Magnesium, food by food
Ranking · Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
An adult is advised to get about 400 mg a day if a man, 310 mg if a woman. ? The words below are read against 400 mg, the men’s amount. ?
How we counted this
Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intakes, adults 19–30. The word beside each food says how much of that one serving gives, read against the higher amount, 400 mg, which is the men’s: for the other sex a serving counts for more.
The plain words beside each food: “a lot” means one serving gives at least 20% of the daily amount, “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2%; below that it says “almost none”. Each row prints its percentage of the daily amount, rounded to a whole number, and the word is read from that printed percentage (a row at 9.6% prints 10% and reads “some”). The cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source”, and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount; Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%, and we keep one number so a percentage never changes meaning (provisional: they may change in a later method version).
What it does: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium fact sheet for health professionals. How much a day: Health Canada, Dietary reference intakes tables: Reference values for elements.
Most per serving: pumpkin seeds (150 mg), then whole flaxseed and whole-wheat pasta.
Listed amounts, not what your body absorbs. Where a human study measured absorption, the food’s page shows it. ?
How we counted this
Listed for 194 of the 198 preparations on this page (150 foods). The other 4 aren’t zero, just not listed: see “Not listed” below.
191 of them are ranked below, by what one serving gives; the other 3 list it but have no serving size on file, so they follow, per 100 g.
The 159 reviewed foods (229 preparations) are counted here, and raw and cooked spinach are two preparations of one food. Each row below is one preparation, and 198 of them are on this page. The other 31 are left out: 19 raw or dry forms of a food ranked as eaten (listed below) and 12 fortified foods. Imported foods are listed separately below, not ranked. Every amount here is copied from the national food databases, as published. A serving’s weight is shown rounded, and the amount is worked from its exact weight, so a row can differ slightly from weight times the per-100 g figure.
- 1
A lot150mg499.7 mg / 100 g - 2
A lot118mg392 mg / 100 g - 3
A lot116mg54 mg / 100 g - 4
A lot105mg351.3 mg / 100 g - 5
A lot105mg351 mg / 100 g - 6
A lot104mg345 mg / 100 g - 7
A lot97mg97 mg / 100 g - 8
A lot89.6mg64 mg / 100 g - 9
A lot83.7mg279 mg / 100 g - 10
A lot79mg92.96 mg / 100 g - 11
A lot78.2mg86 mg / 100 g - 12
Some77.3mg257.6 mg / 100 g - 13
Some75.2mg250.6 mg / 100 g - 14Some74mg87 mg / 100 g
- 15
Some72mg144 mg / 100 g - 16
Some68.9mg81 mg / 100 g - 17
Some66.8mg27 mg / 100 g - 18
Some63.6mg70 mg / 100 g - 19
Some60.8mg152 mg / 100 g - 20
