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Nutrient comparisonUSDA survey foods

Calcium in foods and meals: compare USDA values

Dairy ingredients, fortified foods, greens, fish with edible bones, and recipe proportions can all move a meal's calcium estimate. This ranking uses a standard 100-gram basis while preserving the source serving for practical context.

Read the rank carefully

Concentration and portion answer different questions.

A calcium value describes the amount reported in a reference record. It does not measure absorption, replace a complete dietary assessment, or establish that your version of the dish uses the same ingredients.

Boundary: Fortification and brand differences can be substantial, so check a current package label when a branded food is central to the estimate.

The shape behind the leaderboard

A rank is easier to interpret when zero and missing stay visible.

Reported zero is a value; missing is the absence of a value in Feast’s panel. The ranking lists only positive records, while these summaries use every reported value—including zero—so a sparse nutrient does not acquire an artificially elevated “typical” value.

Reported-value midpoint36 mgmedian per 100 g, reported zeros included
90th-percentile boundary164 mg9 in 10 records with a reported value are at or below this point
Observed maximum1,380 mgone exact source record, not a general expectation
Value coverage3,850 / 3,8503,777 positive · 73 zero · 0 missing

Practical food and meal matches

Food and meal records with higher reported calcium per 100 grams

This view omits sauces, condiments, beverages, snacks, desserts, powders, isolates, supplements, and dry mixes so a meal-oriented search is not answered by lard, whey powder, or a concentrated sauce. It also caps repeated food families and broad categories before gradually widening the selection, so dozens of near-identical preparations do not crowd out other useful matches. The filter is editorial, not nutritional: excluded records remain valid source data.

