Life's Simple Ingredient
Wooden table full of fiber-rich whole foods, perfect for a balanced diet

Whole Grains and Magnesium

An important mineral for good health

Magnesium is an important mineral that plays many roles in your body, contributing to your overall health and wellbeing. Some benefits of magnesium include:

  • Keeping your blood pressure regular and your heart rhythm steady;
  • Strengthening your bones and teeth;
  • Helping keep your muscles and nerves healthy;
  • Helping produce energy for your body to use; and
  • When you’re sick, magnesium helps your body fight infections.

How much magnesium should I aim for?

Age in years Aim for intake of mg/day Stay below* Mg/day
Men 19-30 400 350
Women 19-30 310 350
Men 31 and older 420 350
Women 31 and older 320 350
Pregnant women 19-30 350 350
Pregnant women over 30 360 350
Breastfeeding women 19-30 310 350
Breastfeeding women over 30 320 350

* Magnesium from supplements should not exceed 350 mg per day. It is safe to consume more than your daily magnesium needs from food and water.

**Information from Dieticians of Canada.

Magnesium is found in foods like nuts, whole grains, dark green vegetables and seafood. Here we will focus on whole grains.

Magnesium content in whole grains

Food Serving Size Magnesium (mg)
Cereals, all bran 30 g 84-97
Wheat germ cereal, toasted 30 g (1/4 cup) 96
Quinoa, cooked 125 mL (1/2 cup) 63
Whole wheat bread 1 slice (36 g) 27

 

Tips to get more whole grains in your diet

Make a habit of adding whole grain products in snacks and meals. Here are a couple of easy ways to add whole grains to your diet every day:

  • Choose whole wheat bread instead of white bread in the grocery store, or make a loaf at home like this no-knead whole wheat rosemary bread.
  • Add bran flakes or toasted wheat germ to cereal or yogurt, or try a new recipe like this wheat germ smoothie bowl.

Get more tips in our post on packing more whole grains into your diet.

Other important nutrients

In addition to more magnesium, incorporating more whole grains into your diet adds more protein, fibre, vitamins and antioxidants to your diet. To learn more, check out our post on five important nutrients found in whole grain wheat.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

5Ws of Life's Simple Ingredient

Who, What, When, Where, Wheat

The 5Ws of Life’s Simple Ingredient

Meal planning

15 meal planning tips from a registered dietitian

Meal planning tips from the experts

Categories

  • Breakfast
  • Wheat Nutrition
  • Community News
  • Features
  • Main Course
  • Crafts for Kids
  • Restaurants and Bakeries
  • Sides and Appetizers
  • Wheat Farming
  • Facts and Nutrition
  • Baking Basics
  • Soups and Salads
  • Recipes
  • Snacks
  • Community
  • Dessert
  • Bread
  • Partner Recipes
  • Holidays

From Twitter

Tweets by LifesIngredient

Get Our Newsletter

Get recipe ideas, cooking tips and stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Question:

How do you sell your wheat?

Ask a Farmer
View All Questions
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Media

© 2021 - Alberta Wheat Commission   Privacy Policy  |   Sitemap

Alberta Wheat Commission