Foods High in Magnesium
If you are looking to find out about foods with magnesium in, you have certainly come to the right page. Here we will explain what foods are high in magnesium by providing you with a full magnesium rich foods list. Not only do we highlight specific foods that contain magnesium, but we also tell you how much magnesium can be found in them, so you can see how easy it is for you to get all of the magnesium that your body requires in a day. We are also going to point out how much magnesium is needed per day, based on your age and gender.
It is vital to your long and short term health that the magnesium levels in your body are kept up, and there is no better way to ensure that this is done than by loading your diet is full of foods rich in magnesium.
What is magnesium?
Magnesium is one of three primary minerals known as 'essential minerals'. Your body requires these minerals for certain functions to take place, and they are referred to as essential as you need more of them than you do other minerals, known as 'trace minerals. The most effective way to get the magnesium that you need is through magnesium in food that you eat. To find out which foods contain magnesium you are in the right place.
What foods are high in magnesium?
Before we go on to provide you with a long, and specific list of foods with magnesium in them, we are going to outline the types of food that contain magnesium.
Seeds
- Seeds are the best food sources of magnesium, and you can get all of the magnesium that you need by eating a small portion of them each day.Nuts
- Nuts are also a wonderful example of foods high in magnesium.-
Fruits
- Some fruits act as good sources of magnesium. -
Vegetables
- Some vegetables act as good sources of magnesium. Seafood
- If your a seafood fan, this is something that can have a positive impact to the level of magnesium in your body.Dairy products
- Several dairy products act as positive magnesium sources.
Remember there is not just magnesium in the foods that are listed above, but also loads of other important nutrients.
To see exactly which individual foods contain magnesium, please continue reading.
Magnesium rich foods list
Now we are going to provide you with a comprehensive list of magnesium rich foods. These are ten of the best food sources of magnesium, followed by several other foods high in magnesium that can really do your diet some good.
Pumpkin/squash seeds
- Pumpkin and squash seeds are both a magnificent food source of magnesium. You can get a huge dose of magnesium by eating these. A 138 g cup of pumpkin/squash seeds can provide you with 738 milligrams of magnesium, this is a huge 185% of your RDI(recommended daily intake).Bran/wheat
- There are 520 milligrams of magnesium in 8 grams of wheat, well in excess of the total magnesium your body needs per day.Sesame seeds
- As you can see seeds really are a food with magnesium in to a high degree. In a simple 144 g cup of sesame seeds you can get 505 mg of magnesium, and this amounts to 126% of the total magnesium needed in a day.Flaxseed
- As far as foods with magnesium go flaxseed is a fantastic example. In just 100 g of flaxseed you can get 392 mg of magnesium, 98% of the total magnesium your body requires in a day.Brazil nuts
- More evidence that nuts are one of the best foods containing magnesium. 120 g of dried Brazil nuts gives you 376 mg, 94% of your daily need.Pine nuts
- Another high magnesium food is the pine nut. In just 100 g of pine nuts you can get 339 mg of magnesium, which is 85% of your RDI.Cashew nuts
- As you can see, nuts are another food that contain magnesium. Cashew nuts are a prime example with 100 grams of them giving you 292 milligrams of magnesium, and this is 73% of your RDI.Almonds
- Yet again nuts feature as one of our best foods with potassium in them. You can get 160 mg of magnesium through 100 g of raw almonds. This is 73% of the total you need per day.Salted peanuts
- Another great example of a magnesium rich nut. In 100 g of salted peanuts you are able to take 176 mg of magnesium, 44% of the total you need in a day.Granola
- Granola is another great example of magnesium in food. In 100 g of plain granola cereal you can get 175 mg of magnesium, 44% of your RDI.
These foods are by no means the exact ten richest foods in magnesium, however they are fine examples of high magnesium foods, and easy to implement into your diet.
More foods high in magnesium
Here are some more foods rich in magnesium for you to take into consideration. We have displayed the name of the food, the serving size, the magnesium content of the food, and the percentage of your RDI that this equates to.