Some59.6mg63 mg / 100 g - 21
Some58.5mg195 mg / 100 g - 22
Some57.5mg76.6 mg / 100 g - 23
Some55.8mg372.1 mg / 100 g - 24
Some54.6mg39 mg / 100 g - 25
Some54.4mg64 mg / 100 g - 26
Some53.9mg179.7 mg / 100 g - 27
Some53.4mg178 mg / 100 g - 28
Some50.3mg335 mg / 100 g - 29
Some48.9mg326.3 mg / 100 g - 30
Some45.2mg50 mg / 100 g - 31
Some42.7mg142.4 mg / 100 g - 32
Some42mg42 mg / 100 g - 33
Some42mg84 mg / 100 g - 34
Some41.9mg279 mg / 100 g - 35
Some41.8mg48 mg / 100 g - 36
Some40mg47 mg / 100 g - 37
Some39.6mg72 mg / 100 g - 38
Some39.2mg28 mg / 100 g - 39
Some38.7mg129 mg / 100 g - 40
A little37.7mg36 mg / 100 g - 41
A little37mg37 mg / 100 g - 42
A little37mg37 mg / 100 g - 43
A little34mg34 mg / 100 g - 44
A little33mg30 mg / 100 g - 45
A little32.7mg109 mg / 100 g - 46
A little31.6mg35 mg / 100 g - 47
A little30mg30 mg / 100 g - 48
A little29.7mg54 mg / 100 g - 49
A little29.7mg27 mg / 100 g - 50
A little29mg29 mg / 100 g - 51
A little28.9mg11 mg / 100 g - 52A little28.9mg11 mg / 100 g
- 53
A little28.8mg11 mg / 100 g - 54
A little28.1mg33 mg / 100 g - 55
A little27.5mg22 mg / 100 g - 56
A little27.2mg32 mg / 100 g - 57
A little26.4mg31 mg / 100 g - 58
A little25.5mg30 mg / 100 g - 59
A little25.2mg63 mg / 100 g - 60
A little25.2mg168 mg / 100 g - 61
A little25mg25 mg / 100 g - 62
A little24.7mg29 mg / 100 g - 63
A little24.5mg35 mg / 100 g - 64
A little24mg80 mg / 100 g - 65
A little23.8mg28 mg / 100 g - 66
A little23.2mg12 mg / 100 g - 67
A little23.1mg42 mg / 100 g - 68
A little23mg23 mg / 100 g - 69
A little22.5mg75 mg / 100 g - 70A little22.5mg18 mg / 100 g
- 71A little22.2mg11.5 mg / 100 g
- 72
A little22.1mg26 mg / 100 g - 73
A little22mg22 mg / 100 g - 74
A little22mg22 mg / 100 g - 75
A little22mg20 mg / 100 g - 76
A little22mg15.7 mg / 100 g - 77
A little21.6mg54 mg / 100 g - 78
A little21.5mg39 mg / 100 g - 79
A little21.3mg26 mg / 100 g - 80
A little21.3mg25 mg / 100 g - 81A little21.3mg25 mg / 100 g
- 82
A little21.1mg19.14 mg / 100 g - 83
A little21mg21 mg / 100 g - 84
A little19.8mg18 mg / 100 g - 85
A little19.6mg23 mg / 100 g - 86
A little19.6mg17 mg / 100 g - 87
A little19.5mg13 mg / 100 g - 88
A little18.7mg13.38 mg / 100 g - 89
A little18.7mg22 mg / 100 g - 90A little18.7mg22 mg / 100 g
- 91
A little18.4mg23 mg / 100 g - 92
Albacore (white) tuna, canned in water55 g · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)5% of the men’s 400 mgA little18.2mg33 mg / 100 g - 93
A little18mg18 mg / 100 g - 94
A little17.9mg21 mg / 100 g - 95
A little17.9mg21 mg / 100 g - 96
A little17.8mg12.7 mg / 100 g - 97
A little17.5mg12.52 mg / 100 g - 98
A little17.4mg29 mg / 100 g - 99
A little17.2mg11.45 mg / 100 g - 100
A little17.1mg31 mg / 100 g - 101
A little17mg20 mg / 100 g - 102
A little17mg12.11 mg / 100 g - 103A little16.8mg24 mg / 100 g
- 104
A little16.8mg12 mg / 100 g - 105
A little16.8mg12 mg / 100 g - 106
A little16.8mg12 mg / 100 g - 107
A little16.8mg21 mg / 100 g - 108
A little16.2mg19 mg / 100 g - 109
A little15.4mg11 mg / 100 g - 110
