Zinc is an essential mineral which the body does not store, so we need to replace it daily. It has several important roles in the body, including strengthening and maintaining the immune system and encouraging proper growth and development of the body. To maintain healthy levels of zinc, the FDA recommends that those over 4 years of age consume 15 mg per day. If you eat the right types of food, that amount should be easy to reach.
Seafood and Meat
According to NutritionData, the food with the highest zinc content is oysters. A 3 oz. serving of oysters, which would be approximately 12, contains 154 mg, or 1029 percent of the recommended intake (RI) from the FDA. Eating only 2 oysters would give you sufficient zinc for the day. If you are not a fan of oysters, there are other seafood and meat sources, although their zinc content does not come close. These food sources, as listed by the Linus Pauling Institute (LPI), are crab, beef, dark meat of chicken and turkey, and pork. To show you the difference in the zinc content, a 3 oz. serving of crab only contains 4.7 mg of zinc, as compared to the 154 mg in oysters.
Fortified Foods
Foods with high concentration of zinc include fortified foods. There are many foods on the market that are fortified with zinc, which means that zinc has been added to them during processing. The fortified foods with the highest zinc content, according to NutritionData, include breakfast cereals, particularly those based on grains such as bran flakes, corn flakes or Cheerios. Baby food boxed cereals also contain zinc.
Dairy Products
Dairy products also contain zinc. The LPI lists 1 cup of yogurt as containing 1.8 g, and 1 oz. of cheese as containing 0.8 mg of zinc. While they are not high sources when compared to meats or fortified foods, consuming dairy products will help you on your way to getting your recommended daily intake of zinc. Any dairy products made with whole milk are good choices of zinc.
Nuts and Seeds
If you are vegetarian, and do not consume any meat or dairy products, your best choices for a natural source of zinc are nuts and seeds. The Vegetarian Society names pumpkin seeds as a good dietary source with 2.9 mg of zinc in a 1 oz. serving that gives almost 20 percent of the recommended daily intake. Other nut and seed sources are Brazil nuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts and sunflower seeds.
Vegetables and Grains
Some vegetables contain zinc as well, especially leafy greens such as collard greens, chard, spinach, zucchini, bamboo shoots, mushroom, asparagus, okra and cauliflower. Grain sources of zinc include oats, buckwheat, barley, amaranth, rye, wild rice, rice, spelt and wheat. The Vegetarian Society states that the vegetable and grain sources of zinc also contain high amounts of fiber and phytic acid, both of which can hinder zinc absorption in the body. However, baking and cooking these sources can lower the ability of fiber and phytic acid to interfere with absorption.
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