USDA-derived rankings
Vegetarian foods high in copper
Copper works alongside iron to form red blood cells and keeps nerves, immunity and connective tissue in order.
Who this is for: Mostly useful out of curiosity: liver, oysters, nuts, seeds and dark chocolate mean shortfalls are rare.
Reviewed 20 July 2026. Ranked per typical serving against the fixed adult reference of 1.2 mg a day.
The clear number one
Red Lentils
One serving (60g) gives you 0.78 mg of copper, around 65% of the daily reference in one go.
See the full nutrition score for red lentilsThe ranking
Ranked by what a typical serving covers, because nobody eats 100g of everything. The badge shows per-100g density: high means at least 30% of the daily reference per 100g, source means at least 15%.
| # | Food | Per serving | Per 100g |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Lentils | 0.78 mg65% of daily reference | 1.3 mghigh |
| 2 | Sesame Seeds | 0.73 mg61% of daily reference | 4.08 mghigh |
| 3 | Cashews | 0.62 mg51% of daily reference | 2.2 mghigh |
| 4 | Chickpeas (cooked) | 0.57 mg48% of daily reference | 0.35 mgsource |
| 5 | Tempeh | 0.56 mg47% of daily reference | 0.56 mghigh |
| 6 | Sunflower Seeds | 0.5 mg42% of daily reference | 1.8 mghigh |
| 7 | Lentils (cooked) | 0.5 mg41% of daily reference | 0.25 mgsource |
| 8 | Hazelnuts | 0.48 mg40% of daily reference | 1.72 mghigh |
| 9 | Hemp Seeds | 0.48 mg40% of daily reference | 1.6 mghigh |
| 10 | Walnuts | 0.45 mg37% of daily reference | 1.59 mghigh |
| 11 | Cocoa Powder | 0.38 mg32% of daily reference | 3.79 mghigh |
| 12 | Pumpkin Seeds | 0.38 mg31% of daily reference | 1.34 mghigh |
| 13 | Cannellini Beans | 0.37 mg31% of daily reference | 0.29 mgsource |
| 14 | Soybeans | 0.37 mg31% of daily reference | 0.41 mghigh |
| 15 | Pistachios | 0.36 mg30% of daily reference | 1.3 mghigh |
| 16 | Black Beans (cooked) | 0.36 mg30% of daily reference | 0.21 mgsource |
| 17 | Dark Chocolate | 0.35 mg30% of daily reference | 1.77 mghigh |
| 18 | Quinoa (cooked) | 0.35 mg29% of daily reference | 0.19 mgsource |
| 19 | Brazil Nuts | 0.35 mg29% of daily reference | 1.74 mghigh |
| 20 | Pecans | 0.34 mg28% of daily reference | 1.2 mghigh |
Meat and fish are excluded; eggs and dairy stay in.
Narrow it to your way of eating
How this list is built
Every number comes from Nutrigate's USDA-derived generic food table, the same data behind the food nutrition scores. The daily reference for copper is 1.2 mg, an evidence-based adult amount; the app personalises it to you. Serving sizes are typical household portions, shown in grams so you can judge them.