Dairy and eggs high in magnesium (per serving)
17 dairy and eggs ranked by magnesium per common serving, from USDA FoodData Central. Yogurt leads with 47 mg per 1 cup (8 fl oz) (11% of the Daily Value), followed by Milk (29 mg) and Milk, buttermilk (24 mg).
Top 10 at a glance
Top 10 dairy and eggs highest in magnesium
- Yogurt, plain (skim milk)1 cup (8 fl oz) (245 g) · 137 kcal47 mg11% DV
- Milk, whole (3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D)1 cup (244 g) · 149 kcal29 mg6.9% DV
- Milk, buttermilk (fluid, whole)1 cup (245 g) · 152 kcal24 mg5.8% DV
- Cheese, gjetost1 oz (28 g) · 132 kcal20 mg4.7% DV
- Yogurt, Greek (plain, nonfat)1 container (170 g) · 100 kcal18 mg4.3% DV
- Cheese, goat (hard type)1 oz (28 g) · 128 kcal15 mg3.6% DV
- Cheese, parmesan (low sodium)1 oz (28 g) · 128 kcal14 mg3.4% DV
- Milk, low sodium (fluid)1 cup (244 g) · 149 kcal12 mg2.9% DV
- Cheese, mexican (queso cotija)1 oz (28 g) · 104 kcal11 mg2.6% DV
- Cheese, swiss (low sodium)1 oz (28 g) · 106 kcal10 mg2.4% DV
All 17 dairy and eggs ranked
Sort any column. Serving sizes are USDA household measures (a cup, a medium fruit, 3 oz of cooked meat or fish, 1 oz of nuts or cheese). %DV is based on the FDA Daily Value of 420 mg.
| # | Food | Serving | Magnesium (mg) | % Daily Value | Per 100 g | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yogurt, plain (skim milk) | 1 cup (8 fl oz) (245 g) | 47 | 19 | 137 | |
| 2 | Milk, whole (3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) | 1 cup (244 g) | 29 | 12 | 149 | |
| 3 | Milk, buttermilk (fluid, whole) | 1 cup (245 g) | 24 | 10 | 152 | |
| 4 | Cheese, gjetost | 1 oz (28 g) | 20 | 70 | 132 | |
| 5 | Yogurt, Greek (plain, nonfat) | 1 container (170 g) | 18 | 11 | 100 | |
| 6 | Cheese, goat (hard type) | 1 oz (28 g) | 15 | 54 | 128 | |
| 7 | Cheese, parmesan (low sodium) | 1 oz (28 g) | 14 | 51 | 128 | |
| 8 | Milk, low sodium (fluid) | 1 cup (244 g) | 12 | 5 | 149 | |
| 9 | Cheese, mexican (queso cotija) | 1 oz (28 g) | 11 | 38 | 104 | |
| 10 | Cheese, swiss (low sodium) | 1 oz (28 g) | 10 | 36 | 106 | |
| 11 | Cheese, gruyere | 1 oz (28 g) | 10 | 36 | 117 | |
| 12 | Egg, whole (cooked, omelet) | 1 large (61 g) | 7 | 11 | 94 | |
| 13 | Dulce de Leche | 1 tbsp (19 g) | 4 | 22 | 60 | |
| 14 | Egg, white (raw, fresh) | 1 large (33 g) | 4 | 11 | 17 | |
| 15 | Cream, sour (cultured) | 1 tbsp (12 g) | 1 | 10 | 24 | |
| 16 | Egg, yolk (raw, fresh) | 1 large (17 g) | 1 | 5 | 55 | |
| 17 | Butter, without salt | 1 tbsp (14 g) | 0 | 2 | 102 |
Magnesium in specific foods
How this list is built. Values are from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, with Foundation Foods analytical updates where available). The pool is 1,677 whole foods: fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, grains, fish, meat, poultry, dairy and eggs. Spices, herbs, baby foods, powders, flours, dried and freeze-dried items, juices, processed meats, organ meats other than liver and uncommon foods are excluded; meats, fish, grains and legumes are ranked cooked. Each food family appears once and no single animal or plant fills more than six places. Ranking is by amount per serving; the per-100 g column is shown for reference. A food that USDA has not analysed for magnesium is left out rather than counted as zero. Full methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which food is highest in magnesium?
Among dairy and eggs in the USDA database, Yogurt, plain (skim milk) has the most magnesium per serving: 47 mg per 1 cup (8 fl oz) (11% of the Daily Value). Per 100 g it contains 19 mg.
How much magnesium do I need per day?
The FDA Daily Value used on Nutrition Facts labels is 420 mg of magnesium for adults and children aged 4 and over. Individual needs vary with age, sex, pregnancy and health conditions.
What counts as a food high in magnesium?
FDA labeling rules call a food a 'good source' when one serving provides 10 to 19% of the Daily Value and 'high' or 'excellent' at 20% or more. 0 of the 17 foods on this list reach 20% DV per serving.
Related rankings
- Foods high in potassium
- Foods high in iron
- Foods high in calcium
- Foods high in zinc
- Foods high in selenium
- Foods high in copper
- All foods high in magnesium
- Fruits high in magnesium
- Vegetables high in magnesium
- Legumes high in magnesium
- Nuts and seeds high in magnesium
- Grains high in magnesium
- Fish and seafood high in magnesium
- Meat and poultry high in magnesium
Nutrient values are from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, April 2018; Foundation Foods, April 2026) and shown per serving as described on each page. %DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. This is nutrition data for general information, not medical or dietary advice; talk to a clinician or registered dietitian about your own needs. How the numbers are calculated.