A method of performing spatially localized magnetic resonance spectroscopy includes receiving a magnetic resonance image of an object identifying a plurality C of compartments that generate magnetic resonance spectroscopy signals in the object including at least one compartment of interest segmenting in at least one spatial dimension the magnetic resonance image of the object into the C compartments acquiring magnetic resonance spectroscopy signals from the compartments by applying a plurality of M phase encodings applied in the at least one spatial dimension, wherein M>=C calculating a spatially localized magnetic resonance chemical shift spectrum from the at least one compartment of interest and rendering a spatially localized magnetic resonance spectrum that is substantially equal to a spatial average of magnetic resonance chemical shift spectra from the at least one compartment of interest. A magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging system is configured to perform the above method.
