In a magnetic resonance imaging data acquisition method, k-space (100) is divided into a central region (102) disposed at k-space center and one or more annular surrounding regions (104, 106) having increasing distances from k-space center. The one or more annular surrounding regions include an outermost surrounding region (106) having a largest distance from k-space center. The k-space samples in the central region (102) are acquired. Subsequent to the acquiring of k-space samples in the central region, k-space samples are acquired in the one or more annular surrounding regions (104, 106). The k-space samples in the outermost surrounding region (106) are acquired last. The acquiring of k-space samples in at least the outermost surrounding region uses a row-by-row acquisition ordering in which each row of k-space samples acquired in the outermost surrounding region (106) completes a k-space plane.