Top 10 Magnesium Rich Foods to Add to Your Diet

You've heard that most Americans are deficient in magnesium. You'd rather get your nutrients from food than pills. Smart thinking.

The good news is that magnesium is found in plenty of delicious, healthy foods. The challenge is knowing which ones pack the biggest punch, and whether you're actually eating enough of them.

Here are the top 10 magnesium-rich foods you should be adding to your diet, how much magnesium each provides, and a realistic look at whether food alone can meet your needs.

The Top 10 Magnesium Rich Foods You Need to Add to Your Diet

1. Pumpkin Seeds – 156mg per ounce

Pumpkin seeds are the magnesium champion. Just one ounce (about a small handful) delivers 156mg, nearly 40% of your daily needs. They're also loaded with zinc, healthy fats, and protein.

Eat them raw, roasted, or sprinkled on salads and yogurt. Keep a bag at your desk for easy snacking.

2. Dark Chocolate – 64mg per ounce

Good news for chocolate lovers. One ounce of dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher) provides 64mg of magnesium, plus antioxidants and a small mood boost.

Stick to dark chocolate, milk chocolate has far less magnesium and far more sugar. A square or two after dinner is a guilt-free way to boost your intake.

3. Almonds – 80mg per ounce

Almonds are one of the most convenient magnesium sources. One ounce (about 23 almonds) gives you 80mg, plus vitamin E, healthy fats, and protein.

Keep them in your bag, your car, or your desk drawer. They're the perfect snack that actually does something for your health.

4. Spinach – 157mg per cooked cup

Leafy greens are magnesium powerhouses, and spinach leads the pack. One cooked cup delivers 157mg, almost 40% of your daily target.

Raw spinach has less (about 24mg per cup) because it's not as dense. Cooking concentrates the magnesium, so sautéed spinach or spinach in soups and smoothies gives you more bang for your bite.

5. Cashews – 74mg per ounce

Cashews are another nut worth rotating into your diet. One ounce provides 74mg of magnesium along with copper, iron, and healthy fats.

They're creamier and slightly sweeter than almonds, making them great for snacking or adding to stir-fries.

6. Black Beans – 120mg per cooked cup

Black beans are an affordable, versatile magnesium source. One cooked cup delivers 120mg, plus fiber, protein, and other essential minerals.

Add them to tacos, soups, salads, or rice bowls. They're a staple in many cuisines for good reason.

7. Avocado – 58mg per avocado

One medium avocado provides about 58mg of magnesium, along with potassium, healthy fats, and fiber.

Add it to toast, salads, smoothies, or eat it straight with a little salt and lime. It's one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat.

8. Salmon – 53mg per 6-ounce fillet

Fatty fish like salmon offer a solid magnesium boost, about 53mg per 6-ounce serving. You also get omega-3 fatty acids, high-quality protein, and vitamin D.

Wild-caught salmon has a better nutrient profile than farmed. Aim for two servings of fatty fish per week for overall health.

9. Bananas – 32mg per medium banana

Bananas are known for potassium, but they're also a decent magnesium source. One medium banana provides 32mg, plus quick energy from natural carbohydrates.

They're convenient, portable, and easy to add to smoothies or oatmeal. Not the highest magnesium food, but every bit helps.

10. Brown Rice – 84mg per cooked cup

Switching from white rice to brown rice is an easy way to increase magnesium. One cooked cup of brown rice has 84mg, compared to just 19mg in white rice.

The difference is in the processing, white rice has the magnesium-rich bran layer stripped away. Whole grains always beat refined grains for mineral content. Do be careful, however, as brown rice has been known to contain heavy metals. 

The Daily Magnesium Target

Now that you know the best food sources, let's look at the math.

The recommended daily intake is:

• Men: 400-420mg
• Women: 310-320mg

Keep in mind that these are MINIMUM recommendations; if you are active, you should be taking close to 1000mg of elemental magnesium a day. 

To hit 400mg from food alone, you'd need to eat something like:

• 1 cup cooked spinach (157mg)
• 1 ounce pumpkin seeds (156mg)
• 1 ounce almonds (80mg)

That gets you to around 393mg, close to the target. Sounds doable, right?

The problem is consistency. How often do you actually eat spinach, pumpkin seeds, and almonds in the same day? Most people don't. Real life gets in the way, busy schedules, travel, meals out, food preferences.

Studies show that the average American gets only about 250mg of magnesium daily from food. That's a significant gap.

Why Food Alone Often Falls Short

Even if you eat a healthy diet, several factors work against you:

Modern soil is depleted. Intensive farming has stripped magnesium from our soil over the past 50 years. The spinach you eat today contains significantly less magnesium than the spinach your grandparents ate.

Food processing removes magnesium. Refining grains, processing foods, and even cooking methods can reduce magnesium content. The more processed your diet, the less magnesium you're getting.

Stress burns through magnesium faster. When you're stressed, your body uses up magnesium more quickly. High-stress lifestyles increase your needs beyond what a normal diet provides.

Caffeine and alcohol increase losses. Both cause your body to excrete more magnesium through urine. That morning coffee and evening wine are working against your magnesium levels.

Certain medications interfere. Antacids, blood pressure medications, and antibiotics can all reduce magnesium absorption or increase excretion.

The result? Even health-conscious people who eat plenty of whole foods often don't get enough magnesium to meet their body's needs.

A Realistic Approach

The best strategy is to do both: eat magnesium-rich foods as the foundation, and supplement to fill the gap.

Start by adding more of the foods on this list to your regular meals:

• Snack on almonds or pumpkin seeds instead of chips
• Add spinach to smoothies, eggs, or pasta
• Choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate
• Include beans and avocado regularly

These changes will boost your intake and provide other nutrients that work alongside magnesium.

Then, consider a quality magnesium supplement to ensure you're consistently meeting your needs, especially if you're active, stressed, or don't eat perfectly every day.

If you do supplement, choose forms your body actually absorbs, like bisglycinate, malate, taurate, and chloride. Avoid magnesium oxide, which has only 4% absorption and often causes digestive issues.

The combination of a magnesium-rich diet plus smart supplementation is the most reliable way to keep your levels where they should be.

The Bottom Line

Magnesium-rich foods are an important part of a healthy diet. Pumpkin seeds, spinach, almonds, dark chocolate, and black beans are all excellent choices that provide magnesium along with other essential nutrients.

But for most people, food alone isn't enough. Modern diets, depleted soil, stress, and lifestyle factors create a gap that's hard to close with food alone.

Eat the foods. Enjoy them. But don't assume your diet has you covered. The combination of good nutrition and quality supplementation is the surest path to actually getting enough magnesium.

Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen, especially if you have medical conditions or take medications. Individual results may vary.