one conversation.
Sources
- DCRAFT food database — KILLER COACH ENGINE V2.3 workbook (accessed 26 August 2026)
- EU NRV — Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII (accessed 26 August 2026)
- Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (accessed 26 August 2026)
Please note: This is general information about nutrition, not medical advice. If you have symptoms or suspect a deficiency, discuss it with your doctor. We do not sell supplements and have no commercial interest in any brand.
Last updated: .
Written by Dennis, founder of Dcraft Of Fitness.