Top 10 Vegetables Highest in Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral required by the body for muscle and nerve function, maintaining heart rhythm, building strong bones, and energy production. (1,2,3)
Magnesium is an electrolyte, and a deficiency in magnesium can lead to numbness, abnormal heart rhythms, coronary spasms. (4) In the long term, magnesium deficiency increases the risk of stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and migraine. (5)
Vegetables are an extremely nutrient dense food group and it is no surprise that vegetables are a good source of magnesium.
Vegetables high in magnesium include spinach, Swiss chard, lima beans, acorn squash, artichokes, kale, peas, okra, sweet corn, and potatoes. The daily value (DV) for magnesium is 420mg. (6,7)
See the top 10 vegetables high in magnesium below, and for more, see the extended list of less common vegetables rich in magnesium, list of high magnesium fruits, and the article on the top 10 high magnesium foods.
List of Vegetables High in Magnesium
1 Spinach| Magnesium per Cup Cooked | Magnesium per 100g | Magnesium per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 157mg (37% DV) | 87mg (21% DV) | 757mg (180% DV) |
2 Swiss Chard| Magnesium per Cup Cooked | Magnesium per 100g | Magnesium per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 151mg (36% DV) | 86mg (20% DV) | 860mg (205% DV) |
3 Lima Beans| Magnesium per Cup Cooked | Magnesium per 100g | Magnesium per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 126mg (30% DV) | 74mg (18% DV) | 120mg (29% DV) |
4 Acorn Squash| Magnesium per Cup Cooked | Magnesium per 100g | Magnesium per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 88mg (21% DV) | 43mg (10% DV) | 154mg (37% DV) |
5 Artichokes (Globe or French)| Magnesium in a Medium Artichoke | Magnesium per 100g | Magnesium per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 77mg (18% DV) | 60mg (14% DV) | 255mg (61% DV) |
6 Kale| Magnesium per Cup Cooked | Magnesium per 100g | Magnesium per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 74mg (18% DV) | 57mg (14% DV) | 407mg (97% DV) |
7 Green Peas| Magnesium per Cup Cooked | Magnesium per 100g | Magnesium per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 62mg (15% DV) | 39mg (9% DV) | 93mg (22% DV) |
8 Okra| Magnesium per Cup Raw | Magnesium per 100g | Magnesium per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 57mg (14% DV) | 57mg (14% DV) | 345mg (82% DV) |
9 Sweet Corn| Magnesium per Cup Cooked | Magnesium per 100g | Magnesium per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 54mg (13% DV) | 37mg (9% DV) | 86mg (20% DV) |
10 Potatoes| Magnesium in a Medium Potato | Magnesium per 100g | Magnesium per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 48mg (12% DV) | 28mg (7% DV) | 60mg (14% DV) |
Printable One Page Sheet
Even More Magnesium Rich Vegetables
| Food | Serving | Magnesium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Taro | 1 cup sliced | 17% DV (70mg) |
| 2 Burdock Root | 1 cup | 12% DV (49mg) |
| 3 Nopales | 1 cup sliced | 11% DV (45mg) |
| 4 Fireweed Leaves | 1 cup | 9% DV (36mg) |
| 5 Sweet Potato Leaves | 1 cup chopped | 7% DV (31mg) |
| 6 Parsley | per cup | 7% DV (30mg) |
| 7 Purslane | 1 cup | 7% DV (29mg) |
| 8 Beet Greens | per cup fresh | 6% DV (27mg) |
| 9 Sweet Potato Leaves | 1 cup chopped | 6% DV (25mg) |
| 10 Garden Cress | 1 cup | 5% DV (19mg) |
| 11 Amaranth Leaves | 1 cup | 4% DV (15mg) |
| 12 Spirulina | 1 tbsp | 3% DV (14mg) |
| 13 Wakame Seaweed | 2 tbsp (1/8 cup) | 3% DV (11mg) |
How Much Magnesium Do You Need Everyday?
The daily value (%DV) for Magnesium is 420mg and is a general target intended for most people. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) shows specific targets by age and gender. The RDA for magnesium is between 300mg - 420mg for most people. (7)
| Life Stage | RDA |
|---|---|
| Children | |
| 1-3 years old | 80mg |
| 4-8 years old | 130mg |
| Males | |
| 9-13 years old | 240mg |
| 14-18 years old | 410mg |
| 19-30 years old | 310mg |
| 31-70 years old | 420mg |
| 70+ years old | 420mg |
| Females | |
| 9-13 years old | 240mg |
| 14-18 years old | 360mg |
| 19-30 years old | 310mg |
| 31-70 years old | 320mg |
| 70+ years old | 320mg |
| Pregnancy | |
| 14-18 years old | 335mg |
| 19-30 years old | 290mg |
| 31-50 years old | 300mg |
| Lactation | |
| 14-18 years old | 400mg |
| 19-30 years old | 350mg |
| 31-50 years old | 360mg |
About the Data
Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.
You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.
Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.
About Nutrient Targets
Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.
Some of the most popular targets include:- Daily Value (%DV) - The daily value (%DV) is a general guideline for consumption that will prevent deficiency of a particular nutrient in most people. The %DV refers to the percentage of an amount that's found in a single serving of a food. It also accounts for absorption factors. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
- Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals. It's more specific than the daily value, and varies by age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Instutites of Health.
- Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, but is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
- Adequate Intake (%AI) - This value is primarily used in reference to omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The Adequate Intake is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Because there is less evidence to determine the ideal targets for consumption of these nutrients, the specific amount is considered to be less reliable. Using the term Adequate Intake, rather than one of the other terms, helps to emphasize that the ideal intake of that particular nutrient has not yet been scientifically determined.
See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.
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- Foods High in Magnesium
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- Vegetables High in Magnesium
- Fruits High in Magnesium
- Vegetarian Foods High in Magnesium
- Nuts High in Magnesium
- Grains High in Magnesium
- Beans High in Magnesium
- Dairy High in Magnesium
- Breakfast Cereals High in Magnesium
- Fast Foods High in Magnesium
View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.
Related
Data Sources and References
- Limaye CS, Londhey VA, Nadkart MY, Borges NE. Magnesium and Human Health: Perspectives and Research Directions J Assoc Physicians India. 2011 Jan;59:19-22. 21751660
- Robertson SP, Johnson JD, Potter JD. Magnesium and the regulation of muscle contraction Biophys J. 1981 Jun;34(3):559-69. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(81)84868-0. 7195747
- Robertson SP, Johnson JD, Potter JD. Magnesium and the regulation of muscle contraction Biophys J. 1981 Jun;34(3):559-69. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(81)84868-0. 7195747
- Rude RK. Clinical manifestations of magnesium deficiency Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 1993 Jun;22(2):377-95. 8325293
- Kirkland AE, Sarlo GL, Holton KF. The Effect of Magnesium Deficiency on Neurological Disorders: A Narrative Review Article Nutrients. 2018 Jun 6;10(6):730. doi: 10.3390/nu10060730. 29882776
- U.S.FDA - Daily Value on the New Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
- Institute of Medicine (US) Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1998. 20845565
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