Practical food and meal records ranked by calcium per 100 grams
Rank and foodPer 100 gPer source servingServing context
01Cheese, with wineDairy 1,380 mg 193.2 mg≈ 15% label Daily Value Source amount14 g source weight43 kcal in that amount
02Cheese, AmericanDairy 1,060 mg 222.6 mg≈ 17% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight71 kcal in that amount
03Cheese, American and Swiss blendsDairy 1,060 mg 222.6 mg≈ 17% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight71 kcal in that amount
04Cheese, GruyereDairy 1,010 mg 212.1 mg≈ 16% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight87 kcal in that amount
05Cheese, Mozzarella, nonfat or fat freeDairy 961 mg 201.8 mg≈ 16% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight30 kcal in that amount
06Cheese, Swiss, nonfat or fat freeDairy 961 mg 201.8 mg≈ 16% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight27 kcal in that amount
07Cheese, Swiss, reduced fatDairy 961 mg 201.8 mg≈ 16% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight38 kcal in that amount
08Cheese, Swiss, reduced sodiumDairy 961 mg 201.8 mg≈ 16% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight79 kcal in that amount
09Cheese, Parmesan, dry gratedDairy 917 mg 56.9 mg≈ 4% label Daily Value Source amount6 g source weight26 kcal in that amount
10Cheese, Cheddar, nonfat or fat freeDairy 893 mg 187.5 mg≈ 14% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight33 kcal in that amount
11Cheese, American, nonfat or fat freeDairy 789 mg 165.7 mg≈ 13% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight26 kcal in that amount
12Cheese, Cheddar, reduced fatDairy 761 mg 159.8 mg≈ 12% label Daily Value Source amount21 g source weight66 kcal in that amount
13Bread, white, special formula, added fiber, toastedBreads & baked goods 752 mg 188 mg≈ 14% label Daily Value Source amount25 g source weight66 kcal in that amount
14Bread, whole grain white, toastedBreads & baked goods 752 mg 248.2 mg≈ 19% label Daily Value Source amount33 g source weight86 kcal in that amount
15Bread, white, special formula, added fiberBreads & baked goods 684 mg 191.5 mg≈ 15% label Daily Value Source amount28 g source weight67 kcal in that amount
16Bread, whole grain whiteBreads & baked goods 684 mg 246.2 mg≈ 19% label Daily Value Source amount36 g source weight86 kcal in that amount
17Chia seedsBeans, nuts & protein foods 631 mg 56.8 mg≈ 4% label Daily Value Source amount9 g source weight44 kcal in that amount
18Cheese sandwich, American cheese, on white breadSandwiches, burgers & wraps 561 mg 572.2 mg≈ 44% label Daily Value Source amount102 g source weight303 kcal in that amount
19Cheese sandwich, American cheese, on wheat breadSandwiches, burgers & wraps 532 mg 542.6 mg≈ 42% label Daily Value Source amount102 g source weight301 kcal in that amount
20Grilled cheese sandwich, American cheese, on white breadSandwiches, burgers & wraps 496 mg 575.4 mg≈ 44% label Daily Value Source amount116 g source weight398 kcal in that amount
21Topping from cheese pizzaMixed dishes 485 mg 388 mg≈ 30% label Daily Value Source amount80 g source weight184 kcal in that amount
22Grilled cheese sandwich, American cheese, on wheat breadSandwiches, burgers & wraps 470 mg 545.2 mg≈ 42% label Daily Value Source amount116 g source weight396 kcal in that amount
23Topping from vegetable pizzaMixed dishes 455 mg 445.9 mg≈ 34% label Daily Value Source amount98 g source weight242 kcal in that amount
24Cheese sandwich, cheddar cheese, on white breadSandwiches, burgers & wraps 415 mg 423.3 mg≈ 33% label Daily Value Source amount102 g source weight332 kcal in that amount
25Cheese sandwich, cheddar cheese, on wheat breadSandwiches, burgers & wraps 386 mg 393.7 mg≈ 30% label Daily Value Source amount102 g source weight329 kcal in that amount
26Fish, sardines, cannedFish & seafood 382 mg 324.7 mg≈ 25% label Daily Value Source amount85 g source weight177 kcal in that amount
27Soybean curd, deep friedBeans, nuts & protein foods 372 mg 145.1 mg≈ 11% label Daily Value Source amount39 g source weight105 kcal in that amount
28Cereal, O's, plainBreakfast foods 368 mg 110.4 mg≈ 8% label Daily Value Source amount30 g source weight112 kcal in that amount
29Grilled cheese sandwich, cheddar cheese, on white breadSandwiches, burgers & wraps 367 mg 425.7 mg≈ 33% label Daily Value Source amount116 g source weight427 kcal in that amount
30Shrimp, driedFish & seafood 362 mg 307.7 mg≈ 24% label Daily Value Source amount85 g source weight213 kcal in that amount
31Cereal, oat squaresBreakfast foods 358 mg 161.1 mg≈ 12% label Daily Value Source amount45 g source weight171 kcal in that amount
32Cereal, frosted oats with marshmallowsBreakfast foods 357 mg 125 mg≈ 10% label Daily Value Source amount35 g source weight130 kcal in that amount
33Burrito, cheese onlySandwiches, burgers & wraps 353 mg 529.5 mg≈ 41% label Daily Value Source amount150 g source weight492 kcal in that amount
34Cereal, O's, flavoredBreakfast foods 353 mg 141.2 mg≈ 11% label Daily Value Source amount40 g source weight154 kcal in that amount
35Cereal, O's, honey nutBreakfast foods 353 mg 141.2 mg≈ 11% label Daily Value Source amount40 g source weight154 kcal in that amount
36Quesadilla, cheese onlyMixed dishes 348 mg 208.8 mg≈ 16% label Daily Value Source amount60 g source weight190 kcal in that amount

This is a descriptive ranking, not a list of recommended portions. Values are rounded for readability; each linked profile retains the source details.

Outside the meal-oriented view

What the practical filter sets aside.

These are the highest reported per-100-gram records excluded from the practical table—not a repetition of foods already shown above. Concentrated fats, powders, sauces, beverages, and snack foods can legitimately lead a composition database while being poor answers to a search for an ordinary meal. Keeping them visible makes the editorial boundary auditable.

A three-step comparison

Move from a ranked record to your actual meal.

  1. 01

    Match the description

    Open the closest record and check its exact USDA food description, ingredients implied by the name, and preparation style.

  2. 02

    Match the amount

    Use the household portions or gram calculator instead of assuming the database's source serving equals what you ate.

  3. 03

    Add what the record misses

    Brands, recipes, sauces, cooking fat, fortification, and substitutions can change the reported calcium value and the rest of the nutrient profile.

A concrete denominator reversal

The denser record can still contribute less in its listed serving.

This is why Feast shows both columns. The comparison below is arithmetic from two source records—not a recommended portion and not evidence that one food is healthier.

Higher concentration

Cheese, with wine

1,380 mg per 100 g

193.2 mg in a 14 g source amount

Why two versions of the same meal can differ

Food names are useful search labels, not complete recipes. A restaurant dish, homemade version, frozen entrée, and school meal may share a familiar name while using different ingredients and portions. Water loss during cooking can also raise the reported amount per 100 grams without adding energy or nutrients to the original ingredients.

