Magnesium is a mineral that you can’t neglect because it is a crucial micronutrient that our body needs for the tons of chemical reactions in our body. This mineral also supports our heart health and keeps us energetic. The Daily Value (DV) of magnesium is 420 mg or milligrams which is very easy to fulfil by eating some easily available healthy food items. Still, many people can’t reach the daily requirement because of lack of knowledge about foods high in magnesium. That’s why, we are here to explain to you about 10 foods high in magnesium that are highly-nutritious and more than enough to fulfil your daily magnesium requirement. Without further wasting time, let’s get started.
Legumes
The famous legumes family is well-known for their high nutrition values that include almost every micronutrient. Magnesium is obviously not an exception. Legumes like lentils, beans, soybeans, chickpeas, peas are rich in various nutrients including magnesium. More than 29% of the DV for magnesium is packed in 1-cup or 172 grams of cooked black beans. More or less same amount of this mineral can also be found in other legumes.
Along with being the family of foods high in magnesium and other micronutrients, legumes like lentils and soybeans provide outstanding amount of plant-based protein which make them an ideal choice for vegan diets.
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Leafy Greens
Dark leafy greens are packed with huge amount of magnesium and other nutrients. If you want to fulfil your daily micronutrient requirements, consuming leafy greens is the best idea. They contain almost every vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, C, K, iron and magnesium in a vast amount. Leafy greens like baby spinach, kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, turnip greens are the best among all when it comes to provide you enough magnesium.
If we take an example, a 180-grams cup of cooked spinach can give you an excellent 37% of the DV magnesium which is a massive amount, right?! That’s why, you shouldn’t eliminate leafy greens from your daily diet by any means if you want to get plenty of magnesium and other micronutrients.
Nuts
Nuts especially cashews, Brazil nuts and almonds are some excellent foods high in magnesium. All of these nuts provide almost 20% of the DV for magnesium per one ounce or 28 grams.
Moreover, they are nutritious and high in good fats that take care of our heart and gut health, reduce inflammation and keeps our stomach full easily. Nuts especially Brazil nuts are very rich in selenium too just like fatty fishes.
Whole Grains
Whole grains and pseudocereals are also awesome foods high in magnesium. Whole grains such as brown rice, barley, oats, wheat and pseudocereals like quinoa are pretty good sources of magnesium.
They can provide from 15 to 23% of the DV for magnesium per cup of 172 grams. Whole grains are also rich sources of some B vitamins as well as some minerals like selenium and also fiber. So, they are very healthy food items and great for vegan diet to fulfil the needed micronutrients.
Seeds
Seeds are even healthier than the nuts. The amount of nutrients these tiny things can contain is really amazing. Seeds especially flaxseeds, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds are the healthiest ones. Among these 3 type of seeds, pumpkin seeds are the best source of magnesium as one ounce or 28 grams of pumpkin seeds provides 168 mg of magnesium which is 40% of the DV. How incredible! Isn’t it?!
Not only all these seeds are extraordinary foods high in magnesium but also they are great sources of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids just like nuts. And, as we already mentioned, seeds are rich in various micronutrients especially iron and zinc.
Also Read: Chia Seeds Vs Flaxseeds: Which is Better for Our Health?
Furthermore, they are also very rich in fiber that can help you in digestion and keep your weight in check by controlling your hunger hormone so that you don’t overeat.
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is a tasty way to fulfil your daily magnesium need. It may not be as unhealthy as one might think because even though, dark chocolate is a very high-calorie food, it also contains plenty of essential minerals. Zinc, iron, copper and magnesium are some of them.
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The reason why we have included it in our list of foods high in magnesium is because it is very rich in magnesium. One ounce or 28 grams of dark chocolate contains 65 mg magnesium which is more than 15% of the DV. But keep in mind that always buy dark chocolates that have more than 60 to 70% of cocoa because the more cocoa it has, the higher amount of mineral it possesses.
Dark chocolate also takes care of your gut health and heart health but you have to limit your consumption otherwise, you will end up being obese pretty soon.
Bananas
Banana along with apple is maybe the most popular fruit in the world. It is a staple food for bodybuilding or muscle building diet as a source of healthy carbs and fiber to give you the energy you need. Moreover, bananas are also rich sources of potassium that helps our body to control the blood pressure as well as lowers the risk of chronic heart diseases.
And, obviously it is also a decent source of magnesium as one large banana provides 37 mg of magnesium which is 9% of the DV. Bananas are also good for people who suffer from constipation because eating bananas can improve the gut health and may reduce the constipation.
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Avocados
Avocado is a highly nutritious fruit that we all love to eat. In its vast nutritional values, magnesium is also present in a great amount. A medium size avocado possesses almost 58 grams of magnesium that is 14% of the DV. That proves why avocados are in our list of foods high in magnesium. Not only that, avocados are also packed with many other micronutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin K, potassium etc.
Furthermore, it is a great source of healthy fats. Good fats like monounsaturated fatty acids take care of our heart health, help to reduce inflammation in muscles and bones and keep us energetic.
Also Read: Types of Fats: Good Fats? Bad Fats? All You Need to Know!
You may have seen athletes and bodybuilders consuming avocados in their daily routine. They consume it not only because how nutritious they are but also because how effective they are for reducing the inflammation of muscles after workout for a better recovery and faster recovery means faster muscle growth!
Tofu
For vegetarian and vegan people, diet without tofu can’t be imagined! It’s one of the main foods that you can notice in every vegan and vegetarian diet thanks to its high amount of plant-based protein, calcium, selenium and magnesium. Yes, it is also one of the foods high in magnesium.
100 grams or more than 3 ounces of tofu can provide more than 35 grams of magnesium or 8% of the DV. It may not be the best source of this mineral still is a decent number to fulfil your daily requirement especially if you add other magnesium rich foods in your diet like legumes, seeds, nuts, avocados etc.
Fatty Fish like Salmon
Salmon and other fatty fishes like mackerel and halibut are also good magnesium sources. These fatty fishes mainly salmon are popular for their richness in high-quality protein and Omega-3 fatty acids that help in reducing the risk of heart diseases and boost muscle recovery.
Along with these macros, salmon and others are also good in minerals like magnesium, selenium and potassium. 100 grams or 3 ounces of salmon provides 7% of the DV for magnesium which is not a bad number at all.
The Concluding Line
Therefore, these are the 10 best foods rich in magnesium which you can include in your diet if you want to easily fulfil your daily magnesium requirement. All of them are nutritious food and provide tons of other health benefits. It is advisable to eat a balanced diet which includes some foods from this list so that you can fulfil your need in a healthy way. If you are suffering very much from magnesium deficiency, seeking a doctor’s help is highly recommended before trying any magnesium supplements. Hope, you have found this article about 10 foods high in magnesium helpful enough. If it is really so then don’t hesitate to express your valuable thoughts in the comment section below. Thanks for visiting and appreciating our work.