Top 10 Nuts and Seeds Highest in Zinc

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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.

List of Nuts High in Zinc

Squash and Pumpkin Seeds1 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)
Hemp Seeds2 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. (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.

Pine Nuts3 Pine Nuts
Zinc
per Oz		Zinc
per 100g		Zinc
per 200 Calories
2mg
(17% DV)		6mg
(59% DV)		2mg
(17% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Pine Nuts (Dried). (Source)
Cashews4 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)
Sunflower Seeds5 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)
Pecans6 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)
Chia Seeds7 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)
Flax Seeds8 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)
Brazil Nuts9 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)
Almonds10 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)

See All 61 Nuts and Seeds High in Zinc

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About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

About Nutrient Targets

Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.

Some of the most popular targets include:
  • Daily Value (%DV) - The %DV is a general guideline for everyone and accounts for absorption factors. It is the most common target in the U.S. and is the target on the nutrition labels of most products. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
  • Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5 percent) healthy individuals and is specific to age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Instutites of Health.
  • Adequate Intake (%AI) - Sets a target for Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats. The Adequate Intake is also set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. It represents a number to ensure adequacy but lacks the same level of evidence as the Reference Dietary Intake. In short, the number is less accurate than the RDI.
  • Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, and is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.

    • See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

    Want to set your own targets? Sign up for an account and set custom targets in the daily meal planner.

View more food groups with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Data Sources and References

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

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