A little15.3mg19.15 mg / 100 g - 111
A little15.3mg18 mg / 100 g - 112
A little15mg10.7 mg / 100 g - 113
A little14.7mg14 mg / 100 g - 114
A little14.3mg95 mg / 100 g - 115
A little14.2mg35.54 mg / 100 g - 116
A little14mg10 mg / 100 g - 117
A little13.8mg23 mg / 100 g - 118
A little13.4mg10.75 mg / 100 g - 119
A little13.2mg11.45 mg / 100 g - 120
A little12.8mg15 mg / 100 g - 121
A little12.7mg11 mg / 100 g - 122
A little12.5mg5 mg / 100 g - 123A little12.5mg22.7 mg / 100 g
- 124
A little12.1mg11 mg / 100 g - 125
A little12.1mg22 mg / 100 g - 126
A little12.1mg14.2 mg / 100 g - 127
A little12mg8.56 mg / 100 g - 128
A little11.9mg14 mg / 100 g - 129
A little11.8mg74 mg / 100 g - 130
A little11.8mg13.86 mg / 100 g - 131
A little11.6mg13.64 mg / 100 g - 132
A little11.5mg9.19 mg / 100 g - 133
A little11.2mg8 mg / 100 g - 134
A little11.2mg8 mg / 100 g - 135A little11.1mg13 mg / 100 g
- 136
A little11.1mg13 mg / 100 g - 137
A little10.6mg12.45 mg / 100 g - 138
A little10.5mg19 mg / 100 g - 139
A little10.2mg12.05 mg / 100 g - 140
A little10.2mg12 mg / 100 g - 141
A little10mg33.4 mg / 100 g - 142
A little10mg10 mg / 100 g - 143
A little9.84mg32.8 mg / 100 g - 144
A little9.8mg7 mg / 100 g - 145
A little9.35mg11 mg / 100 g - 146
A little9.29mg10.93 mg / 100 g - 147
A little8.8mg16 mg / 100 g - 148
A little8.64mg10.16 mg / 100 g - 149
A little8.59mg10.11 mg / 100 g - 150
A little8.16mg27.2 mg / 100 g - 151
A little8.04mg26.8 mg / 100 g - 152
A little7.8mg26 mg / 100 g - 153
A little7.65mg9 mg / 100 g - 154
A little7.65mg9 mg / 100 g - 155A little7.65mg9 mg / 100 g
- 156
A little7.65mg9 mg / 100 g - 157
A little7.65mg9 mg / 100 g - 158A little7.5mg3 mg / 100 g
- 159
A little7.5mg3 mg / 100 g - 160
A little6.88mg8.09 mg / 100 g - 161
A little6.6mg44 mg / 100 g - 162
A little6.54mg4.67 mg / 100 g - 163
Almost none5.95mg7 mg / 100 g - 164
Almost none5.6mg7 mg / 100 g - 165
Almost none5.31mg17.69 mg / 100 g - 166
Almost none4.94mg6.18 mg / 100 g - 167
Almost none4.65mg31 mg / 100 g - 168
Almost none4mg5 mg / 100 g - 169
Almost none3.9mg13 mg / 100 g - 170
Almost none3.75mg1 mg / 100 g - 171
Almost none2.92mg10 mg / 100 g - 172
Almost none2.89mg19 mg / 100 g - 173
Almost none2.7mg9 mg / 100 g - 174
Almost none2.5mg1 mg / 100 g - 175
Dried cranberries, sweetened40 g · US food database (USDA Foundation Foods)under 1% of the men’s 400 mgAlmost none1.8mg4.5 mg / 100 g - 176
Almost none1.53mg10 mg / 100 g - 177
Almost none1.52mg5 mg / 100 g - 178Almost none1.06mg7 mg / 100 g
- 179
Almost none1mg25 mg / 100 g - 180
Almost none0.4mg2 mg / 100 g - 181
Almost none0.31mg6 mg / 100 g - 182
Almost none0.2mg2 mg / 100 g - 183Almost none0.2mg2 mg / 100 g
- 184
Almost none0.14mg1 mg / 100 g - 185
Almost none0.02mg1 mg / 100 g - 186
Almost none0mg0 mg / 100 g - 187
Almost none0mg0 mg / 100 g - 188
Almost none0mg0 mg / 100 g - 189
Almost none0mg0 mg / 100 g - 190Almost none0mg0 mg / 100 g
- 191Almost none0mg0 mg / 100 g
Not ranked in this view
These list Magnesium but have no serving size on file yet.
