When it comes to getting a good night’s rest, finding the perfect recipe (literally) for relaxation before bedtime is essential. To that end, we’ve learned that the nutrient magnesium—an essential mineral that plays a key role in gut health, muscle functioning, energy production, anxiety reduction, sleep support, and more—can certainly help. Fortunately, getting enough of this mineral is easy if you consume these magnesium-rich foods, like pumpkin seeds, spinach, and peanut butter, to name a few.
Hence why we made it a mission this year to share many delicious recipes filled with magnesium: to help you get the dreamiest sleep ever. And the year comes to a close, we’re highlighting some of the most popular sleep-boosting recipes that we made in 2022, including PB&J smoothies, spinach egg muffins, and pumpkin seed granola. (Um, yum.) And don’t worry, we’ve got you covered from breakfast to dessert—with snacks in between, of course.
6 dreamiest sleep-boosting recipes we made in 2022
1. PB&J Smoothie
Getting enough magnesium on the regular will be beyond easy with the help of this PB&J-flavored smoothie by Minimalist Baker. It tastes just like some of our fondest childhood memories and is packed with two superstar ingredients loaded with the rest-inducing nutrient: chia seeds (which have about 111 milligrams of magnesium per ounce, or 26 percent of your daily needs), and peanut butter (which has about 49 milligrams per two tablespoons). Need we say more?
Get the recipe: Next-Level PB&J Smoothie
2. Spinach Egg Muffins
If Starbucks’ egg bites are your go-to breakfast order, these homemade spinach egg muffins by Yummy Addiction will definitely give them a run for their money. Aside from how darn good they taste, they’re one of our favorite magnesium-rich breakfast recipes for two reasons: one, because they’re so easy to make (and inexpensive), and second, they’re filled with loads of rest-inducing magnesium. To further paint the picture, in just half a cup of boiled spinach, you’ll find an astounding 78 milligrams of magnesium. Best of all, these are perfect for making ahead of time and reheating throughout the week. Sign us up.
Get the recipe: Spinach Egg Muffins
3. Pumpkin Seed Granola
On the list of foods with the most amount of magnesium, you’ll find that pumpkin seeds reign supreme with about 156 milligrams of magnesium per ounce (aka 37 percent of your daily intake value). So, it’s no surprise why this pumpkin seed granola by Detoxinista was by far one of the most made-on-repeat recipes we noshed on year-round.
Get the recipe: Grain-Free Pumpkin Seed Granola
4. Sheet Pan Salmon With Italian Dressing
When it comes to sleep-boosting recipes that are perfect for nights when you have no patience to fuss over dinner, it doesn’t get any better than this sheet pan salmon with Italian dressing recipe by Platings and Pairings. It comes together in, yes, one pan and is by far one of the dishes we made most this year because it’s just so easy and flavor-packed. Not to mention the fact that it features salmon filled with heart-healthy omega-3s, vitamin D, and about 60 milligrams of magnesium per seven-ounce serving.
Get the recipe: Sheet Pan Salmon With Italian Dressing
@growingannanas This is your sign to try CREAMY AVOCADO PASTA @Emilia ♬ About Damn Time – Lizzo
5. Creamy Avocado Pesto Sauce
As if we needed yet another reason to love avocados even more. This creamy avocado pesto sauce by TikToker @growingannanas—which has over 1.4 million views—is what literal dreams are made of. The sauce has a luscious creamy texture thanks to perfectly ripe avocados that are blended with spinach, lemon juice, garlic, pasta water, parmesan, and olive oil (and ready in under 30 seconds). BTW, you’ll feel pretty at ease knowing that this simple pasta sauce has not one, but two rich sources of magnesium: spinach and avocados.
Get the recipe: Creamy Avocado Pasta Sauce
6. Quinoa and Avocado Grain Bowl
If productivity is the name of the game, this quinoa and avocado grain bowl by Cookie and Kate is the answer to your prayers. Since it’s common for most Americans to be deficient in magnesium, we found that this grain bowl—which has 416 milligrams of magnesium per serving—is a great option to meet your daily quota. And to clarify, this bowl has, ahem, an entire day’s worth of magnesium. You can check one more item off of your to-do list. Done and done.
Get the recipe: Quinoa and Avocado Grain Bowl
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