5 Excellent Vegan Sources of Magnesium

Feb 27, 2017

When you are eating a strong plant-based diet, you are getting plenty of magnesium. It is a powerful mineral that helps many of the enzymes in your body do what they are supposed to do. Often, when you feel lethargic, can’t sleep, are highly irritable or anxious, it means that you are lacking in magnesium.

Magnesium depletes from the human body due to too much acidic calcium like the kind that comes from dairy. But on a vegan diet, there is no danger of that because vegans obtain calcium from plants. Plant-based calcium does not deplete in the same way. Make sure you get enough magnesium in your vegan diet by eating these foods.

1 Oats

Mom was right about oats. They pack a mega-dose of protein, potassium, fiber, and magnesium too. The fill you up without filling you out. A cup of oats provides your body with 69% of your recommended daily intake of magnesium. You can use them in many baking recipes to make something sweeter yet more healthful.

2 Kelp

This type of seaweed has more magnesium than any other type of seaweed or vegetable on the planet. Plus, it has plenty of other benefits like enough iodine for your daily intake and it is a known detoxifying agent. Kelp flakes make it easy to get this into your diet.

3 Nuts

Nuts such as almonds and cashews are great sources of magnesium. Almonds and cashews have even more magnesium than kale or spinach with a whopping 135 mg. A cup of whole almonds contains 95% of daily value of magnesium while 100 grams of cashews provide your body with 73% of RDI. Surely, moderation is still important, so make sure you do not overindulge.

Read also – 8 Vegan Foods Rich in Iron

4 Pure chocolate

Yes, chocolate can be good for you in the purest forms. Cocoa and cacao are both filled with magnesium. The difference between the two is that cocoa is heated and cacao is raw. Whichever one you choose, you will get about 275 mg per serving. Cacao is a slightly better choice though simply because it is one of the most naturally antioxidant-rich foods in the world.

5 Seeds

Make a mixture of chia, pumpkin, hemp, and sunflower seeds and you will have a magnesium-filled snack that is tasty and healthy too. Pumpkin seeds alone can fulfill your magnesium needs for the day. A cup of roasted pumpkin seeds contains 162% of RDI of magnesium and 677 calories, so be sure to divide that cup into at least seven portions.

There are many more ways to incorporate more magnesium into your body naturally through plant-based foods. Plus, these foods have even more vitamins and minerals that your body needs besides magnesium. These five listed above are the most magnesium-rich, but there are many other options for eating enough magnesium.

Read also – Here Is How to Get B Vitamins in Your Vegan Diet

Make sure to eat plenty of leafy greens, bananas, sweet potatoes, whole grains, beans and legumes, wild and brown rice, and winter squash. And best of all, organic coffee is on the list too. In order to make coffee a healthy option, though, make sure you avoid adding sweeteners to it.

Do you think you are eating enough magnesium? If you feel any of the symptoms above, try adjusting your diet to include more magnesium and see if you notice a positive change in the way you feel.