Glossary · Nutrients

Zinc (children)

A mineral that helps children grow and plays a part in taste and smell. Meat, chicken, yogurt, cheese, beans, lentils and fortified cereals bring it, and many zinc foods are iron foods too.

Why it matters from 6 months

Zinc helps children grow, and it plays a part in taste and smell. Around 6 months, babies start needing zinc from food as well as from milk, which is why zinc foods fit naturally into first foods. For babies fed only breast milk, zinc foods matter even more once solids begin, since the zinc in breast milk goes down over the first months.

Zinc foods

Beef, lamb and pork, minced or slow-cooked until soft.
Chicken and turkey, especially dark meat.
Yogurt and cheese.
Fish and shellfish, cooked all the way through.
Beans, lentils and chickpeas.
Zinc-fortified baby cereals and breakfast cereals.

One habit covers zinc and iron

Many zinc foods are also iron foods, so the same habit covers both: put a meat, bean, lentil or fortified cereal food on the plate at most meals. Beef and lentil pasta sauce, chicken with soft rice, yogurt with oats, and hummus on toast strips all count. Toddlers who mostly eat crackers, pasta and milk can miss out, so keep a zinc food on the plate even in a picky phase, next to the foods they love.

Plant-based families

Vegetarian and vegan families can lean on beans, lentils, tofu, hummus, thinly spread nut butters, ground seeds and fortified cereals. Hummus on toast strips, lentil soup, and tofu with rice are easy everyday combinations. Ask your pediatrician if you're unsure whether your child's meals cover zinc.

References

Related terms

Miriel uses this concept across food scans, meal plans, and AI Coach responses where it is relevant to a child's profile. For the underlying clinical and scientific basis, see the research page.