15 Magnesium-Rich Foods Worth Eating Regularly
Magnesium lists often drift into obscure powders and edge-case ingredients. This one focuses on magnesium-rich foods that make more sense for actual people.
Data-backed ranking of the strongest food sources
Daily value context so the numbers mean something
Usage tips and tradeoffs, not just a list of names
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EatAndAchieve Editorial System
AI-assisted editorial system
This content is assembled from USDA FoodData Central data, in-house ranking logic, and reusable editorial templates to make nutrition information easier to understand.
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Jordan Vale
Founder, editor, and product builder
Jordan reviews pages for clarity, methodology, and product accuracy before they go live. He also maintains the code, data pipeline, and editorial standards for the site.
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Pages on EatAndAchieve combine USDA source data, site-specific scoring logic, and AI-assisted drafting, then receive human review for clarity and methodology. They are educational tools, not medical advice. Read more on the About page.
This ranking focuses on foods that meaningfully deliver magnesium per 100g, using USDA FoodData Central as the source of truth. It is a concentration ranking, not a full health score, so the most useful way to read it is to look for foods that fit both your nutrient target and your normal portion sizes.
Why it matters
Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzyme reactions in your body, including energy production, protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood sugar control, and blood pressure regulation. It also plays a role in sleep quality by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
Daily target
The FDA daily value is 420mg. About 50% of Americans fall short. Mild deficiency is widespread and often undiagnosed, manifesting as muscle cramps, poor sleep, anxiety, or fatigue.
How to use the list
Dark chocolate, nuts, seeds, and leafy greens are excellent sources. Magnesium is lost during food processing, so whole foods are far superior to refined products. Soaking beans and grains reduces phytates that can block magnesium absorption.
Screening rule
Foods had to clear basic practicality filters before ranking so the list stays useful, not just technically correct.
Best use case
Use this template when you want the single strongest sources of one nutrient and you are willing to compare foods mainly on that axis.
Main caveat
Per-100g leaders are not always everyday staples, which is why calorie density and tradeoffs are called out inside the list.
Seeds, hemp seed, hulled sits at the top because 700mg of magnesium per 100g is hard for anything else to match. That translates to 167% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. The tradeoff is calorie density at 553 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (63% DV) and iron (44% DV).
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 4.6g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, without salt ranks this highly because it is one of the cleaner ways to get a lot of magnesium quickly. You are looking at 131% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. At 574 kcal per 100g, the nutrient density is strong but the portion size still deserves respect. The extra protein (60% DV) and fiber (23% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 8.54g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Seeds, flaxseed ranks this highly because it is one of the cleaner ways to get a lot of magnesium quickly. That translates to 93% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. At 534 kcal per 100g, the nutrient density is strong but the portion size still deserves respect. It also brings useful amounts of protein (37% DV) and fiber (98% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food. The fiber is another reason it tends to be more satisfying than the headline number suggests.
Worth knowing
Calorie-dense at 534 kcal per 100g, so portion size matters.
Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched stays near the top because 376mg per 100g is still a very aggressive number for magnesium. 90% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. At 659 kcal per 100g, the nutrient density is strong but the portion size still deserves respect. It also brings useful amounts of protein (29% DV) and fiber (27% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 16.1g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Seeds, sesame butter, paste makes the cut on substance, not hype: 362mg per 100g is enough to matter in an actual diet. You are looking at 86% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The tradeoff is calorie density at 586 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. The extra protein (36% DV) and fiber (20% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 7.12g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Seeds, chia seeds, dried makes the cut on substance, not hype: 335mg per 100g is enough to matter in an actual diet. You are looking at 80% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The tradeoff is calorie density at 486 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. The extra protein (33% DV) and fiber (123% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient. High fiber helps this food feel more useful in real meals, not just in spreadsheets.
Worth knowing
Calorie-dense at 486 kcal per 100g, so portion size matters.
Seeds, sunflower seed butter, without salt makes the cut on substance, not hype: 311mg per 100g is enough to matter in an actual diet. That translates to 74% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. At 617 kcal per 100g, the nutrient density is strong but the portion size still deserves respect. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (35% DV) and fiber (20% DV).
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 4.68g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Nuts, almond butter, plain, without salt added makes the cut on substance, not hype: 279mg per 100g is enough to matter in an actual diet. 66% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. At 614 kcal per 100g, the nutrient density is strong but the portion size still deserves respect. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (42% DV) and fiber (37% DV). The fiber is another reason it tends to be more satisfying than the headline number suggests.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 4.15g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Nuts, almonds holds its spot because 270mg of magnesium is still comfortably strong. That translates to 64% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. At 579 kcal per 100g, the nutrient density is strong but the portion size still deserves respect. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (42% DV) and fiber (45% DV). The fiber is another reason it tends to be more satisfying than the headline number suggests.
Worth knowing
Calorie-dense at 579 kcal per 100g, so portion size matters.
Nuts, cashew butter, plain, without salt added is here because even the back half of this list still offers respectable magnesium density. You are looking at 61% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. At 587 kcal per 100g, the nutrient density is strong but the portion size still deserves respect. The extra protein (35% DV) and iron (28% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 9.76g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Nuts, pine nuts, dried rounds out the ranking with 251mg per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. That translates to 60% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. At 673 kcal per 100g, the nutrient density is strong but the portion size still deserves respect. It also brings useful amounts of protein (27% DV) and iron (31% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 4.9g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Mollusks, snail, raw lands lower on the page, but 250mg per 100g is still better than what you get from most foods. You are looking at 60% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. A secondary plus is its protein (32% DV).
Amaranth grain, uncooked rounds out the ranking with 248mg per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. 59% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. At 371 kcal per 100g, the nutrient density is strong but the portion size still deserves respect. The extra protein (27% DV) and fiber (24% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Nuts, almonds, honey roasted, unblanched rounds out the ranking with 240mg per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. You are looking at 57% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. At 594 kcal per 100g, the nutrient density is strong but the portion size still deserves respect. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (36% DV) and fiber (49% DV). The fiber is another reason it tends to be more satisfying than the headline number suggests.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 4.73g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Mollusks, conch, baked or broiled lands lower on the page, but 238mg per 100g is still better than what you get from most foods. You are looking at 57% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The extra protein (53% DV) and folate (45% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient. The strong protein content makes it more practical than foods that only win on one micronutrient.
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 65mg per 100g.