Not listed
The databases don’t list Magnesium for these foods: left out, not counted as zero.
Not yet reviewed · shown per 100 g, not per serving
Straight from the national databases, not yet checked, so not ranked. The list can include dried foods, spices and fortified products that a review would set aside.
No serving size yet, so shown per 100 g, even under “per serving”.
Not compared with the upper level: with no serving size, a figure for 100 g of a powder or a concentrate says nothing about what anyone eats. Choose an amount under “per 100 g” to compare one.
- Rice bran, crude · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)781 mgper 100 g
- Seaweed, agar, dried · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)770 mgper 100 g
- Seeds, cottonseed meal, partially defatted (glandless) · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)760 mgper 100 g
- Seeds, cottonseed flour, partially defatted (glandless) · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)721 mgper 100 g
- Seeds, cottonseed flour, low fat (glandless) · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)716 mgper 100 g
- Spices, basil, dried · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)711 mgper 100 g
- Seeds, hemp seed, hulled · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)700 mgper 100 g
- Spices, coriander leaf, dried · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)694 mgper 100 g
- Seaweed, Canadian Cultivated EMI-TSUNOMATA, dry · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)692 mgper 100 g
- Chives, freeze-dried · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)640 mgper 100 g
- Wheat bran, crude · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)611 mgper 100 g
- Cereals ready-to-eat, SUN COUNTRY, KRETSCHMER Toasted Wheat Bran · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)606 mgper 100 g
- Spearmint, dried · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)602 mgper 100 g
- Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, without salt · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)550 mgper 100 g
- Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, with salt added · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)550 mgper 100 g
- Seeds, watermelon seed kernels, dried · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)515 mgper 100 g
- Beverages, nutritional shake mix, high protein, powder · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)500 mgper 100 g
- Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)499 mgper 100 g
- Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened, processed with alkali · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)476 mgper 100 g
- Cocoa, dry powder, hi-fat or breakfast, processed with alkali · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)476 mgper 100 g
Ranked as eaten. Where a food is also listed in a form people eat, these forms are left out: raw meat, poultry, fish and eggs (their cooked forms are ranked), dry grains and legumes, and frozen vegetables before cooking. Raw oysters stay: they have no other form.
Which 19 are left out?
- raw ground beef
- Beef liver, raw
- Beef steak, top loin, raw
- raw chicken breast
- Chicken thigh, raw
- Chicken liver, raw
- Cod, raw
- raw eggs
- dry lentils
- raw mackerel
- dry rolled oats
- dry pasta
- dry whole-wheat pasta
- frozen peas
- Pork chop, raw
- Pork sausage, raw
- dry quinoa
- raw farmed salmon
- Ground turkey, 93% lean, raw
12 fortified foods are left out: makers add vitamins and minerals in amounts that vary by brand, so check the label for magnesium: Soy drink, unsweetened, fortified · Pasta, cooked · White bread, toasted · White bread · Almond drink, unsweetened, fortified · Oat drink, unsweetened, fortified · Flour tortillas · Cookies · Breakfast cereal · Pies · Crackers · Cakes
Running low, and too much
Running low
Early signs of low magnesium are loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, tiredness and weakness; later come numbness, cramps, seizures and abnormal heart rhythms. It is uncommon in healthy people.
Too much
The risk of too much magnesium from food is low. High doses from supplements or medicines can cause diarrhea, nausea and cramps. The upper level, 350 mg a day, is set for supplements and medicines only, so no food here is held against it.
Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium fact sheet for health professionals (2026-01-06) · Upper levels (adults 19–30): Health Canada, Dietary reference intakes tables: elements (2025-11-19)