Foods High in Magnesium: 20 Top Sources and How Much You Need

The foods highest in magnesium are pumpkin seeds (156 mg per ounce), chia seeds (111 mg), almonds (80 mg), boiled spinach (78 mg per ½ cup) and cashews (74 mg), with beans, soymilk, whole grains and peanuts close behind. Below are 20 top sources from National Institutes of Health data, daily needs by age and sex, and a sample day that reaches the target. It is educational, not medical advice.

Key Takeaways

• Seeds and nuts lead: roasted pumpkin seeds give 156 mg per ounce, or 37% of the 420 mg Daily Value, and chia seeds give 111 mg (NIH ODS: Magnesium).
• Adults need 310 to 420 mg a day: the RDA is 400 to 420 mg for men and 310 to 320 mg for women, depending on age (NIH ODS: Magnesium).
• Many people fall short: 48% of Americans get less than their estimated average requirement from food and beverages (NIH ODS: Magnesium).
• The 350 mg upper limit is for supplements only: it does not include magnesium found naturally in food and drinks (NIH ODS: Magnesium).

Top 10 Foods High in Magnesium at a Glance

1. Pumpkin seeds, roasted, 1 ounce: 156 mg
2. Chia seeds, 1 ounce: 111 mg
3. Almonds, dry roasted, 1 ounce: 80 mg
4. Spinach, boiled, ½ cup: 78 mg
5. Cashews, dry roasted, 1 ounce: 74 mg
6. Peanuts, oil roasted, ¼ cup: 63 mg
7. Whole wheat biscuit cereal, 2 large biscuits: 61 mg
8. Soymilk, plain or vanilla, 1 cup: 61 mg
9. Black beans, cooked, ½ cup: 60 mg
10. Edamame, shelled, cooked, ½ cup: 50 mg

20 Top Food Sources of Magnesium

These values come from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements food table, which draws on USDA FoodData Central. Percent Daily Value uses the 420 mg DV for adults and children age 4 and older (NIH ODS: Magnesium).

Rank	Food	Serving	Magnesium (mg)	% DV
1	Pumpkin seeds, roasted	1 ounce	156	37
2	Chia seeds	1 ounce	111	26
3	Almonds, dry roasted	1 ounce	80	19
4	Spinach, boiled	½ cup	78	19
5	Cashews, dry roasted	1 ounce	74	18
6	Peanuts, oil roasted	¼ cup	63	15
7	Cereal, whole wheat biscuits	2 large biscuits	61	15
8	Soymilk, plain or vanilla	1 cup	61	15
9	Black beans, cooked	½ cup	60	14
10	Edamame, shelled, cooked	½ cup	50	12
11	Peanut butter, smooth	2 tablespoons	49	12
12	Potato, baked with skin	3.5 ounces	43	10
13	Rice, brown, cooked	½ cup	42	10
14	Yogurt, plain, low fat	8 ounces	42	10
15	Breakfast cereals, fortified with 10% of the DV for magnesium	1 serving	42	10
16	Oatmeal, instant	1 packet	36	9
17	Kidney beans, canned	½ cup	35	8
18	Banana	1 medium	32	8
19	Milk	1 cup	27	6
20	Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked	3 ounces	26	6

The NIH table also lists smaller sources, including whole wheat bread, 1 slice (23 mg); avocado, cubed, ½ cup (22 mg); chicken breast, roasted, 3 ounces (22 mg); broccoli, chopped and cooked, ½ cup (12 mg); and white rice, cooked, ½ cup (10 mg).

By the FDA rule of thumb, a food that gives 20% or more of the DV per serving counts as a high source (NIH ODS: Magnesium). Only pumpkin seeds and chia seeds clear that bar, so most people reach their target by stacking several good sources across the day.

How Much Magnesium Do You Need?

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) covers magnesium from all sources: food, drinks and supplements. These are the NIH values for teens and adults (NIH ODS: Magnesium):

Age	Male	Female	Pregnancy	Lactation
14 to 18 years	410 mg	360 mg	400 mg	360 mg
19 to 30 years	400 mg	310 mg	350 mg	310 mg
31 to 50 years	420 mg	320 mg	360 mg	320 mg
51 years and older	420 mg	320 mg	n/a	n/a

Children need less: 80 mg a day at ages 1 to 3, 130 mg at 4 to 8 and 240 mg at 9 to 13 (NIH ODS: Magnesium).

