If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably never give much thought to magnesium. I mean sure, you might’ve heard it around in health talks or online articles, but you’ve never sat down and thought ‘am I getting enough?’
That’s because unlike protein or calcium, most people don’t seem to care whether or not you get enough magnesium. Or, maybe people believe it’s just not as hard to find.
Luckily for you though, you’ve stumbled onto a blogger who’s making a Nutrient series, so you’re going to learn about it! (Like I did, when writing this article)
Magnesium is a mineral that is naturally occurring in many different foods. It’s important for humans because it’s an essential nutrient for certain body processes, such as: heart rhythm, muscle contractions, blood pressure control, bone health and creative energy! (Yes, that last one is real)
Magnesium being a naturally occurring mineral is a great thing, because it means you won’t have to go looking for supplements or fortified foods to get your daily dose!
What is the daily dose for magnesium? It’s estimated adults need between 310-420mg every day.
That might sound like a lot, but I guarantee if you add the following foods to your diet – or already have a few – it won’t be as big of a challenge as you think:
Starting in the top left-hand corner and moving clockwise:
- Pumpkin Seeds = 1,200mg
- Chia Seeds = 888mg
- Almonds = 640mg
- Cashews = 576mg
- Dark Chocolate = 512mg
- Peanuts = 399mg
- Spinach (cooked) = 156mg
- Swiss Chard (cooked) = 150mg
- Black Beans = 120mg
- Quinoa (cooked) = 120mg
- Shredded Wheat = 112mg
- Edamame (cooked) = 100mg
- Lima Beans = 80mg
- Green Pas = 62mg
- Sweet Corn = 54mg
- Collard Greens = 50mg
- Avocado = 58mg (1 whole)
- Potato = 48mg (1 Med)
- Papaya = 33mg (1 Small)
- Banana = 32mg (1 Med)
- Blackberries = 29mg
Now, I know you might not want to eat an entire cup of say, pumpkin seeds, so I’m also going to include the 1oz calculations for some of the above foods.
Magnesium Rich Foods per 1oz:
- Pumpkin Seeds = 150mg
- Chia Seeds = 111mg
- Almonds = 80mg
- Cashews = 72mg
- Dark Chocolate = 64mg
- Peanuts = 49mg
- Flaxseed (1Tbsp) = 40mg
Whether you eat 1 cup, 1oz, somewhere in-between those portions or more, I think you can see by the numbers it’s not hard to get enough magnesium in your diet.
Like this article? Check out the rest of the Nutrient Collage series!
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