Magnesium Health Watch

Magnesium, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K are particularly important for bone health.  Eating smart can often get you the vitamins and minerals you need.

For example, enjoying some lowfat yogurt can get up to half of a day’s calcium.

Vitamin D can be a tricky one, as it’s not present in many foods, though many are vitamin d fortified.

A handful of almonds can take care of 1/4 of your daily magnesium needs.

Enhance your diet with soybeans and leafy greens, and you’ll be well on your way to the right magnesium levels.

Here Cooking light presents the foods that best supply these vitamins.  On calcium and tofu:

“A great non-dairy source of calcium is tofu. Just one-half cup of firm tofu fortified with calcium has about 20 percent of the daily recommendation for calcium. (Not every tofu is made this way, so look for labels that declare it’s a good source of calcium.) Tofu is also a good source of protein and a wonderful addition to any stir-fry.”

All Photos – Calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin K are key nutrients for healthy bones. Our RD shows you good food sources. – Photos – CookingLight.com.

It’s easy to get ample magnesium from your diet if you know what to look for.  Foods like beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, whole grains and leafy greens are incredibly nutritious and packed with magnesium.

This article lists several great, magnesium-rich vegetarian recipes.   Here’s one to get you started:

Mediterranean Tomato, Lentil and Spinach Soup

Serve this hearty vegetarian soup with crusty whole wheat bread for a complete meal. I like the sharp and slightly salty addition of freshly grated good Parmesan cheese, but omit it if serving to vegans.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp (5 mL) dried basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each dried oregano and thyme leaves
• Pinch each dried rosemary leaves, crumbled, and pepper
• 3 cups (750 mL) vegetable stock
• 1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced tomatoes, including juice
• 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) lentils, drained and rinsed
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 3 cups (750 mL) fresh baby spinach leaves
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in seasonings, vegetable stock, tomatoes, lentils and lemon juice.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach leaves until wilted, about 30 seconds. Serve with Parmesan, if desired.

Makes 8 cups (2 L), 4 servings.

More Information
Tomato Tip: If you have canned whole tomatoes rather than diced, an easy way to cut them up is using kitchen shears. Pour tomato liquid into soup (to avoid messy overflow) and cut tomatoes in the can.

Nutritional information
Per Serving: 280 cal, 20 g protein, 6 g fat, 42 g carb, 10 g fibre, 1265 mg sodium. Excellent source vit A, vit C, folate, niacin, thiamin, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc. Very high source dietary fibre. Calories : 280

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