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Foods High in Zinc: UK Portions, and Is 2 Eggs a Day Enough?
The foods highest in zinc are oysters (about 35 mg in six), calf liver (15.9 mg per 100 g), slow-cooked beef (8.5 to 9.5 mg per 100 g), crab (7.2 mg) and lamb (about 5 mg), and on the plant side pumpkin seeds (2 mg a handful), cashews, Cheddar and wholemeal bread.1 Men need about 9.5 mg a day and women 7 mg, and the NHS says "You should be able to get all the zinc you need from your daily diet".2 Two eggs supply about 1.3 mg, a banana 0.2 mg. Every figure is from the UK government's CoFID 2021 food tables, per UK portion. For what zinc does and how much is safe, start with the Wellgard zinc guide.
Which foods have the most zinc per UK portion?
Portions are typical UK servings; the percentages are of the 9.5 mg men need and the 7 mg women need.1, 2
| Food (CoFID 2021) | Portion | Zinc | % of 9.5 mg | % of 7 mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oysters, raw | 6 oysters, about 60 g | 35.5 mg | 374% | 507% |
| Calf liver, fried | 100 g | 15.9 mg | 167% | 227% |
| Beef braising steak, braised, lean | 100 g | 9.5 mg | 100% | 136% |
| Crab, white meat, cooked | 100 g | 7.2 mg | 76% | 103% |
| Lamb leg, roasted, lean | 90 g | 4.7 mg | 49% | 67% |
| Pumpkin seeds | 30 g handful | 2.0 mg | 21% | 29% |
| Tofu, steamed then fried | 100 g | 2.0 mg | 21% | 29% |
| Red lentils, boiled | 150 g | 1.5 mg | 16% | 21% |
| Eggs, boiled | 2 large, about 100 g | 1.3 mg | 14% | 19% |
| Wholemeal bread | 2 slices, 80 g | 1.3 mg | 14% | 19% |
| Cheddar | 30 g | 1.2 mg | 13% | 17% |
| Banana | 1 medium, 100 g flesh | 0.2 mg | 2% | 3% |
Red meat and shellfish carry far more zinc per portion; 100 g of braised beef meets a man's whole day. Dried lentils at 3.3 to 3.9 mg per 100 g fall to about a quarter to a third of that boiled, because they take up water; the zinc is still there.1
Is 2 eggs a day enough zinc?
No. A boiled egg holds 1.3 mg of zinc per 100 g, and a large egg is about 50 g without its shell, so two eggs give about 1.3 mg: 14% of what a man needs and 19% of what a woman needs.1, 2 Nearly all of it is in the yolk (3.9 mg per 100 g against 0.1 mg in the white). Two eggs on wholemeal toast with 30 g of Cheddar is 1.3 + 1.3 + 1.2 = 3.8 mg, over half a woman's day.
Are bananas high in zinc, and which fruit has the most?
No: bananas hold 0.2 mg per 100 g, so a medium banana is about 2% of a man's day.1 Avocado is the richest at 0.6 mg per 100 g (half an avocado, about 0.5 mg), then pomegranate 0.4; apples, oranges and grapes carry a trace. Dried figs and apricots reach 0.7 mg per 100 g, 0.2 mg a handful.
Which drink is high in zinc, and does Greek yoghurt count?
Hot chocolate made with milk is the one everyday drink with meaningful zinc: cocoa powder holds 6.9 mg per 100 g, cocoa made up with semi-skimmed milk is 0.5 mg per 100 ml, so a 250 ml mug gives about 1.2 mg, 13% of a man's day.1 Milk alone is 0.4 to 0.5 mg per 100 ml, so a 200 ml glass gives 0.8 to 1.0 mg; tea, coffee and fruit juice carry a trace. Greek-style plain yoghurt is 0.5 mg per 100 g, so a 150 g pot gives about 0.8 mg, and whole-milk plain yoghurt 1.1 mg a pot; curd is the same food; Cheddar is 4.1 mg per 100 g.1
Which meat, fish and shellfish are highest in zinc?
Oysters stand alone at 59.2 mg per 100 g; calf liver reaches 15.9 mg. Slow-cooked beef is the highest everyday meat because it loses water in cooking: braising steak goes from 6.0 mg raw to 9.5 mg braised, while grilled rump sits at about 5.6 mg and stewed mince at 5.0. Lean cooked lamb is 3.6 to 6.4 mg by cut, pork loin, leg and fillet 2.1 to 2.8, turkey dark meat 3.4 against 1.7 for breast, chicken thigh 2.1 against 0.8 for breast.1 Fish is modest: tinned sardines 2.2, tuna 0.9, salmon 0.6, cod 0.5. Other shellfish beat most meat: crab 7.2, mussels 3.4, prawns 1.0 to 1.6. The same cuts top the foods high in iron list.
Which plant foods are high in zinc, and why does phytate matter?
