Which Vegetable Has the Highest Magnesium Content?

November 28, 2025 •

3 min read

Many adults fall short of their daily magnesium intake, a mineral vital for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. When it comes to plant-based sources, knowing which vegetable has the highest magnesium content is key to boosting your health and ensuring proper bodily function.

Quick Summary

Cooked spinach and Swiss chard are the vegetables with the highest magnesium content per 100g. Incorporating these leafy greens into your diet is an easy way to boost intake of this essential mineral, which supports nerve, muscle, and bone health.

Key Points

Spinach is Supreme: Cooked spinach holds the highest magnesium content among common vegetables, with about 87mg per 100g.
Swiss Chard is a Strong Contender: Swiss chard is a very close second, offering approximately 86mg of magnesium per 100g when cooked.
Magnesium is Multifunctional: This mineral is essential for over 300 bodily functions, including nerve and muscle control, bone health, and energy production.
Variety is Vital: Incorporating a diverse range of vegetables like lima beans, edamame, and kale is the best strategy for meeting your daily magnesium requirements.
Mind Your Cooking: While cooking can increase magnesium concentration in greens like spinach, it's best to retain nutrient-rich water in meals like soups.
Look Beyond Greens: Don't overlook other great sources like potatoes (with the skin) and acorn squash for a magnesium boost.

The Highest Magnesium Vegetable: Spinach

For those specifically looking for the highest magnesium content in a vegetable, cooked spinach is the clear winner among common options. A single cooked cup contains a significant amount of magnesium, with approximately 87mg per 100g. This makes it a fantastic and accessible source of this crucial mineral. Swiss chard comes in a very close second, offering about 86mg per 100g when cooked. Both leafy greens are potent, low-calorie additions to any meal, providing a wealth of other vitamins and minerals as well.

The Importance of Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a foundational role in many of the body's processes. Its benefits go far beyond just dietary statistics:

Nerve and Muscle Function: Magnesium is critical for proper nerve impulse transmission and muscle contraction, helping to prevent cramps and spasms.
Energy Production: It is required for the production of energy, supporting your body's metabolism and keeping you feeling energized.
Bone Health: Magnesium is involved in bone formation and affects the body's use of calcium and vitamin D, both vital for maintaining strong bones and preventing osteoporosis.
Blood Sugar Regulation: It helps control blood glucose levels and is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
Heart Health: Magnesium supports a steady heart rhythm and normal blood pressure, contributing to overall cardiovascular health.

Other Excellent Vegetable Sources of Magnesium

While spinach and Swiss chard top the list, many other vegetables can contribute significantly to your daily magnesium intake. Incorporating a variety of these into your diet ensures a diverse range of nutrients. A few notable examples include:

Lima Beans: Cooked lima beans offer a respectable 74mg of magnesium per 100g.
Edamame: These immature soybeans are also a great source, providing around 61mg of magnesium per 100g when cooked.
Acorn Squash: This winter squash contains 43mg of magnesium per 100g when baked.
Kale: Cooked kale provides about 57mg of magnesium per 100g.
Artichokes: Globe artichokes contain approximately 60mg of magnesium per 100g when raw.
Potatoes: A medium-sized potato with the skin on provides a solid dose of magnesium.

How Cooking Affects Magnesium Content

It's important to note that the preparation of vegetables can affect their magnesium concentration. For instance, boiling can cause some minerals to leach into the water. For leafy greens, cooking by steaming or wilting can help retain more of their nutrients. This is why the concentration per 100g is higher in cooked spinach than in its raw form, as cooking removes a lot of the water, concentrating the minerals. The best advice is to use the cooking water for soups or sauces if possible to retain the leached nutrients. You can find more comprehensive information on mineral absorption from the National Institutes of Health, which details factors influencing dietary intake and status.

Comparison Table: Top Vegetable Magnesium Sources (per 100g cooked, approximate)


Vegetable	Magnesium (mg)	Serving Size	Notes
Spinach	87	~1 cup	Excellent source when cooked; a great addition to salads and sauces.
Swiss Chard	86	~1 cup	Similar to spinach in nutrient profile; good for sautéing.
Lima Beans	74	~1 cup	Versatile legume; adds protein and fiber along with magnesium.
Kale	57	~1 cup	A superfood packed with multiple nutrients, including magnesium.
Edamame	61	~1 cup	Immature soybeans, high in protein and fiber.
Acorn Squash	43	~1 cup	Winter squash that can be roasted or baked for a nutritious side.
Potato (with skin)	48	~1 medium	The skin is key for maximum nutrient intake; don't peel!

Conclusion: Fuel Your Body with Magnesium-Rich Vegetables

To conclude, cooked spinach has the highest magnesium content of the most common vegetables per 100g, with Swiss chard as a very close runner-up. However, a balanced diet rich in a variety of vegetables is the most effective strategy for ensuring adequate magnesium intake. Combining these top sources with other whole foods like legumes, nuts, and seeds will support crucial bodily functions and promote overall health. Simply adding more leafy greens and whole foods to your meals each day is a powerful and easy way to meet your nutritional needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

While raw spinach contains magnesium, cooked spinach has a higher concentration per 100g because the water has been cooked off, concentrating the minerals. So, for a denser magnesium boost, cooked is better, but raw is still beneficial.

Besides spinach and Swiss chard, other excellent vegetable sources include cooked lima beans, edamame, acorn squash, kale, artichokes, and potatoes (especially with the skin).

Magnesium from vegetables supports healthy nerve and muscle function, energy production, blood sugar regulation, heart health, and bone density.

Cooking methods like boiling can cause some magnesium to leach into the water. However, the mineral is still retained in the water, which can be used for sauces or soups. Steaming is a good way to minimize nutrient loss.

To increase your intake, you can add spinach or chard to salads, smoothies, and stir-fries. Other options include roasting acorn squash, adding lima beans to soups, or enjoying edamame as a snack.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) varies by age and gender. For adult males aged 31 and over, it's 420mg daily, while for adult females in the same age group, it's 320mg daily.

While vegetables are a great source, it's recommended to consume a balanced diet that includes a variety of magnesium-rich foods like nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains for optimal intake. The body absorbs about 30-40% of dietary magnesium.