We know that our body is nourished by vitamins and minerals, but which ones and in what foods they are is not something we have so clear.

Vitamins and minerals are found in almost all the foods we consume, but some contain more than others. Vitamins are found in animal or plant products, while minerals are inorganic and are in the soil or water that plants absorb or that animals ingest.

To start with minerals, we propose to analyze magnesium, a nutrient that plays a role in vital processes of the body such as regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels and blood pressure, and protein, bone, and DNA production, for example.

Magnesium is naturally found in many foods and is added to some fortified foods, and you can find it in a variety of foods such as the following:

- Legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and leafy green vegetables (like spinach)
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Milk, yogurt, and other dairy products

The amount of magnesium we need depends on age and sex; for example, the average daily recommended amounts for an adult man are 400 to 420 milligrams, while for an adult woman, it is 310 to 320 milligrams.

And to give you ideas on how to include it in your meals, here are some recipes that include magnesium-rich ingredients to keep you healthy.



Avocados stuffed with ceviche and habanero

A medium avocado provides 15% of the daily recommended intake of magnesium and also helps with inflammation, improves cholesterol levels, increases the feeling of fullness, and contains many other nutrients. Check here for the step-by-step to prepare stuffed avocados with ceviche.

Black bean patties

Legumes are foods rich in magnesium, and for example, 1 cup (about 170 grams) of black beans contains 30% of the daily recommended intake of magnesium. One option to eat them besides in soup can be these delicious patties that take less than 40 minutes to make.

Fish with a nut crust

The crust of this fish includes seeds like pumpkin and sunflower seeds, which are great sources of this mineral; in fact, most seeds are rich in magnesium, and a 28-gram serving of pumpkin seeds contains 37% of the daily recommended intake.