14 Foods That Are High In Magnesium

Getting the right balance of nutrients like vitamins and minerals is an essential piece of the overall health puzzle. One of these crucial nutrients is magnesium — a trace mineral that plays an important role in many bodily functions and processes. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium is vital to regulating nerve and muscle function. It balances blood sugar levels and blood pressure, and is necessary to build protein, bone tissue, and DNA.

With magnesium being such a major nutritional player, you may be wondering if you're getting the right amount of this mineral in your diet. The Harvard School of Public Health explains the recommended dietary allowance for adults up to 51 years of age is 400 to 420 mg for men and 310 to 320 mg for women. However, some people may need more or less magnesium depending on several factors, so it's important to talk to your doctor if you have any condition that may affect your magnesium intake.

While there are countless magnesium supplements on the market, many foods are naturally high in magnesium and can give your body a substantial boost. If you're trying to get more magnesium, here are a few foods to consider adding to your diet and some ideas on how to prepare them.

Another good source of magnesium is the avocado. As detailed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), one medium-sized avocado contains about 43 mg of magnesium, along with a variety of other vitamins and minerals that are also beneficial for your overall health. They boast several perks, including improving digestion, promoting heart health, preventing bone loss, and protecting against cancer and depression, per Medical News Today.

In addition, avocados offer a creamy texture, fatty composition, and a slightly sweet flavor that make them an ideal ingredient or healthy substitution for many dishes. While avocados were considered a luxury just a few decades ago, their popularity has skyrocketed them into year-round supermarket staples.

Looking for new ways to incorporate fresh avocado into your diet to help you get your recommended intake of magnesium? A kale, mango, and avocado salad is one tasty, colorful, and nutrient-packed idea you should add to your list. Along with the magnesium you'll get from the creamy bites of avocado, you'll also get a good dose from the kale.

Seeds are another natural source of magnesium you can easily add to your diet. Some flavorful seeds with the highest concentration of magnesium are pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and sunflower seeds, which you can eat by themselves or toss into different recipes to add unique flavors and textures.

According to NutritionValue.org, just 100 grams of chia seeds offers an impressive 392 mg of magnesium or 93% of the recommended daily value. Likewise, one cup of pumpkin seeds provides about 253 mg of magnesium, which is 60% of your daily value. One cup of plain sunflower seeds gives you nearly 58 mg of magnesium or 14% of the recommended daily value.

If you're not sure what to do with seeds, there are several mouth-watering recipes you can try. Pumpkin seeds are particularly versatile and are both accessible and affordable at any local grocery store. Some ways to incorporate pumpkin seeds into your diet are adding them to baked goods or dips and as a topping for oatmeal, yogurt, or salads. Of course, you can always roast them, add some salt, and keep them handy for a crunchy snack on the go.

You may have heard a lot of good things about dark chocolate, but what you may not know is that dark chocolate is an excellent source of magnesium, as explained in an article published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition (via Taylor & Francis Online). The research also shows that chocolate containing 90% of cocoa bean content also provides other healthy minerals, including zinc, selenium, and iron.

Why is dark chocolate rich in minerals and antioxidants while milk chocolate is packed with sugar? Dark chocolate contains a higher ratio of cacao versus the more processed milk chocolate, which is mostly cocoa butter, milk, and sugar, per Medical News Today. The cacao still contains the trace minerals found in the soil where the beans grew and offers the benefits of those flavonoids and nutrients. The cacao butter used to make milk chocolate has been processed to separate the fat from the bean and stripped of many of these beneficial antioxidants, per Healthline. Also, there is a ton of sugar added to milk chocolate to counter the naturally bitter taste of the cocoa bean.

With so many reasons to snack on dark chocolate, getting your daily dose of magnesium is just one of them. One 100-gram bar of 70-85% dark chocolate offers a whopping 230 mg of this crucial mineral. Just be sure to indulge in moderation and always opt for dark chocolate that has less sugar.

Not many fruits make it on the list of the top magnesium-rich foods. While many fruits contain some magnesium, it's generally not as high as other types of foods that provide a much higher concentration of the mineral. However, bananas are an exception. One cup of sliced bananas provides 10% of your recommended daily value, which is about 41 mg of magnesium, per NutritionValue.org.

Along with magnesium, bananas are also rich in other nutrients, including fiber, potassium, vitamin C, riboflavin, folate, and copper, per Healthline. These vitamins and minerals can help support a healthy heart, regulate blood sugar levels, and boost kidney function. However, the fiber and sugar content of bananas will shift as they ripen. Fiber drops as the bananas get sweeter, so you'll want to choose your bananas at the right time to get the most health benefits.

If you can't get to your bananas in time and you find them starting to turn from a bright yellow to a spotted brown color, all is not lost! You can use these ultra-ripe bananas to make a moist banana bread. Some banana bread recipes also incorporate walnuts into the mix, which will give you a little extra magnesium in every bite, per the USDA.

For vegetarians or those cutting down on meat, you're probably more than familiar with tofu and its overall health perks. Made from soybeans known as edamame, tofu is an incredibly versatile and nutritious food that has become a popular choice around the world. Among the many health benefits you will find in tofu is the good amount of magnesium, along with other minerals and nutrients that can support your health.

My Food Data shares that half a cup of firm tofu contains 46.6 mg of magnesium. This adds up to about 11% of your recommended daily value of the essential mineral. You'll also get a good amount of protein, calcium, copper, manganese, selenium, and phosphorus in every bite. While tofu has been a dietary staple in many Asian cuisines for a long time, it has become increasingly popular in the United States and other western countries as the perfect medium to carry flavors and replace animal-based proteins.

If you're new to tofu, one of the best ways to prepare it is to cut it up and sauté it in a tofu stir-fry with different vegetables and bold flavors. You can also find countless recipes for grilling, baking, or pan-frying tofu that are sure to become some of your favorites.

On a list of fruits that are high in magnesium (per My Food Data), dried figs easily take the number one spot with 101 mg in one cup. That means you'll get as much as 24% of your daily intake of magnesium when you choose dried figs as a sweet treat or snack. Dried figs are also rich in fiber, copper, manganese, potassium, iron, calcium, and vitamin K, as explained by LiveStrong.com. These healthy nutrients can help your body slow the aging process, support a strong immune system, protect against bone damage, improve memory, and promote healthy skin and hair.

However, keep in mind that dried figs are naturally high in sugars, as are many dried fruits. According to My Food Data, you'll get 12 g or 23% of your daily value of sugar in just three dried figs, so you should be mindful of your portions and how much you're eating at one time. You can also try adding figs to healthy recipes to offset the sugar with healthy fiber and protein, such as with nuts, in homemade energy bars, or adding them to a nutritious smoothie or salad.

If you have a sensitivity to milk or dairy products, you're definitely not alone. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases points out that about 68% of the global population has some type of intolerance to lactose, which is the main carbohydrate in milk. However, that doesn't mean you have to miss out on all the nutrients found in dairy.

For example, coconut milk is a popular cow's milk alternative that is a good source of magnesium and other nutrients you'd expect from dairy products. According to Medical News Today, one cup of unsweetened coconut milk provides 88.8 mg of magnesium, along with 38.4 mg of calcium and 5.5 g of protein.

Likewise, unsweetened soy milk is a good source of magnesium and other nutrients found in soybeans, as noted by NutritionFacts.org. Unfortified, unsweetened soy milk contains magnesium, vitamin B6, zinc, and folate, per Healthline. Some brands of soy milk are also fortified with protein, calcium, and vitamin D.