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Greens High in Calcium & Magnesium

Sep 14, 2011 | By Ellen Douglas
Greens High in Calcium & Magnesium
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Of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s list of the foods richest in specific minerals, spinach and beet greens appear on the all-star lists for both calcium and magnesium. But several other greens are high in calcium and moderately rich in magnesium. Servings are generally given in ½-cup cooked potions, but if you have a Popeye-like affinity for cooked greens, eat as much as you like. None of the cooking greens top 50 calories when doubled, and you’ll get extra fiber, iron, potassium and vitamins in addition to the boost of calcium and magnesium.

Spinach

Each ½-cup serving of cooked spinach provides about 15 percent of the daily value, or DV, for calcium, and almost 20 percent of the DV for magnesium. Spinach additionally delivers more than two days’ worth of vitamins A and K, as well high amounts of fiber, iron. potassium manganese and vitamin C. On the USDA heavy-hitters list, spinach appears often as both a canned, frozen and cooked-from-fresh green.

Beet Greens

A ½-cup portion of cooked beet greens provides more than 8 percent of the DV for calcium and 12 percent of the DV for magnesium. Beet greens come from the top of common beet plants. Clip the plant’s leafy tops throughout the growing season, leaving the root to mature underground. Boil, steam or stir-fry them as you would spinach. Unlike spinach, they are considered too bitter to eat raw. Beet tops additionally offer all of the vitamins A and K you need for the day in each half cup, and are additionally high in potassium, iron, manganese and vitamin C.

Collards

A ½-cup of frozen and cooked collard greens delivers 18 percent of the DV for calcium and 6 percent of the DV for magnesium. Collards are also a good source of fiber, vitamins A, C and K, along with folate, iron and manganese. Collards, a member of the cabbage family, are a southern favorite; look for them in the freezer or canned food section of your grocer’s if they aren’t grown in your region.

Turnip Greens

Each ½ cup of cooked turnip greens provides about 10 percent of the DV for calcium and 4 percent of the DV for magnesium. Like beet greens, turnip greens are the leafy tops of the root vegetable and can be harvested throughout the growing season. Some stores may carry the greens fresh, frozen or canned. Turnip tops also offer a day’s worth of vitamin A and vitamin K, along with high amounts of vitamin C, vitamin E, folate, copper and manganese.

Kale

A ½-cup portion of cooked from frozen kale greens delivers about 9 percent of the calcium you need for the day, and 2 percent of the magnesium. According to the USDA, kale that has been cooked from a frozen package offers more calcium than freshly-cooked kale. Kale additionally offers more than 100 percent of the DVs for vitamins A and K, as well as high amounts of vitamin C and manganese.

Dandelion Greens

Each ½-cup portion of cooked dandelion greens provides you with more than 7 percent of the calcium you need each day, along with 3 percent of your daily magnesium requirements. Gather dandelion greens in early spring, before the yellow flowers appear. Experienced foragers know these greens by their long, jagged leaves, whose lion-like “teeth” gave dandelions their common name. While some people find the youngest, most tender leaves perfect for adding to fresh salads, they are commonly served boiled, steamed or stir-fried to reduce bitterness. The greens are also high in vitamins A, E, C and K, as well as iron and manganese.

References

Article reviewed by Robert Lothian Last updated on: Sep 14, 2011

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