Magnesium and nutrition: 9 magnesium-rich foods

You've no doubt heard the advice: eat a handful of nuts a day. Indeed, nuts and seeds are packed with nutrients that are good for you. Proteins, healthy fats, vitamins such as B6 and, of course, minerals including magnesium.

For instance, a 28g portion of Brazil nuts or brazil nuts contains around 120mg of magnesium. That accounts for more than 30% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA). However, it's advisable to eat no more than three brazil nuts a day. This is because, apart from magnesium, they're also very rich in selenium. Consuming too many Brazil nuts could give you an overdose of this mineral.

Besides Brazil nuts, almonds, cashews, flaxseeds, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds also provide a good amount of magnesium. So next time you feel like a snack, consider a (half) handful of nut and seed mix.

Salads sometimes have a somewhat boring reputation. When you hear the word "salad", you might think of a depressing pile of iceberg lettuce topped with nothing more than a slice of tomato and a drizzle of vinaigrette. With a mix of different green leafy vegetables and the right salad toppings, you can turn your salad into a delectable lunch.

Leafy vegetables are packed with healthy nutrients, including magnesium. Consider them the superheroes of the vegetable kingdom.

• Spinach: Popeye was right about spinach, but not because of its iron content! In fact, there is not as much iron in spinach as is often thought. Magnesium, on the other hand, is abundant in spinach at 87mg per 100g. It suits almost any salad mix, as it's soft and mild in flavour. Besides magnesium, it contains numerous other vitamins and minerals such as potassium and vitamin A.
• Chard: this vegetable may not immediately ring a bell. Chard is a leafy vegetable that is midway between spinach and beetroot in flavour. The green vegetable is rich in vitamins A, C and K and contains about 86 mg of magnesium per 100 g.
• Kale: with about 57 mg of magnesium per 100g, this green vegetable is a superstar. Kale is excellent for your overall health as it's high in fibre and antioxidants.
• Endive: if you like a slightly bitter flavour, then endive is the perfect vegetable to add to your salad. Although not at the top of the list, endive still contains 10mg of magnesium per 100g serving.

So give it a change and don't just take iceberg lettuce or corn salad as a base for your salad. Of course, you can also eat the above vegetables in other ways than in a salad.

You love it or you hate it: tofu. This protein-rich product of Chinese origin is made by curdling soy milk.

For many people following a vegetarian or vegan diet, tofu is regularly on the menu. However, a lot of meat eaters also like tofu. It's more than just a meat alternative.

Besides calcium, copper, manganese and selenium, tofu is also rich in magnesium. A 100g serving provides you with 14% of your overall daily allowance of magnesium.

Will you put a curry with tofu on the menu tonight?

Although they rarely get attention when it comes to nutrient-rich vegetables, artichokes are a great source of magnesium. They are a tasty vegetable to increase your intake of magnesium. They also contain lots of vitamins such as K, B6, folic acid and C, minerals such as calcium, potassium, iron and phosphorus, and antioxidants such as quercetin.