Zinc gets much less attention than vitamin D. Yet it comes from many everyday foods: milk, meat, eggs, whole grains and legumes. Below are the sources of zinc, the 2024 intake recommendations by age, and three ways to help zinc from vegetarian food absorb better.
Where to get zinc
The Finnish nutrition recommendations split zinc sources into two groups.
Animal foods: meat, dairy and eggs. In family life that means things like meat sauce, chicken soup, milk, cheese and an omelette.
Plant foods: legumes, cereal products, nuts and seeds. For example pea soup, lentil sauce, oat porridge, rye bread, and crushed seeds and nuts on porridge or yogurt.
When a day has some of both, zinc adds up without anyone thinking about it.
Why does zinc from vegetarian food absorb less well?
Grains and legumes contain phytate. It's the plant's own substance, and it binds zinc to itself. Less zinc is then absorbed from the food. The recommendations take this into account. You can reduce phytate in three ways:
- Soaking. Soak dried beans and peas overnight before cooking.
- Fermenting. Sourdough rye bread is a familiar example.
- Sprouting. Sprouted lentils and beans work in salads and soups.
Animal protein helps the body use zinc from food. So it's worth pairing vegetarian meals with a dairy product, if the family eats them.
How much zinc does a child need?
The 2024 Finnish nutrition recommendations set zinc as follows:
| Age | Recommended intake | Safe upper limit |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 y | 4.5 mg | 7 mg |
| 4–6 y | 5.8 mg | 10 mg |
| 7–10 y | 7.7 mg | 13 mg |
| Girls 11–14 y | 10.8 mg | 18 mg |
| Girls 15–17 y | 12.2 mg | 22 mg |
| Boys 11–14 y | 11.1 mg | 18 mg |
| Boys 15–17 y | 14.0 mg | 22 mg |
| Women 18–50 y | 9.7 mg | 25 mg |
| Men 18–50 y | 12.7 mg | 25 mg |
Source: Finland's national nutrition recommendations 2024 (Kestävää terveyttä ruoasta), appendices 10 c and 12.
If you've seen other numbers elsewhere, the update is the likely reason. In the 2024 recommendations the age groups changed and the zinc reference value rose by more than 20 percent. The old recommendations said 6 mg a day for ages 2–5. That number is still all over the internet.
Zinc and a multivitamin
Besides food, zinc comes from a multivitamin. One Ayaka multivitamin chewable tablet, the daily dose, has 3 mg of zinc, which is 30 % of the EU nutrient reference value.
If your child gets zinc from more than one product, add up the amounts and compare them with the upper limit in the table. In vegetarian and vegan families, the child health clinic or the school nurse can help with zinc intake.
What does zinc do in the body?
"Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system."
"Zinc contributes to normal cognitive function."
In short
- Zinc comes from milk, meat, eggs, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
- A 4–6-year-old needs 5.8 mg of zinc a day and a 7–10-year-old 7.7 mg.
- Soaking, fermenting and sprouting help zinc from vegetarian food absorb.
- If your child gets zinc from supplements, add up the total and stay under the upper limit.
Keep reading: Where to get vitamin C
Why Ayaka?
With Ayaka, your child decorates their own reusable jar with stickers. The jar becomes their thing. The idea is that the vitamin becomes a routine your child owns, not something parents have to remind them about. Ayaka has 12 vitamins and minerals. A refill comes through the letterbox once a month. See Ayaka multivitamin
