Vegetables high in magnesium (per serving)
50 vegetables ranked by magnesium per common serving, from USDA FoodData Central. Spinach, cooked leads with 157 mg per 1 cup (37% of the Daily Value), followed by Chard, swiss (150 mg) and Lima beans, immature seeds (126 mg).
Top 10 at a glance
Top 10 vegetables highest in magnesium
- Spinach, cooked (boiled, drained, without salt)1 cup (180 g) · 41 kcal157 mg37% DV
- Chard, swiss (cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)1 cup, chopped (175 g) · 35 kcal150 mg36% DV
- Lima beans, immature seeds (cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)1 cup (170 g) · 209 kcal126 mg30% DV
- Edamame, frozen (prepared)1 cup (155 g) · 188 kcal113 mg27% DV
- Soybeans, green (cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)1 cup (180 g) · 254 kcal108 mg26% DV
- Beans, navy (mature seeds, sprouted, raw)1 cup (104 g) · 70 kcal105 mg25% DV
- Pigeonpeas, immature seeds (raw)1 cup (154 g) · 209 kcal105 mg25% DV
- Beet greens, cooked (boiled, drained, without salt)1 cup (1" pieces) (144 g) · 39 kcal98 mg23% DV
- Purslane, cooked (boiled, drained, without salt)1 cup (115 g) · 21 kcal77 mg18% DV
- Artichokes, (globe or french) (raw)1 artichoke, medium (128 g) · 60 kcal77 mg18% DV
All 50 vegetables 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 | Spinach, cooked (boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup (180 g) | 157 | 87 | 41 | |
| 2 | Chard, swiss (cooked, boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup, chopped (175 g) | 150 | 86 | 35 | |
| 3 | Lima beans, immature seeds (cooked, boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup (170 g) | 126 | 74 | 209 | |
| 4 | Edamame, frozen (prepared) | 1 cup (155 g) | 113 | 73 | 188 | |
| 5 | Soybeans, green (cooked, boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup (180 g) | 108 | 60 | 254 | |
| 6 | Beans, navy (mature seeds, sprouted, raw) | 1 cup (104 g) | 105 | 101 | 70 | |
| 7 | Pigeonpeas, immature seeds (raw) | 1 cup (154 g) | 105 | 68 | 209 | |
| 8 | Beet greens, cooked (boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup (1" pieces) (144 g) | 98 | 68 | 39 | |
| 9 | Purslane, cooked (boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup (115 g) | 77 | 67 | 21 | |
| 10 | Artichokes, (globe or french) (raw) | 1 artichoke, medium (128 g) | 77 | 60 | 60 | |
| 11 | Peas, mature seeds (sprouted, raw) | 1 cup (120 g) | 67 | 56 | 149 | |
| 12 | Peas, green (cooked, boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup (160 g) | 62 | 39 | 134 | |
| 13 | Sweet potato, cooked (boiled, without skin) | 1 cup, mashed (328 g) | 59 | 18 | 249 | |
| 14 | New Zealand spinach, cooked (boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup, chopped (180 g) | 58 | 32 | 22 | |
| 15 | Okra, raw | 1 cup (100 g) | 57 | 57 | 33 | |
| 16 | Corn, sweet (white, raw) | 1 cup kernels (154 g) | 57 | 37 | 132 | |
| 17 | Soybeans, mature seeds (sprouted, cooked, steamed) | 1 cup (94 g) | 56 | 60 | 76 | |
| 18 | Potatoes, microwaved (cooked in skin, flesh and skin, without salt) | 1 potato (2-3/4" dia by 4-3/4" long) (202 g) | 55 | 27 | 212 | |
| 19 | Cowpeas, young pods with seeds (raw) | 1 cup (94 g) | 55 | 58 | 41 | |
| 20 | Squash, summer (crookneck and straightneck, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup slices (192 g) | 52 | 27 | 48 | |
