Top 10 Nuts and Seeds Highest in Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral with roles in immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis, and cell division.
Zinc is of particular interest to vegans and vegetarians since anti-nutrients like phytates limit the bioavailability and absorption of zinc from plant foods. Despite this, plant foods like nuts and seeds are still a good source of zinc.
Nuts and seeds high in zinc include squash seeds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pecans, chia seeds, flax seeds, Brazil nuts, and almonds. The current daily value (DV) for zinc is 11mg.
Below is a list of the top 10 nuts high in zinc, ranked by a 1oz handful. For more see the article for vegan and vegetarian sources of zinc, and the complete nutrient ranking of over 50 high zinc nuts.
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1. Squash and Pumpkin Seeds
Zinc
per 1 Oz HandfulZinc
per 100gZinc
per 200 Calories3mg
(27% DV)10mg
(94% DV)5mg
(42% DV) -
2. Hemp Seeds
Zinc
per OzZinc
per 100gZinc
per 200 Calories3mg
(26% DV)10mg
(90% DV)4mg
(33% DV)Not sure how to eat hemp seeds? Sprinkle them on top of oatmeal, cereal, and salads. You can also mix them into yogurt or smoothies.
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3. Pine Nuts
Zinc
per OzZinc
per 100gZinc
per 200 Calories2mg
(17% DV)6mg
(59% DV)2mg
(17% DV) -
4. Cashews (Dry Roasted)
Zinc
per 1 Oz HandfulZinc
per 100gZinc
per 200 Calories2mg
(14% DV)6mg
(51% DV)2mg
(18% DV) -
5. Sunflower Seeds
Zinc
per 1oz HandfulZinc
per 100gZinc
per 200 Calories2mg
(14% DV)5mg
(48% DV)2mg
(17% DV) -
6. Pecans (Dry-Roasted)
Zinc
per OzZinc
per 100gZinc
per 200 Calories1mg
(13% DV)5mg
(46% DV)1mg
(13% DV) -
7. Chia Seeds
Zinc
per oz(~2 Tblsp)Zinc
per 100gZinc
per 200 Calories1mg
(12% DV)5mg
(42% DV)2mg
(17% DV) -
8. Flax Seeds
Zinc
per OzZinc
per 100gZinc
per 200 Calories1mg
(11% DV)4mg
(39% DV)2mg
(15% DV) -
9. Brazil Nuts
Zinc
per 1oz HandfulZinc
per 100gZinc
per 200 Calories1mg
(10% DV)4mg
(37% DV)1mg
(11% DV) -
10. Almonds
Zinc
per 1oz HandfulZinc
per 100gZinc
per 200 Calories1mg
(9% DV)3mg
(30% DV)1mg
(10% DV)
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- Foods High in Zinc
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- Vegetables High in Zinc
- Fruits High in Zinc
- Vegetarian Foods High in Zinc
- Nuts High in Zinc
- Grains High in Zinc
- Beans High in Zinc
- Dairy High in Zinc
- Breakfast Cereals High in Zinc
- Fast Foods High in Zinc
View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.
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