Which foods contain zinc? It is found in meat, cheese, grain products, nuts, and shellfish. Below is an overview of foods by category that contain zinc:
- Fish and shellfish: oysters, crab, shrimp, and mussels.
- Meat: beef, pork, lamb, and turkey
- Dairy: cheese
- Legumes: chickpeas and lentils
- Nuts, kernels, and seeds: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and cashews
How much zinc you need per day depends, of course, on the individual body's needs and the complaint. For example, if you are ill, your body has a higher need for zinc.
The daily reference intake for young children up to 1 year is 2 mg per day1, up to 3 years 3 mg per day, children aged 4 to 8 years 5 mg per day, from 9 to 13 years 8 mg per day, girls aged 14 to 18 years 9 mg per day, boys and men aged 14 years and older 11 mg per day, women aged 19 years and older 8 mg per day, pregnant women 13 mg per day, breastfeeding women 14 mg per day1.
The average intake from food is 13 mg per day for men and 9 mg per day for women1.
Daily intake of no more than 40 mg per day is completely safe1.
1.Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2002. Available at: nap.edu/books/0309072794/html/.
