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.

• 1. Squash and Pumpkin Seeds

  Zinc per 1 Oz Handful	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  3mg (27% DV)	10mg (94% DV)	5mg (42% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Roasted Squash And Pumpkin Seeds (With Shells). (Source)
• 2. Hemp Seeds

  Zinc per Oz	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  3mg (26% DV)	10mg (90% DV)	4mg (33% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Hemp Seeds (Hulled). (Source)

  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.

• 3. Pine Nuts

  Zinc per Oz	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  2mg (17% DV)	6mg (59% DV)	2mg (17% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Dried Pine Nuts. (Source)
• 4. Cashews (Dry Roasted)

  Zinc per 1 Oz Handful	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  2mg (14% DV)	6mg (51% DV)	2mg (18% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Dry Roasted Cashews. (Source)
• 5. Sunflower Seeds

  Zinc per 1oz Handful	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  2mg (14% DV)	5mg (48% DV)	2mg (17% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Dry Roasted Sunflower Seeds. (Source)
• 6. Pecans (Dry-Roasted)

  Zinc per Oz	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  1mg (13% DV)	5mg (46% DV)	1mg (13% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Dry Roasted Pecans. (Source)
• 7. Chia Seeds

  Zinc per oz(~2 Tblsp)	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  1mg (12% DV)	5mg (42% DV)	2mg (17% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Chia Seeds. (Source)
• 8. Flax Seeds

  Zinc per Oz	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  1mg (11% DV)	4mg (39% DV)	2mg (15% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Flax Seeds. (Source)
• 9. Brazil Nuts

  Zinc per 1oz Handful	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  1mg (10% DV)	4mg (37% DV)	1mg (11% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Brazilnuts. (Source)
• 10. Almonds

  Zinc per 1oz Handful	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  1mg (9% DV)	3mg (30% DV)	1mg (10% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Dry Roasted Almonds. (Source)

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• Foods High in Zinc
• Foods Low in Zinc
• 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.

Related

• Zinc Foods
• High Zinc Vegetables
• High Zinc Fruits
• High Protein Nuts
• High Fiber Nuts
• The Best 10 Foods For Healthy Hair And Nails

Data Sources and References

1. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central