The Tolerable Upper Intake Level for people 9 and older is 350 mg a day, but it applies only to magnesium from supplements and medications. It does not include magnesium found naturally in food and beverages, and the NIH notes that too much magnesium from food does not pose a health risk in healthy people because the kidneys remove the excess in urine (NIH ODS: Magnesium).

Falling short is common: survey data from 2005 to 2006 showed that almost half of people in the United States got less magnesium from food than they needed (Rosanoff et al., 2012).

Who May Fall Short on Magnesium

According to the NIH, adult men 71 and older and adolescents are the most likely to fall short on intake. The fact sheet names four groups at greater risk of magnesium inadequacy (NIH ODS: Magnesium):

• People with gastrointestinal diseases, such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease or a small intestine resection, where poor absorption and chronic diarrhea can deplete magnesium.
• People with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance, who can lose more magnesium in urine.
• People with alcohol dependence, because of low intake and losses through the gut and kidneys.
• Older adults, who tend to eat less magnesium, absorb less, excrete more and take more medicines.

Absorption, Processing and Water

Your body absorbs roughly 30% to 40% of the magnesium in food and beverages, and when intake is low the kidneys limit how much is lost in urine (NIH ODS: Magnesium).

The NIH says that refining grains in ways that remove the nutrient rich germ and bran substantially lowers their magnesium content. That gap shows up in the table: ½ cup of cooked brown rice has 42 mg while the same amount of white rice has 10 mg. In general, foods that contain dietary fiber provide magnesium, and some breakfast cereals and other foods are fortified with it (NIH ODS: Magnesium).

Drinking water can add some too. Tap, mineral and bottled waters can all contain magnesium, but the amount varies by source and brand, from about 1 mg per liter to more than 120 mg per liter (NIH ODS: Magnesium). See also our guide to mineral functions in the body.

Vegan and Vegetarian Sources of Magnesium

Every food in the top 10 is plant based: pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, spinach, cashews, peanuts, wheat biscuit cereal, soymilk, black beans and edamame. The animal foods on the NIH list, such as salmon, chicken and beef, give 20 to 26 mg per 3 ounce serving, so a diet built on seeds, nuts, legumes and whole grains can supply plenty of magnesium.

A Sample Day That Reaches the RDA

Here is one way to reach the 420 mg RDA for men 31 and older, using only foods and serving sizes from the NIH table:

Meal	Foods	Magnesium	Running total
Breakfast	1 packet instant oatmeal (36) + 1 medium banana (32) + 8 oz plain low fat yogurt (42)	110 mg	110 mg
Lunch	½ cup black beans (60) + ½ cup brown rice (42) + ½ cup avocado (22)	124 mg	234 mg
Snack	1 oz dry roasted almonds (80)	80 mg	314 mg
Dinner	3 oz cooked salmon (26) + 3.5 oz baked potato with skin (43) + ½ cup boiled spinach (78)	147 mg	461 mg

The math: 110 + 124 + 80 + 147 = 461 mg, which is 41 mg above the 420 mg target and about 110% of the Daily Value. Women 31 and older (RDA 320 mg) are at 314 mg after the snack and pass the target at dinner. For a vegan version, swap the yogurt for 1 cup of soymilk (61 mg, a gain of 19) and the salmon for ½ cup of edamame (50 mg, a gain of 24): 461 + 19 + 24 = 504 mg.

Food vs Supplement Forms of Magnesium

The NIH says nutritional needs should be met primarily through diet, including fortified foods, and that supplements may be useful when that is not possible (NIH ODS: Magnesium).

In supplements, forms that dissolve well in liquid are absorbed more completely, and small studies found that magnesium aspartate, citrate, lactate and chloride tend to have higher bioavailability than magnesium oxide and sulfate. Supplement labels list elemental magnesium, meaning the amount of magnesium itself rather than the weight of the whole compound (NIH ODS: Magnesium). Compare options in our guides to magnesium glycinate vs citrate and magnesium bisglycinate vs glycinate. You can also read about magnesium glycerophosphate.