| 21 | Potatoes, flesh and skin (raw) | 1 Potato medium (2-1/4" to 3-1/4" dia) (213 g) | 49 | 23 | 164 | |
| 22 | Potatoes, russet (flesh and skin, raw) | 1 Potato medium (2-1/4" to 3-1/4" dia) (213 g) | 49 | 23 | 168 | |
| 23 | Potatoes, red (flesh and skin, raw) | 1 potato medium (2-1/4" to 3-1/4" dia) (213 g) | 47 | 22 | 149 | |
| 24 | Peas, edible-podded (frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup (160 g) | 45 | 28 | 83 | |
| 25 | Potatoes, white (flesh and skin, raw) | 1 medium (2+-1/4" to 3-1/4" dia.) (213 g) | 45 | 21 | 147 | |
| 26 | Beans, fava (in pod, raw) | 1 cup (126 g) | 42 | 33 | 111 | |
| 27 | Broadbeans, immature seeds (raw) | 1 cup (109 g) | 41 | 38 | 78 | |
| 28 | Spinach souffle | 1 cup (136 g) | 41 | 30 | 234 | |
| 29 | Collards, cooked (boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup, chopped (190 g) | 40 | 21 | 63 | |
| 30 | Potatoes, mashed (prepared from granules, without milk, whole milk and margarine) | 1 cup (210 g) | 40 | 19 | 227 | |
| 31 | Broccoli, cooked (boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 stalk, medium (7-1/2" - 8" long) (180 g) | 38 | 21 | 63 | |
| 32 | Corn pudding, home prepared | 1 cup (250 g) | 38 | 15 | 328 | |
| 33 | Gourd, dishcloth (towelgourd) (cooked, boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup (1" pieces) (178 g) | 36 | 20 | 100 | |
| 34 | Corn, yellow (whole kernel, frozen, microwaved) | 1 cup (141 g) | 35 | 25 | 159 | |
| 35 | Cress, garden (cooked, boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup (135 g) | 35 | 26 | 31 | |
| 36 | Cabbage, savoy (cooked, boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup, shredded (145 g) | 35 | 24 | 35 | |
| 37 | Garlic, raw | 1 cup (136 g) | 34 | 25 | 203 | |
| 38 | Pumpkin flowers, cooked (boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup (134 g) | 34 | 25 | 20 | |
| 39 | Beans, snap (green, microwaved) | 1 cup 1/2" pieces (116 g) | 32 | 28 | 38 | |
| 40 | Eppaw, raw | 1 cup (100 g) | 32 | 32 | 150 | |
| 41 | Turnip greens, cooked (boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup, chopped (144 g) | 32 | 22 | 29 | |
| 42 | Celeriac, raw | 1 cup (156 g) | 31 | 20 | 66 | |
| 43 | Squash, winter (hubbard, cooked, boiled, mashed, without salt) | 1 cup, mashed (236 g) | 31 | 13 | 71 | |
| 44 | Tomatoes, red (ripe, canned, stewed) | 1 cup (255 g) | 31 | 12 | 66 | |
| 45 | Parsley, fresh | 1 cup chopped (60 g) | 30 | 50 | 22 | |
| 46 | Arrowroot, raw | 1 cup, sliced (120 g) | 30 | 25 | 78 | |
| 47 | Onions, sweet (raw) | 1 onion (331 g) | 30 | 9 | 106 | |
| 48 | Kale, cooked (boiled, drained, without salt) | 1 cup (118 g) | 30 | 25 | 42 | |
| 49 | Parsnips, raw | 1 cup slices (133 g) | 29 | 22 | 100 | |
| 50 | Beets, raw | 1 cup (136 g) | 29 | 21 | 58 |
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 vegetables in the USDA database, Spinach, cooked (boiled, drained, without salt) has the most magnesium per serving: 157 mg per 1 cup (37% of the Daily Value). Per 100 g it contains 87 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. 8 of the 50 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
- 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
- Dairy and eggs 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.