Zinc-rich vegetarian foods in an Indian kitchen

Chana, beans, nuts and seeds are food sources of zinc. A useful place to start is your regular dal or sabzi and the snacks you eat between meals.

Put three foods on your list

Try chana for lunch, unsalted groundnuts in your tiffin and a little til in chutney. If you compare zinc figures online, keep the weights consistent. A dry seed figure describes a different serving from a bowl of cooked chana. Plant foods can also contain compounds that reduce how much zinc the body absorbs.

Read the row if you are comparing a supplement

Look for the word “zinc” and the amount per serving. If two products you take both list zinc, write down both amounts and ask a pharmacist or doctor about the overlap. Vitamin C and zinc guide · See the Nutrigap nutrition label · NIH zinc fact sheet

How to read a supplement label in India

Make a short shopping list

Start with one pulse and one seed or nut you will use. Chana can go into a curry or a tiffin salad. A little til can go into chutney, and plain groundnuts can be packed for work. A spoon of chutney and a bowl of chana are different portions, so write down both amounts before comparing. If you want to keep a food record, note the dish and serving rather than trying to add up zinc at every meal.