Dietary sources of zinc
20th Jul, 2021

Sources of zinc

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Foods high in zinc

Food (Serving Size)

Zinc (mg)

Rock oysters (100g, 3-4 oysters)

20.3

Pacific oysters (100g, 2 medium oysters)

16.6

Lamb shank (100g)

10

Beef, steak (100g)

8.2

Pumpkin seeds, dried (100g, 4/5 cup)

7.5

Sesame seeds, roasted (100g, ⅔ cup)

7.2

Crab (100g)

6.4

Cashew nuts, roasted or raw (100g, ⅔ cup)

5.6

Beef, 90% lean, ground, raw (100g)

4.8

Chocolate, 70-85% dark (100g)

3.3

Cheese, cheddar, shredded (100g, 1 cup)

3.1

Oats, raw (94g, 1 cup)

2.9

Lentils, cooked (200g, 1 cup)

2.5

Chickpeas, canned (240g, 1 cup)

2.5

Quinoa, cooked (185g, 1 cup)

2

Sardines, canned in oil (110g, 1 can)

1.6

Yogurt, plain, whole milk (245g, 1 cup)

1.4

Rice, brown, cooked (195g, 1 cup)

1.2

Potatoes, regular, baked (1 large)

1.1

Milk, (1 cup)

1

Almonds, dry roasted (28g, 22 nuts)

1

Chicken breast, no skin, roasted (100g)

1

Eggs, hard-boiled (1 large)

0.55

Green beans (110g, 1 cup)                                     

0.3

Kale, raw (67g, 1 cup)

0.3

* Plant-based sources such as legumes & whole grains contain phytates that inhibit zinc absorption

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References
1[Australian Government Ministry of Health. Nutrient Reference Values: Zinc [Internet]. NHMRC. 2014 [cited 2021 May 24].](https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/zinc)
2[healthdirect Australia. Foods high in zinc [Internet]. Healthdirect Australia; 2021 [cited 2021 May 21].](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/foods-high-in-zinc)
3[Condé Nast. SELF Nutrition Data [Internet]. Food Facts, Information & Calorie Calculator. 2018 [cited 2021 May 24].](https://nutritiondata.self.com/)
4[US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Nutrient Data Laboratory. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2021 May 23].](https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/)
5Gupta RK, Gangoliya SS, Singh NK. Reduction of phytic acid and enhancement of bioavailable micronutrients in food grains. J Food Sci Technol. 2015 Feb;52(2):676–84.
6Sandberg A-S. Bioavailability of minerals in legumes. Br J Nutr. 2002 Dec;88 Suppl 3:S281-285.
7Rink L, Gabriel P. Zinc and the immune system. Proc Nutr Soc. 2000 Nov;59(4):541–52.
8Gibson RS. A historical review of progress in the assessment of dietary zinc intake as an indicator of population zinc status. Adv Nutr. 2012 Nov 1;3(6):772–82.