Seeds and nuts lead: wheatgerm 14.0 mg per 100 g, pumpkin seeds 6.6, pine nuts 6.5, cashews 5.9, tahini 5.4, sunflower seeds 5.1, peanuts 3.5, almonds 3.1. Wholegrains: quinoa 3.3 mg per 100 g dry, porridge oats 2.3, wholemeal bread 1.6 against 0.7 to 0.8 for white. Pulses carry 3 to 4 mg dried but 0.8 to 1.2 mg boiled; tofu 0.7 mg steamed or 2.0 mg fried; mycoprotein pieces an unusually rich 7.0 mg. Vegetables are low: boiled spinach 1.3, peas 1.0, broccoli 0.6, potatoes 0.3 to 0.4.1
The catch is phytate, the phosphorus store in wholegrains, pulses, nuts and seeds, which binds zinc in the gut. In a meta-analysis of 30 phytate studies, fractional zinc absorption fell by 0.14, to 45% of control values, when the phytate-to-zinc molar ratio of the meal or diet was above 15.3 The UK diet as a whole sits under that line: across 6,786 people in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey the median adult ratio was 9.7.4 A diet built on wholegrains and pulses pushes it up, which is why the European Food Safety Authority sets its reference intake by phytate: 7.5 to 12.7 mg a day for women and 9.4 to 16.3 mg for men across phytate intakes of 300 to 1,200 mg a day.5 Phytase, germination and fermentation (sprouting, soaking, sourdough) markedly improve absorption; iron interferes only when the two are taken together as a supplement, not in a meal.6 In a radioisotope meal study, more zinc was absorbed in absolute terms from wholemeal bread than from white, and milk products improved absorption from the wholemeal meal: eat the wholegrain and add dairy or meat protein.7
How do vegetarians and vegans get enough zinc?
Across 26 studies and 48 comparisons, habitual vegetarians took in 0.88 mg a day less zinc than meat-eaters and had serum zinc 0.93 micromoles per litre lower, with larger gaps in women and in vegans; the authors list bioavailability practices, fortified foods and low-dose supplementation as strategies.8 Adverse effects from lower zinc absorption have not been demonstrated with varied vegetarian diets in developed countries.9 A vegan day from the table: porridge from 40 g oats (0.9 mg) with 30 g pumpkin seeds (2.0), two slices of wholemeal toast (1.3) with 20 g peanut butter (0.6), 100 g houmous at lunch (1.4), and a dhal of 150 g red lentils (1.5) with 180 g brown rice (1.3) and 100 g fried tofu (2.0) comes to 11.0 mg, inside EFSA's higher-phytate range.1, 5
How do you get 100% of your zinc from food in a day?
Two eggs on wholemeal toast (2.6 mg), a 150 g pot of yoghurt (1.1), a Cheddar sandwich on wholemeal (2.5) and 100 g of stewed beef mince (5.0) comes to 11.2 mg; swap the mince for chicken thigh and the day lands at 8.3 mg, over a woman's 7 mg and a handful of pumpkin seeds short of a man's 9.5 mg.1, 2
Who should think about a zinc supplement?
The NHS position is that a varied diet supplies enough zinc.2 Those who may not get there are the groups on the signs of zinc deficiency page: vegans and vegetarians on high-phytate diets, heavy drinkers, gut disease or bariatric surgery, older adults eating little, pregnancy and breastfeeding. For them a zinc-containing supplement at its label dose closes the gap between what the day's food delivers and the 7 or 9.5 mg figure, and zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system. The NHS limit applies: "Do not take more than 25mg of zinc supplements a day unless advised to by a doctor", because "Taking high doses of zinc reduces the amount of copper the body can absorb. This can lead to anaemia and weakening of the bones."2 Add up the zinc across every product you take, since two together can pass 25 mg; take it with a meal, since nausea is most likely on an empty stomach; and if you take iron, antibiotics or any regular medicine, ask a pharmacist about spacing (what should you not take with zinc). How much zinc a day has the UK amounts by age; the vitamins and minerals guide covers the rest.
Frequently asked questions
How can I raise my zinc levels quickly?
Eat the top of the table: 100 g of braised beef (9.5 mg), crab (7.2 mg) or six oysters (about 35 mg) each cover a day.1 If you have symptoms, see a GP.
Which nut is highest in zinc?
Pine nuts (6.5 mg per 100 g) and cashews (5.9 mg), so a 30 g handful of cashews gives 1.8 mg; Brazil nuts are 4.2 mg, peanuts 3.5, almonds 3.1, walnuts 2.7.1
Does cooking destroy zinc?
No. Zinc is a mineral and heat does not break it down. Boiled pulses show a quarter of their dried value per 100 g because they have swollen; slow-cooked beef shows more than raw because it has lost water.1
Sources
- Public Health England. Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID), 2021. gov.uk.
- NHS. Vitamins and minerals: others, including zinc. nhs.uk.
- Bel-Serrat S, et al. Factors that affect zinc bioavailability and losses in adult and elderly populations. Nutrition Reviews, 2014. PubMed 24739133.
- Amirabdollahian F, Ash R. An estimate of phytate intake and molar ratio of phytate to zinc in the diet of the people in the United Kingdom. Public Health Nutrition, 2010. PubMed 20409358.
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for zinc. EFSA Journal, 2014. PubMed 42087959.
- Lönnerdal B. Dietary factors influencing zinc absorption. Journal of Nutrition, 2000. PubMed 10801947.
- Sandström B, et al. Zinc absorption from composite meals. I. The significance of wheat extraction rate, zinc, calcium, and protein content in meals based on bread. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1980. PubMed 7361691.
- Foster M, et al. Effect of vegetarian diets on zinc status: a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies in humans. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2013. PubMed 23595983.
- Hunt JR. Bioavailability of iron, zinc, and other trace minerals from vegetarian diets. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2003. PubMed 12936958.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have symptoms that could be low zinc, or take regular medicines, ask your GP or pharmacist.
