Spotlight on Magnesium Foods – Spinach Bean Salad with Cashew Orange Dressing

Magnesium foods are something you should strive to include in your diet on a regular basis. The health benefits of magnesium are widespread and deficiency is common.  

Vitamin D

Breast Cancer

Supplements

Vitamin C

Inflammation

Magnesium

Start with this delicious spinach and bean dish to boost your magnesium intake and get on the road to enjoying delicious foods containing magnesium. It’s not only the spinach that adds to your daily tally of magnesium but the cashews, red beans, garlic and cilantro (coriander), as well as the Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Sea Salt.

Press on the Benefits of Magnesium to find out how much magnesium in foods you should strive for per day as well as the importance for bone and nerve health.

Spotlight on Magnesium Foods –

Spinach and Bean Salad with Cashews

Green leafies are a good source of magnesium and spinach is a queen of magnesium foods at 23.7 mg per cup/ 250 ml of raw spinach and 78 mg per ½ cup/125 ml of frozen.

The chopped cashews add a crunch as well as another dose of magnesium to make this main salad a super magnesium food.

As well as magnesium, this salad is full of vitamins C, A and K; folate, protein, calcium, manganese and fiber.

Spotlight on Magnesium -Ingredients

• 3 cups/750 ml of baby spinach washed and dried with fibrous stems removed

• 1 red pepper thinly sliced

• ½ cup/ 125 ml firm mushrooms chopped

• ½ cup/ 125 ml of chopped broccoli

• ½ cup/ 125 ml sugar snap peas with ends trimmed or the equivalent amount of fresh garden peas

• 2 medium sized carrots grated

• 3/4 cup/ 185 ml cilantro leaves cut or shredded

• 1 heaping handful of organic cherry tomatoes - whole or halved.  Press here to read about the benefits of organic produce including tomatoes

• 1 cup/ 250 ml of canned red or other beans thoroughly rinsed and drained of brine

Spotlight on Magnesium – Spinach Salad Dressing

• ½ cup/ 125 ml olive oil

• ¼ cup/60 ml red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

• Juice and zest of 1 orange*

• 1 teaspoon/5 ml Tamari soy sauce

• Splash of toasted sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon/15 ml Dijon style mustard

• 1 clove garlic peeled and pressed

• ½ teaspoon/ 3ml Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt

• 2 teaspoons/10 ml of agave nectar or honey

*A zester is a useful kitchen tool because citrus rind contains powerful flavour and health giving oils. When eating the rind, best to buy organic citrus free of dyes and insecticides. Press here to read about the Benefits of Organic Food.

Spotlight on Magnesium – Cashews for Garnish

¼ cup/60 ml almonds or cashews chopped loosely and, if desired, lightly toasted.**

** I eat my nuts mainly raw to prevent the oils from oxidizing and store in a dark refrigerator to extend their life. When I toast nuts or seeds, I do so lightly on a baking tray lined with baker’s paper at 180 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. They continue to toast once removed from the oven. Press here to read more about Omega 3 oils and how to store and prepare them.

Spotlight on Magnesium – Directions.

1. Prepare and assemble salad ingredient in bowl.
2. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad.
3. Serve with Cashews sprinkled on top.

Content of Magnesium Foods

So how much magnesium are you getting?

To give you an idea –   

• Raw spinach - 1 cup/250 ml – 23.7 mg
• Cashews - 3.5 oz./100 g – 267 mg
• Garlic - 3.5 oz./100 g - 36 mg

• Cilantro/coriander 3.5 oz./100 g – 36 mg

• Cooked beans – 3.5 oz./100 g – 37 mg

• Broccoli - 3.5 oz./100 g – 24 mg

• Fresh peas 3.5 oz./100 g – 35 mg

• Carrot 3.5 oz./100 g – 23 mg

• Himalayan salt 3.5 oz./100 g - .92 mg

Press here to read more about the benefits of magnesium including more on magnesium foods.

Press here to read about the benefits of zinc.

Press here to read about the benefits of calcium.

Press here to read about the benefits of vitamin D.

Press here to read about the benefits of vitamin C.

Press here to read about a healthy balanced diet.

Press here to read about healthy diet tips.

Press here to read about vitamin benefits.

Press here to return to Healthy Food Recipes.

Press here for timely information about health and nutrition at Healthy Diet Blog.

Press here for Healthy-Diet-Healthy-You.com Home.