Best foods high in magnesium. The complete dietary guide
The richest dietary sources of magnesium, how much each one provides, and the practical ways to eat more of them.
Magnesium is involved in over 300 processes in the body. From energy production and muscle function to sleep quality and stress regulation. Yet most people in the UK do not get enough of it from their diet.
The good news is that the richest sources of magnesium are whole foods that fit naturally into a varied diet. The challenge is that modern eating patterns, heavy in refined and processed foods, tend to displace them.
This guide covers the best dietary sources of magnesium, how much each provides, how to cook and combine them effectively, and what affects how much magnesium your body actually absorbs from the food you eat.
"Magnesium is not a rare or exotic nutrient. It is found in some of the most practical, everyday foods. The problem is that most people simply do not eat enough of them consistently."
How much magnesium do you need?
The UK recommended daily intake for magnesium is 300mg for men and 270mg for women. Requirements are higher during pregnancy. There is no separate recommendation for athletes, though those doing significant amounts of physical training may have higher needs due to magnesium losses through sweat.
Most people in the UK fall short of these amounts. Studies consistently show thatdietary magnesium intake across the population sits below recommended levels. A reflection of how much refined and processed food has displaced the whole food sources that naturally provide it.
Approximate magnesium content per 100g serving
Hemp seeds700mg
Pumpkin seeds550mg
Chia seeds335mg
Almonds270mg
Cashews260mg
Dark chocolate (70%+)228mg
Brazil nuts225mg
Peanuts168mg
Oats (raw)138mg
Spinach (cooked)87mg
Black beans (cooked)70mg
Edamame64mg
Brown rice (cooked)44mg
Salmon (cooked)30mg
UK recommended daily intake: 300mg (men) | 270mg (women)
The richest food sources, explained
Seeds. The most concentrated source
Seeds are the single richest dietary source of magnesium available. Hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds all provide extraordinary amounts relative totheir serving size. A 30g portion of pumpkin seeds provides around 165mg of magnesium. More than half the daily requirement for most women in a single small serving.
Seeds are also practical. They require no cooking and can be added to porridge, yoghurt, salads, soups, or smoothies without changing the meal significantly. Making seeds a regular addition to existing meals is one of the most efficient ways to increase magnesium intake without restructuring your diet.
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Highest
Hemp seeds
Around 700mg per 100g. The richest seed source. Add to smoothies, yoghurt, or sprinkle over salads. Mild, nutty flavour that works with most dishes.
~210mg per 30g serving
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Excellent
Pumpkin seeds
Around 550mg per 100g. Easy to snack on raw or add to porridge and salads. Also a good source of zinc and iron.
~165mg per 30g serving
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Very good
Chia seeds
Around 335mg per 100g. High in fibre and omega-3 as well as magnesium. Soak in liquid to form a gel, or add dry to porridge and yoghurt.
~100mg per 30g serving
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Good
Sunflower seeds
Around 325mg per 100g. Less often discussed but a solid source. Good as a snack or added to bread, salads, and grain bowls.
~97mg per 30g serving
Other great sources of Magnesium
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Nuts
Almonds, cashews and Brazil nuts
Almonds, cashews, and Brazil nuts are among the better nut sources of magnesium. A 30g portion of almonds provides around 80mg. Nuts also provide healthy fats, protein, and a range of other micronutrients. Peanuts, technically a legume but eaten like a nut, are also a useful source. Peanut butter provides a practical way to include magnesium in meals and snacks.
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Worth noting
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate at 70 percent cocoa or above provides around 228mg of magnesium per 100g. A 30g square of 85 percent dark chocolate provides around 50mg. Not a primary magnesium strategy, but a genuine dietary contribution. The higher the cocoa content, the more magnesium per serving.
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Vegetables
Dark leafy greens
Magnesium is at the centre of the chlorophyll molecule, the compound that makes plants green. Spinach is one of the better vegetable sources, particularly when cooked, because cooking reduces volume and concentrates the magnesium. Kale, Swiss chard, and cavolo nero are also useful sources. Building leafy greens into regular meals as a side dish, stirred into soups, or as the base of salads is a practical and sustainable way to increase magnesium intake.
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Legumes
Beans and lentils
Black beans, edamame, kidney beans, chickpeas, and lentils all provide meaningful amounts of magnesium. Legumes are also high in fibre, which supports a healthy gut environment, and provide plant-based protein. Including legumes in two or three meals per week, in soups, curries, salads, or as a meat substitute, contributes both to magnesium intake and to overall dietary diversity.
