What are some alternative sources of calcium (to milk) for the lactose-intolerant?

Little fishies with soft, edible bones (think sardines) are a good source of calcium as well as omega 3 fats.

One problem is bioavailability, that they may be bound by compounds in the plants. I don't have a really good answer for you about that, but fermentation probably helps (you get more from the cabbage in real sauerkraut or kimchi that you would eating it raw).

Lots of them. First, is Lactaid milk, which has the lactose-digesting enzyme lactase added to it. I believe you can purchase lactase separately and that it can be taken with lactose foods to aid in digestion. Second is yogurt or kefir, a fermented dairy drink that has much lower lactose content due to the active bacteria. But you should check, since they're not lactose free. The harder the cheese, the less lactase it has, so you might be okay with hard aged cheddars, parmesans, goudas, etc. over younger, creamier types. Almond milk has calcium. As do almonds. Soymilk is well fortified. Then there's broccoli, spinach, and other dark greens. A good spring mix salad is surprisingly high. There are obviously plenty of calcium supplements you can purchase if you're concerned. Anecdotally (meaning I read it somewhere), look out for too much phosphoric acid, a common acidic ingredient in soda, because it's been accused of interfering with calcium absorption. Just for curiosity, my friend growing up cured his lactose intolerance by drinking small amounts of milk every day until he "graduated" to a full glass. He didn't have a problem after that.

Sesame has not been mentioned yet, it's a rich source of calcium (the USDA Nutritient database linked to from luls' post states 975 mg Ca for 100g sesame, and 113 mg for the same amount of milk) and a great ingredient in its own right, especially for many vegetable and Asian dishes. The hull apparently contains a large share of the minerals, so peeled sesame might not be as rich. I don't know about sesame oil, but I like to use mushed sesame (Tahini, they call it) in cooking. Japanese 'Gomasio' is used instead of salt in macrobiotic cooking, it's just sesame seeds with salt (6-10 parts of sesame for one part of salt). There's also a great Turkish / Greek / North African dessert made with honey and sesame (it's called Halva in countries with Arabic influence, I don't know what the Greek call it).

Calcium containing products: Food Milligrams (mg) per serving Percent DV* Yogurt, plain, low fat, 8 ounces 415 42 Sardines, canned in oil, with bones, 3 ounces 324 32 Cheddar cheese, 1.5 ounces 306 31 Milk, nonfat, 8 ounces 302 30 Milk, reduced-fat (2% milk fat), 8 ounces 297 30 Milk, lactose-reduced, 8 ounces** 285-302 29-30 Milk, whole (3.25% milk fat), 8 ounces 291 29 Milk, buttermilk, 8 ounces 285 29 Mozzarella, part skim, 1.5 ounces 275 28 Yogurt, fruit, low fat, 8 ounces 245-384 25-38 Orange juice, calcium-fortified, 6 ounces 200-260 20-26 Tofu, firm, made with calcium sulfate, ½ cup*** 204 20 Salmon, pink, canned, solids with bone, 3 ounces 181 18 Pudding, chocolate, instant, made with 2% milk, ½ cup 153 15 Cottage cheese, 1% milk fat, 1 cup unpacked 138 14 Tofu, soft, made with calcium sulfate, ½ cup*** 138 14 Spinach, cooked, ½ cup 120 12 Ready-to-eat cereal, calcium-fortified, 1 cup 100-1,000 10-100 Instant breakfast drink, various flavors and brands, powder prepared with water, 8 ounces 105-250 10-25 Frozen yogurt, vanilla, soft serve, ½ cup 103 10 Turnip greens, boiled, ½ cup 99 10 Kale, cooked, 1 cup 94 9 Kale, raw, 1 cup 90 9 Ice cream, vanilla, ½ cup 85 8.5 Soy beverage, calcium-fortified, 8 ounces 80-500 8-50 Chinese cabbage, raw, 1 cup 74 7 Tortilla, corn, ready-to-bake/fry, 1 medium 42 4 Tortilla, flour, ready-to-bake/fry, one 6" diameter 37 4 Sour cream, reduced fat, cultured, 2 tablespoons 32 3 Bread, white, 1 ounce 31 3 Broccoli, raw, ½ cup 21 2 Bread, whole-wheat, 1 slice 20 2 Cheese, cream, regular, 1 tablespoon 12 1 Apart from these, there are several Calcium Supliments in the market. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium.asp.

I use a nutritional aid, Food File, and it sits on my computer ready for me to use. There is amaranth, a grain from the Incas and a product, soy isolate, both very high in calcium. I do understand the issues with soy isolate but perhaps a related source such as okara may also have new information about nutrient values available in this food. I hope this helps luls. Sorry I put in the wrong name.

Bone stalk is one way to get calcium. I don't have a specific recipee handy, but the general idea is to simmer bones (of chicken, beef, or whatever) in water (possibly with vegetables or other flavorings), then use the resulting liquid as a base for soups or other dishes. It's especially helpful to break the bones before this process, so the nutrients inside are exposed and can be absorbed into the stock.