12 magnesium-rich foods you should know about
How often during the day do you consider the
vitamins and minerals you are consuming in what you eat? Most people
don't do a mental breakdown of whether they are getting all the
essential nutrients they need through their food for a healthy body.
Thus they suffer from vitamin deficiency.
Magnesium
is necessary for normal heart rhythms, good muscle tone and a healthy
immune system. Getting the recommended daily intake (RDI) is really
quite easy if you know the right foods. For women younger than 31, the
RDI is 310 mg, and 31 and older it's 320 mg. Men's RDI is slightly
higher with the younger than 31 crowd at 400 mg and 31 and older at 420
mg. Check out the 12 magnesium-rich foods below and see how you're
doing.
1. Cooked spinach. To get a great jump on the day, the Mayo
Clinic recommends 1 cup of cooked spinach, which contains 150 to 160 mg
of magnesium.
2. Sunflower seeds. If being like Popeye is just not for you, dry
sunflower seeds aren't a bad place to go instead.One-fourth cup of
seeds will yield 128 mg of magnesium.
3. Black beans. One cup of cooked black beans yields 120 mg of
magnesium. Other legumes are also rich in magnesium, but black beans
seem to be the highest.
4. Almonds. For 105 mg of magnesium, eat one-fourth cup of dry almonds.
5. Sesame seeds. Although the phrase "Open sesame" may open doors
to hidden treasure, the seeds themselves are a treasure in and of
themselves. One ounce of sesame seeds yields 101 mg of magnesium.
6. Cashews. Many nuts contain high amounts of magnesium, and
cashews are right up there at the top. One ounce of cashews will net 82
mg of magnesium. They also make a great snack between meals.
7. Oatmeal. A great way to start the morning off is with a bowl
of oatmeal. One cup of cooked oatmeal contains 57.6 mg of magnesium –
not too shabby.
8. Tofu. For those who don't mind this white soybean curd, you
can get 53 mg of magnesium from a 3.5 ounce serving.
9. Peanut butter. Great for sandwiches, with chocolate or
eaten by the spoonful, peanut butter has 50 mg of magnesium in a
2-tablespoon serving.
10. Bananas. One medium banana yields 33 mg of magnesium. You can
make a peanut butter banana sandwich and get the benefits of both that
way, or simply lather some peanut butter on the banana for a lower-carb
treat.
11. Regular milk. Often, people stop drinking mild once they
become adults. Milk isn't just for kids. One cup of milk contains 32.8
mg of magnesium, an easy way to get this important mineral.
12. Dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is great for a number of
things. Its value in antioxidants and prebiotics (important for helping
probiotics survive). Dark chocolate is also a rich source of magnesium.
It contains 64 mg in a 1-ounce serving. Feel free to eat dark chocolate
with a guilt-free conscience.
Magnesium is such an important mineral to the
body's health. Don't skimp on it. Eat in a healthy manner. By being
mindful of the foods above, you can easily track how much you're
getting. Eat healthy, and keep your body happy!