- Halibut - A 159 g halibut fillet has 170 mg / 43%
- Hazelnuts - 100 g of raw hazelnuts, 163 mg, 41%
- Walnuts - 100g of English walnuts, 158 mg / 40%
- Sunflower seeds - A 46 g cup of dried sunflower seed kernels has 150 mg / 37%
- Pecans - 100 g of raw pecans has 121 mg / 30%
- Pistachio nuts - 100 g of pistachio nuts have 121 mg / 30%
- Black beans - A 172 g serving of black beans has 120 mg / 30%
- Quinoa - A 185 cup of quinoa has 118 mg / 30%
- Spinach - A 100g serving of boiled spinach has 87 mg / 22%
- Brown rice - A 195 g serving of boiled long grain brown rice has 83.9 mg / 21%
- Chickpeas - A 164 g cup of cooked chickpeas has 78.7 mg / 20%
- Baked beans - A 253 g cup of baked beans, 81 mg / 20%
- Condensed milk - A 306 g cup of condensed milk has 79.5 mg / 20%
- Haddock - A 150 g haddock fillet has 75 mg / 19%
- Prunes - A 174 g cup of pitted dried plums, prunes, has 71.3 mg / 18%
- Hummus - 100 g of hummus has 71 mg / 18%
- Beet greens - 100 g of boiled beet greens has 68 mg / 17%
- Avocado - A 201 g avocado has 58.3 mg / 15%
- Lobster - 100 g of cooked lobster has 62 mg / 13 %
- Raisins - A 145 g cup of seedless raisins has 46.4 mg / 12%
- Corn - A 146 g ear of corn on the cob has 40.9 mg / 10%
The RDI that we have used in the above examples applies to the average adult male. This can vary due to age, gender and due to medical conditions. To see how much magnesium you should be consuming each day, please see further down the page.
Most natural foods will have some magnesium in, so it is important to be aware that other foods in your diet that fall into this bracket will also combine to make a positive contribution to the amount of magnesium that you are getting.
It is important to remember that when you are eating foods that contain magnesium, you are helping to satisfy your body's need for various other vitamins and minerals too. If you decide to take magnesium supplements instead of eating magnesium rich foods, then you are going to only be getting the magnesium, and missing out on all of the nutritional goodness that the foods contain.
Find out the calories and other nutrients found in each of the above foods, by looking through the menu on the left hand side of the page.
How much magnesium do you need per day?
Naturally on a page all about magnesium rich food, you are going to be wondering 'how much magnesium do I need each day?'. This is where we will explain this to you.
Below we have highlighted the amount of magnesium that it is recommended you take in each day, this does not necessarily have to be through food with magnesium in, but these will provide you with a wealth of other benefits too as many of them contain several of the other vitamins and minerals.
- Males aged 11-18 - 270-400 milligrams of magnesium a day
- Men aged 19-30 - 400 mg per day
- Men aged over 30 - 420 mg per day
- Females aged 11-18 - 280 mg per day
- Women aged 19-30 - 310 mg a day
- Women aged over 30 - 320 mg a day
- Babies - Up to 40 milligrams of magnesium a day, checking with a doctor is recommended here
- Children up to the age of 10 - up to 170 milligrams of magnesium a day
Please note that these figures can vary slightly.
Although there are many important benefits for getting the right amount of magnesium and many adverse consequences for lacking in it, it is important to remember that taking an excessive amount can cause problems due to it's toxicity.
More information
We really hope that you have found our page on foods high magnesium useful, and that we have been able to answer any questions that you have on the subject. Besides the many foods that we have mentioned in our magnesium rich foods list, there are plenty more foods with magnesium in out there, that are just as easy to include in your dietary habits.
Natural foods that are not mentioned are able to combine to contribute to your magnesium levels, so it is not all about eating foods rich in magnesium.
In order to find out how much magnesium is in a certain food it is always a good idea to read the nutritional information on the label.
Eating high magnesium foods will not only help to keep your magnesium levels up, but will also help to contribute to the levels of a many other nutrients in your body too.
There is plenty more to our site than just information on foods containing magnesium, so please have a look around at all that we have on offer.
You can find out information on all of the other vitamins and minerals that are fundamental to your health, via our vitamins and minerals menu.
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