USDA survey-food records are valuable because they provide a traceable comparison point. They do not remove normal variation. For a packaged item, use the current label; for a homemade dish, a weighed recipe can be more specific than a generic record; for an unweighed plate, keep the result as an estimate.

Daily Value is context, not a prescription

The general U.S. food-label Daily Value used here is 1,300 mg; FDA Daily Values apply to adults and children age 4 or older. Percentages are calculated only to make a source serving easier to interpret. They are not personalized requirements and should not be applied as treatment targets.

For label interpretation, see the FDA's Nutrition Facts guide. For corpus provenance and calculations, read Feast's nutrition-page methodology.

Common questions

Using this comparison responsibly

What does a per-100-gram value mean?

It is the reported amount of calcium in 100 grams of the USDA reference food. Holding weight constant helps compare concentration, but it does not describe the amount in every person’s serving.

Does a higher per-100-gram rank mean a meal is better?

No. The rank describes one energy or nutrient metric relative to food weight. It does not score the whole meal, account for individual needs, or replace the serving, ingredient, and preparation context.

Will my meal match the USDA value?

Not necessarily. Recipe, brand, cooking method, additions, and portion weight can all change the total. Use the linked profile as a reference and compare its exact description with your food.

Decision support from the exact records on this page

Turn source data into a better next decision

These conclusions and reading paths are computed from 11 exact records behind Calcium ranking landmarks. Links are chosen by record identity, controlled contrast, formulation input, nutrient spread, or serving context—not by loose keyword similarity.

Equal-weight result

Cheese, with wine is higher in calcium per 100 g

Cheese, with wine reports 1,380 mg versus 217 mg for Pizza with pepperoni, stuffed crust: a 1,163 mg difference when both are normalized to 100 g.

Inspect the underlying evidence

The denominator changes the answer

Cheese, with wine is denser; Pizza with pepperoni, stuffed crust is higher in its source amount

Cheese, with wine reports 1,380 mg per 100 g and 193 mg in USDA source amount (14 g). Pizza with pepperoni, stuffed crust reports a lower 217 mg per 100 g but a higher 712 mg in USDA source amount (328 g).

Choose the record before reading the number

Cheese, Swiss, nonfat or fat free and Cheese, Swiss, reduced sodium are not interchangeable

The page keeps both records at the same 100 g denominator and makes Sodium wording (No matching controlled term in the source name versus reduced- or low-sodium wording) the explicit record-description contrast. It does not show that the wording difference caused a nutrient difference. Pick the description that matches the food in front of you rather than averaging away the distinction.

Inspect the underlying evidence

Contextual knowledge graph

Follow the relationship that matches your question

For Calcium ranking landmarks, each path states why the destination belongs here, so you can distinguish a true evidentiary connection from a merely similar label.

Best next guide for this exact record Cheese

Cheese, with wine and Cheese, American are explicitly linked in this guide, which separates direct name matches from contextual variants.

Follow this evidence path Best next guide for this exact record Cheese, Swiss

Cheese, Swiss, nonfat or fat free and Cheese, Swiss, reduced fat are explicitly linked in this guide, which separates direct name matches from contextual variants.

Follow this evidence path Compare two records on this page Cheese, Swiss, nonfat or fat free vs Cheese, Swiss, reduced sodium

Both records appear in this page’s evidence set. The explicit record-description contrast is Sodium wording: No matching controlled term in the source name versus reduced- or low-sodium wording; it is a selection cue, not evidence of cause.

Follow this evidence path Compare two records on this page Cheese, Swiss, reduced fat vs Cheese, Swiss, reduced sodium

Both records appear in this page’s evidence set. The explicit record-description contrast is Sodium wording: No matching controlled term in the source name versus reduced- or low-sodium wording; it is a selection cue, not evidence of cause.

Follow this evidence path 8 context records in this source topic Cheese

Cheese, with wine and Cheese, American belong to this USDA source-category collection. Its displayed ranges and complete exact-record catalog provide the peer set for a manual comparison; the destination does not preselect this page’s record.

Follow this evidence path A formulation detail that separates records Cheese, American

USDA input 14410110 appears in 1 of 11 context records; its summed listed input weight spans 100–100 g across those source formulations. These are source-formulation input weights, not plated or serving weights. Follow the code to inspect every represented occurrence.

Follow this evidence path A formulation detail that separates records Fast Food, Pizza Chain, 14" pizza, cheese topping, stuffed crust

USDA input 21511 appears in 1 of 11 context records; its summed listed input weight spans 1,184–1,184 g across those source formulations. These are source-formulation input weights, not plated or serving weights. Follow the code to inspect every represented occurrence.

Follow this evidence path