Top 10 Vegetables Highest in Zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral found in over 300 enzymes. (1) Zinc is needed for wound healing, immune system function, building proteins and DNA, fertility in adults, and growth in children. (2,3) Zinc is also needed for maintaining the senses of smell and taste. (4)

The daily value (DV) for zinc is 11mg per day. (5) This is a target intended for the general population, but some people may have different needs for zinc based on their age, gender, diet, or medical factors.

People on a plant-based diet should aim to consume about 50% more zinc than those in the general population. This compensates for the lower bioavailability of zinc from many plant sources. (6)

Vegetables high in zinc include shiitake mushrooms, green peas, spinach, lima beans, lentil sprouts, asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, okra, and sweet corn.

Below is a list of high zinc vegetables ranked by common serving size, for more see the list of high zinc foods for vegans and vegetarians, high zinc fruits, high zinc nuts.

List of Vegetables High in Zinc

• 1. Shiitake Mushrooms + Add

  Zinc per Cup Cooked	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  1.9mg (18% DV)	1.3mg (12% DV)	4.8mg (43% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Shiitake Mushrooms. (Source)

  Other Mushrooms High in Zinc

  • 12% DV zinc per cup of white button mushrooms
  • 12% DV per cup of morel mushrooms
  • 9% DV per cup of crimini mushrooms
• 2. Green Peas + Add

  Zinc per Cup Cooked	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  1.9mg (17% DV)	1.2mg (11% DV)	2.8mg (26% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Green Peas (Boiled, Drained). (Source)
• 3. Spinach + Add

  Zinc per Cup Cooked	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  1.4mg (12% DV)	0.8mg (7% DV)	6.6mg (60% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Spinach (Boiled, Drained). (Source)
• 4. Lima Beans + Add

  Zinc per Cup Cooked	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  1.3mg (12% DV)	0.8mg (7% DV)	1.3mg (12% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Lima Beans (Boiled, Drained). (Source)
• 5. Lentil Sprouts + Add

  Zinc per Cup Cooked	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  1.2mg (11% DV)	1.5mg (14% DV)	2.8mg (26% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Lentil Sprouts. (Source)

  More Sprouts High in Zinc

  • 11% DV in 1 cup of pea sprouts
  • 9% DV in 1 cup of cooked soybean sprouts
  • 5% DV in 1 cup of mung bean sprouts
• 6. Asparagus + Add

  Zinc per Cup Cooked	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  1.1mg (10% DV)	0.6mg (5% DV)	5.5mg (50% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Asparagus (Boiled, Drained). (Source)
• 7. Beet Greens + Add

  Zinc per Cup Cooked	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  0.7mg (7% DV)	0.5mg (5% DV)	3.7mg (34% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Beet Greens (Boiled, Drained). (Source)
• 8. Broccoli + Add

  Zinc per Cup Cooked	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  0.7mg (6% DV)	0.5mg (4% DV)	2.6mg (23% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Broccoli (Boiled, Drained). (Source)
• 9. Okra + Add

  Zinc per Cup Cooked	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  0.7mg (6% DV)	0.4mg (4% DV)	3.9mg (36% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Okra (Boiled, Drained). (Source)
• 10. Sweet Corn + Add

  Zinc per Cup Cooked	Zinc per 100g	Zinc per 200 Calories
  0.7mg (6% DV)	0.5mg (4% DV)	1.1mg (10% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Raw Yellow Sweet Corn. (Source)

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• Foods High in Zinc
• Foods Low in Zinc
• Vegetables High in Zinc
• Fruits High in Zinc
• Vegetarian Foods High in Zinc
• Nuts High in Zinc
• Grains High in Zinc
• Beans High in Zinc
• Dairy High in Zinc
• Breakfast Cereals High in Zinc
• Fast Foods High in Zinc

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

Related

• High Zinc Foods for Vegans and Vegetarians
• High Zinc Foods
• High Zinc Fruits
• Nuts and Seeds High in Zinc
• Fruits and Vegetables High in Iron
• The Best 10 Foods For Healthy Hair And Nails

Data Sources and References

1. Lesburg CA, Huang C, Christianson DW, Fierke CA. Function and mechanism of zinc metalloenzymes Biochemistry. 1997 Dec 16;36(50):15780-91. doi: 10.1021/bi971296x. 9398308
2. Cai C, Lin P, Zhu H, Ko JK, Hwang M, Tan T, Pan Z, Korichneva I, Ma J. Zinc in Wound Healing Modulation J Biol Chem. 2015 May 29;290(22):13830-9. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M114.620690. Epub 2015 Apr 13. 25869134
3. Wellinghausen N, Rink L. Zinc and the immune system J Leukoc Biol. 1998 Nov;64(5):571-7. doi: 10.1002/jlb.64.5.571. 9823760
4. Wagner PA. Zinc and the special senses Geriatrics. 1985 Mar;40(3):111-3, 117-8, 124-5. 3972248
5. U.S.FDA - Daily Value on the New Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
6. Agnoli C, Baroni L, Bertini I, Ciappellano S, Fabbri A, Papa M, Pellegrini N, Sbarbati R, Scarino ML, Siani V, Sieri S. Zinc and vegetarian diets Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2017 Dec;27(12):1037-1052. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2017.10.020. Epub 2017 Oct 31. 29174030