A Spoonful That Fits Into Your Day
I made this mix because I wanted an easy way to eat more magnesium-rich foods. I can keep a jar in the refrigerator and add a spoonful to food I’m already making. The ground seeds have a nutty flavor, and a little cocoa powder gives the mix a hint of chocolate.
My favorite way to eat it is mixed with nut butter and tucked into two dates. It’s also easy to stir into yogurt, oatmeal, or overnight oats, or blend into a smoothie.
Why Magnesium Matters
Magnesium helps with more than 300 processes in the body. It’s involved in everyday functions you may never think about, from making energy to keeping your heartbeat steady. ods.od.nih.gov
Energy: Your body needs magnesium to turn the food you eat into usable energy.
Muscles and nerves: Magnesium helps muscles contract and relax, including the heart muscle, and helps nerves send signals throughout the body.
Bones: It contributes to the structure of your bones. In fact, about half of the magnesium in your body is stored there.
Blood sugar and blood pressure: Magnesium plays a role in regulating both.
Growth and repair: Your body needs it to make proteins and DNA
More Foods That Provide Magnesium
Magnesium is found in plenty of everyday foods. Here are a few examples:
| Food | Serving | Approximate magnesium |
|---|---|---|
| Roasted pumpkin seeds | 1 ounce | 156 mg |
| Chia seeds | 1 ounce | 111 mg |
| Almonds | 1 ounce | 80 mg |
| Cooked spinach | ½ cup | 78 mg |
| Cashews | 1 ounce | 74 mg |
| Cooked black beans | ½ cup | 60 mg |
| Peanut butter | 2 tablespoons | 49 mg |
| Cooked brown rice | ½ cup | 42 mg |
Ways to Use Your Magnesium Seed Mix
Stuff two dates. Mix 1 tablespoon of the seed mix with 2 teaspoons of peanut butter or another nut butter. Divide it between two dates.
Stir it into oatmeal or overnight oats. Add a tablespoon to a serving. If it thickens your oats more than you like, stir in a splash of milk.
Add it to yogurt. Stir in a spoonful or sprinkle it over yogurt and fruit.
Blend it into a smoothie. Add a tablespoon with the other ingredients before blending.
Sprinkle it over fruit. Try it with banana or apple slices and a little nut butter.
How to Keep It Fresh
Store the finished mix in a tightly closed jar in the refrigerator. Grinding seeds exposes more of their oils to air, so keeping the mix cold helps slow the development of stale flavors. Use a clean, dry spoon and shake the jar before each use to redistribute the cocoa and seeds.
Magnesium Seed Mix
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds add magnesium and zinc
- ¼ cup sesame seeds add calcium and other minerals
- ½ cup TerraSoul flax and chia blend adds fiber and healthy fats
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder adds chocolate flavor, antioxidants, and extra magnesium
If not using the TerraSoul
- ¼ cup flaxseeds add fiber and plant-based omega-3 fats
- ¼ cup chia seeds add fiber and minerals
Instructions
- Place the pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds in a food processor or blender. If using separate flaxseeds and chia seeds in place of the TerraSoul blend, add both of those now. Pulse until the seeds are finely ground. Work in batches if needed, and stop before the mixture turns into seed butter.Pour the ground seeds into a clean, dry jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add the cocoa powder and, if using it, the already-ground TerraSoul blend. Close the jar and shake well to combine.Store the jar in the refrigerator and shake it before each use so every spoonful contains a good mix of the ingredients. Ground seeds contain oils that can develop stale flavors after exposure to air, so keep the lid tightly closed and use a clean, dry spoon.Ways to Use ItStir 1 tablespoon into yogurt, oatmeal, or overnight oats, or blend it into a smoothie. Sprinkle it over fruit. For a snack, mix 1 tablespoon of the seed mix with 2 teaspoons of peanut butter or another nut butter, then tuck the mixture into two dates.
Notes
- One heaping tablespoon weighs about 11 g and provides an estimated 50–60 mg of magnesium.