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Grains
Wholegrains
Brown rice, oats, quinoa, wholemeal bread, and wholewheat pasta all provide more magnesium than their refined equivalents. The germ and bran of grains contain most of the magnesium. Refining removes both, which is why white rice and white bread are poor sources. Switching to wholegrain versions of staple foods is one of the simplest practical changes for increasing magnesium intake.
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Fish
Oily fish and seafood
While not as rich a source as seeds or nuts, oily fish including salmon, mackerel, and sardines provides useful amounts of magnesium alongside other nutrients including omega-3, vitamin D, and selenium. Including two portions of oily fish per week contributes to magnesium intake as part of a broader nutritional benefit.
A note on absorption
Phytic acid (phytate), found in seeds, legumes, and wholegrains, can bind to magnesium and reduce how much is absorbed. Soaking, sprouting, or fermenting these foods reduces phytate content and improves magnesium absorption. This does not mean avoiding these foods. They are still excellent sources. But it is worth knowing that the absorption percentage is lower than the total content figures suggest.
Practical ways to eat more magnesium
Themost effective approach is to build high-magnesium foods into existing mealsrather than eating specific foods for the single purpose of hitting a number. Afew practical patterns that work:
• Add a tablespoon of pumpkinseeds or hemp seeds to porridge, yoghurt, or salads every day.
• Switch to wholegrainversions of bread, pasta, and rice as a baseline.
• Include legumes. Lentils,chickpeas, black beans In two or three meals per week.
• Keep a small bag of almondsor cashews available as a snack alternative to processed foods.
• Build a leafy greenvegetable into meals regularly. As a side dish, stirred into curries, or as asalad base.
• Choose dark chocolate overmilk chocolate when you eat chocolate.
Signs you may not be getting enough magnesium
Persistent muscle cramps, particularly at night, poor sleep, fatigue, anxiety, and frequent headaches are all associated with low magnesium. If several of these sound familiar and your diet is low in the foods listed above, increasing magnesium intake is a reasonable first step. For a full picture of your magnesium status, read our guide to signs of magnesium deficiency.
Does cooking affect magnesium content?
Boiling vegetables causes some magnesium to leach into the cooking water. Steaming, roasting, or stir-frying preserves more. Using the cooking water. As a base for soups or sauces Recaptures some of what is lost. For most people, the practical impact is modest as long as vegetables are not overcooked in large amounts ofwater.
Soaking and cooking dried legumes from scratch preserves more magnesium than canned versions, which can lose some mineral content during processing. That said, canned legumes are still a useful source and the convenience often makes the difference between eating them or not.
"The foods highest in magnesium are also some of the most nutritionally valuable in other ways. Eating more of them is rarely just about magnesium."
Hemp seeds are among the highest at around 700mg per 100g, followed closely by pumpkin seeds at around 550mg. In practical serving terms, a 30g portion of pumpkin seeds provides around 165mg of magnesium, more than half the daily requirement for women. Seeds are the most concentrated and practical everyday source.
A medium banana contains around 30 to 35mg of magnesium, useful as part of a varied diet, but not a particularly rich source compared to seeds, nuts, and leafy greens. Bananas are often cited as a magnesium food but they are a modest rather than standout source.
Not necessarily. A diet that consistently includes seeds, nuts, leafy greens, legumes, and wholegrains can meet magnesium requirements through food alone. However, modern diets often fall short of these foods in practice, and periods of high stress increase magnesium requirements and excretion. Supplementation is a reasonable option when diet is insufficient or consistently difficult to improve.
Some magnesium is lost when vegetables are boiled in water, as it leaches into the cooking liquid. Steaming, roasting, or stir-frying preserves more. Using cooking water in soups and sauces recaptures some of what is lost. The impact on overall magnesium intake is generally modest, particularly if dietary sources are varied.
It is very unlikely to get too much magnesium from food alone. The body regulates absorption efficiently when dietary intake is within normal ranges. Excessive magnesium from supplements can cause digestive upset and, at very high doses, more serious effects. Food-based magnesium does not carry this risk.
Know which magnesium sources matter most for you.
Boone connects your genetic magnesium absorption profile to your real diet through the food log, showing you exactly how your dietary sources map to your personal needs, your micro nutrition scores, and where the gaps are.
Download the Boone app and discover what your nutritional picture looks like.
