Last updated: October 11, 2026. Information checked at the time of writing.
Short answer: in Health Canada’s 2026 Canadian Nutrient File, the richest common food is “Seeds, hemp seeds, hulled”, at 700 mg per 100 g. The Daily Value used on Canadian labels is 420 mg. The table ranks 30 foods by amount per 100 g and shows the amount in a typical serving.
The ranking
| Rank | Food (CNF) | Serving | Per serving | % DV per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seeds, hemp seeds, hulled | 60 ml | 284 mg | 68% | 700 mg |
| 2 | Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted | 60 ml | 317 mg | 75% | 550 mg |
| 3 | Seeds, flaxseed (linseed), whole and ground | 60 ml whole | 167 mg | 40% | 392 mg |
| 4 | Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched | 60 ml | 133 mg | 32% | 376 mg |
| 5 | Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, roasted and toasted | 60 ml | 135 mg | 32% | 356 mg |
| 6 | Seeds, chia seeds, dried | 60 ml | 145 mg | 35% | 335 mg |
| 7 | Fish, caviar, black and red, granular | 15 ml | 49.0 mg | 12% | 300 mg |
| 8 | Nuts, almonds, dried, unblanched, unroasted | 60 ml whole | 97.0 mg | 23% | 270 mg |
| 9 | Nuts, cashew nuts, dry roasted | 60 ml whole or halves | 90.0 mg | 21% | 260 mg |
| 10 | Nuts, pine nuts, pignolia, dried | 60 ml | 86.0 mg | 20% | 251 mg |
| 11 | Candies, chocolate, dark, 70-85% cocoa solids | 40 g | 91.0 mg | 22% | 228 mg |
| 12 | Peanuts, all types, dry roasted | 60 ml | 66.0 mg | 16% | 178 mg |
| 13 | Peanut butter, smooth type, fat and sugar added | 30 ml | 55.0 mg | 13% | 168 mg |
| 14 | Nuts, filberts or hazelnuts, dried | 60 ml whole | 56.0 mg | 13% | 163 mg |
| 15 | Nuts, walnuts, English or Persian | 60 ml chopped | 47.0 mg | 11% | 158 mg |
| 16 | Nuts, macadamia (bushnuts, queensland), raw | 60 ml whole or halves | 44.0 mg | 10% | 130 mg |
| 17 | Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dry roasted | 60 ml | 42.0 mg | 10% | 129 mg |
| 18 | Fish, salmon, chinook (spring), baked or broiled | 75 g | 92.0 mg | 22% | 122 mg |
| 19 | Cereal, ready to eat, Cheerios, General Mills (fortified) | 250 ml | 36.0 mg | 9% | 121 mg |
| 20 | Nuts, pecans, dried | 60 ml halves | 30.0 mg | 7% | 121 mg |
| 21 | Soybean, fermented products, natto | 175 ml | 149 mg | 35% | 115 mg |
| 22 | Nuts, pistachio nuts, dry roasted | 60 ml | 34.0 mg | 8% | 109 mg |
| 23 | Fish, mackerel, atlantic, baked or broiled | 75 g | 73.0 mg | 17% | 97.0 mg |
| 24 | Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, roasted and toasted kernels | 30 ml | 29.0 mg | 7% | 95.0 mg |
| 25 | Spinach, boiled, drained | 125 ml | 83.0 mg | 20% | 87.0 mg |
| 26 | Chard, swiss, boiled, drained | 125 ml chopped | 80.0 mg | 19% | 86.0 mg |
| 27 | Fish, pollock, atlantic (boston blue), baked or broiled | 75 g | 64.0 mg | 15% | 86.0 mg |
| 28 | Soybeans, mature seeds, dry, boiled | 175 ml | 109 mg | 26% | 86.0 mg |
| 29 | Soybean, fermented products, Tempeh (tempe), cooked | 1 serving | 116 mg | 28% | 77.0 mg |
| 30 | Fish, sablefish (black cod), baked or broiled | 75 g | 53.0 mg | 13% | 71.0 mg |
Source: Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition). Amounts per 100 g and per serving as listed by the CNF; servings use CNF measures such as one Canada’s Food Guide serving of meat (75 g).
What to know
- Seeds dominate: hemp, pumpkin, flax, Brazil nuts and sesame lead per 100 g.
- Leafy greens, legumes and whole grains add steady amounts at normal serving sizes.
See also: the beef liver guide, the organ meats guide and the best beef liver supplements in Canada.
FAQ
What food has the most magnesium?
Hulled hemp seeds, then roasted pumpkin seeds and flaxseed, in the Canadian Nutrient File 2026.
How much magnesium do I need a day?
The Daily Value on Canadian labels is 420 mg.
Before you decide: read the Rise Nutrition reviews, every product rated by verified buyers.
Written by the team at Rise Nutrition, Toronto, Canada’s single-ingredient ancestral nutrition brand. Questions: ray@risenutritions.ca