For when to take a magnesium supplement, morning or night, see the best time to take magnesium.

Pairing Magnesium With Vitamin D and Zinc

Magnesium and vitamin D are closely linked. Magnesium affects the levels of parathyroid hormone and the active form of vitamin D (NIH ODS: Magnesium), and a review notes that all of the enzymes that metabolize vitamin D seem to require magnesium as a cofactor (Uwitonze and Razzaque, 2018).

A randomized, double blind trial in 180 adults aged 40 to 85, with magnesium doses tailored to each person's diet, found that magnesium raised blood 25(OH)D3 in people who started close to 30 ng/mL and lowered it in people who started higher. The authors concluded that good magnesium status may be important for optimizing vitamin D status (Dai et al., 2018). Read more in vitamin D and magnesium and on our vitamin D3 page.

Zinc is the other common partner. The NIH notes that very high doses of zinc from supplements (142 mg a day in one study) interfered with magnesium absorption (NIH ODS: Magnesium). See magnesium and zinc together for timing and amounts.

For vitamin D from food, see our list of foods high in vitamin D.

Coming Soon From Synchronicity

Our Vitamin D Cofactor Capsules will give magnesium 100 mg (as magnesium bisglycinate), zinc 10 mg (as zinc bisglycinate) and boron 3 mg (as boron glycinate) per 2 capsules. They are made to pair with our Vitamin D3 + K2 Drops, which are available now, with vegan vitamin D3 from lichen and vitamin K2 as MK-4 and MK-7. The capsules are available for pre-order, which means you join a waitlist; no payment is taken.

At 100 mg of magnesium per 2 capsules, the capsules are meant to add to a magnesium rich diet, not replace one, and stay well under the 350 mg upper limit for supplemental magnesium. Learn more about zinc bisglycinate or browse our Learn hub.

Safety Note

Safety note: high doses of magnesium from supplements or medications can cause diarrhea, nausea and abdominal cramping. Magnesium carbonate, chloride, gluconate and oxide are the forms most commonly reported to cause diarrhea. It can also interact with medicines, including oral bisphosphonates, tetracycline and quinolone antibiotics, diuretics and long term proton pump inhibitors (NIH ODS: Magnesium). Talk with your healthcare provider before taking magnesium supplements if you take any of these medicines, have a medical condition, or are pregnant or breastfeeding. Our guide to magnesium glycinate side effects covers more.

Frequently Asked Questions

What food is highest in magnesium?

On the NIH list, roasted pumpkin seeds are highest at 156 mg per ounce, or 37% of the Daily Value. Chia seeds come next at 111 mg per ounce.

How much magnesium do adults need each day?

The RDA is 400 mg for men aged 19 to 30 and 420 mg for men 31 and older. For women it is 310 mg at 19 to 30 and 320 mg at 31 and older, with higher amounts during pregnancy.

Which fruits are high in magnesium?

Fruits give modest amounts. On the NIH list, a medium banana has 32 mg, ½ cup of raisins has 23 mg, ½ cup of cubed avocado has 22 mg and a medium apple has 9 mg.

Can you get enough magnesium from food alone?

Yes, with planning. The sample day above reaches 461 mg using common foods. Even so, national survey data show that 48% of Americans get less than their estimated average requirement from food and beverages.

Can you get too much magnesium from food?

The NIH says too much magnesium from food does not pose a health risk in healthy people, because the kidneys remove the excess in urine. The 350 mg upper limit applies to supplements and medications only.

Should magnesium be taken with vitamin D?

The enzymes that metabolize vitamin D seem to require magnesium, and one trial found magnesium status influenced vitamin D levels. Ask your healthcare provider what fits your diet.

Sources

• National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated January 6, 2026. NIH ODS
• Dai Q et al., 2018. Magnesium status and supplementation influence vitamin D status and metabolism: results from a randomized trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. PubMed
• Uwitonze and Razzaque, 2018. Review on magnesium and vitamin D (cited in our vitamin D and magnesium guide). DOI 10.7556/jaoa.2018.037
• Rosanoff A, Weaver CM, Rude RK. Suboptimal magnesium status in the United States: are the health consequences underestimated?. Nutr Rev. 2012;70(3):153-64. PubMed 22364157

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for education and is not medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication.