Chia seeds also work well in tons of dishes, making them super easy to cook with. You can add some to any salad for a little lunchtime crunch or stir them into smoothies, puddings, or overnight oats for a low-effort and travel-friendly breakfast option, according to Dada. Oats with chia seeds, fruit, milk, and peanut butter make a “great vehicle to get all of that nutrition in,” she says. And if you’re pressed for time or don’t have any oats on hand, you can always combine the chia seeds with hot water to turn them into a quick on-the-go meal.
NutsLike seeds, nuts tend to be high in magnesium. One ounce of raw cashews and almonds (roughly 1/8 cup) contains 83 and 78 milligrams, respectively, according to the University of Rochester. For an even bigger punch, make them the Brazil kind. A 2022 study published in the journal Foods found that Brazil nuts had the highest magnesium content out of all 10 types of nuts analyzed. One cup packs 500 mg, according to the USDA.
You don’t need to eat nuts raw to reap these benefits, either. Nut butters like almond butter, peanut butter, and sunflower seed butter can also deliver a hefty dose. Just two tablespoons of peanut butter contains 54 mg, for example.
Soy productsIf you prefer a non-dairy cereal option in the morning, you might just have one rich source of magnesium sitting in your fridge: soy milk. One cup contains 37 mg of magnesium, according to the USDA. (Per Dada, regular dairy can actually be a good source of magnesium too. For example, one seven-ounce container of plain Greek yogurt contains 22 mg of it.)
On that note, tofu is also high in magnesium because it’s typically prepared with soy milk. For a magnesium-rich dinner idea, Tsui recommends miso soup, mapo tofu, or a basic stir-fry—simply follow these steps to achieve that perfect crispiness. You can even add some sweet dessert tofu to a smoothie to make the texture a little more creamy.
LegumesSpeaking of soy, soybeans—like edamame, the immature form of the bean—are also rich in magnesium. One cup contains 99 mg of the mineral, according to the USDA. And other legume varieties are packing it too. In fact, the five most frequently purchased kinds in the US—pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, and chickpeas—contain roughly between 79 to 120 mg per cup. Lentils, another popular option, come in at 71 mg. You can transform any of these into soups, salads, and a whole host of other delicious dishes.
Dark leafy greensThink salad staples like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard. One cup of raw spinach contains 24 mg of magnesium, according to the USDA. “I love to have it raw on a sandwich or as the base of a salad,” Dada says. “I might add some arugula or some other types of greens, too, just for some variation in texture.” Using it in a veggie smoothie is always an option as well.
And if you’re really looking to maximize your magnesium intake? Go all out and combine spinach (or another dark leafy green of your choice) with other foods high in magnesium like tofu or legumes to create a stir-fry, soup, or stew, according to Tsui. You don’t need to worry about taking in too much of it through your meals—for most folks, eating too much magnesium doesn’t pose any health risk. So go ahead, load up on these tasty options, so you can be sure you won’t miss out on any of the benefits associated with this small but mighty mineral.
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