Need help studying the sources of essential trace minerals for your upcoming DPD course exam? Download the free cheat sheet and access more study tools (including a Quizlet study set) to help you pass your exam.
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What Are Trace Minerals?
Trace minerals are one of many essential micronutrients that can greatly impact our health. Many basic functions are dependent on trace minerals, including:
- hormone balance
- energy production
- nutrient metabolism
- wound healing
- skin pigmentation
- bone health
- immune health
- skin integrity
- and many more …
Trace minerals are found in a variety of foods foods including meat, seafood, poultry, dairy, grains, legumes, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit … and even chocolate. Who doesn’t want another excuse to enjoy chocolate, right?
Why Should RDs2B Know the Food Sources of Trace Minerals
As a nutrition student, you’ll likely be tested on the sources of trace minerals in one of your DPD courses. Most importantly though, as an RD2B, you might be in a situation, either in your internship or career, where a client or patient will benefit from your knowledge on topics such as:
- nut-free sources of selenium for nut allergies
- zinc sources to help with wound healing
- plant-based sources of iron
- iodine sources to meet increased needs during pregnancy
- gluten-free sources of trace minerals for gluten-sensitivities and celiac disease
Trace Mineral Cheat Sheet
This printable cheat sheet is for nutrition students looking for a quick reference guide for the common food sources of copper, iodine, iron, molybdenum, manganese, selenium, and zinc. The common foods rich in these 7 essential trace minerals is listed in order of major food groups.

NOTE: The cheat sheet is not an all-inclusive list and only covers some of the most common foods rich in essential trace minerals.
More Study Tools
Test your knowledge on the common food sources rich in essential trace minerals with two dozen Quizlet flash cards created by My Nutrition Notes.
“In Practice”
Click on the resources below to read the current research and recommendations for Registered Dietitians on how to address trace minerals within their scope of work.
- Two of a Kind: Celiac Disease and Thyroid Disease Today’s Dietitian
- Parenteral Nutrition: Reverse Nutrient Deficiencies Today’s Dietitian
- Enhancing the Safety of Parenteral Nutrition Today’s Dietitian
- Higher Manganese Levels in Early Pregnancy Linked to Lower Preeclampsia Risk Today’s Dietitian
- Choosing the Right Cookware Today’s Dietitian
Check out My Nutrition Notes Copper Metabolism Study Course to learn more about the basic functions, food sources, enhancers / inhibitors of absorption, digestion, absorption, deficiency, and toxicity of copper. By enrolling into the study course, you also have access to:
- 40 quiz questions to test your knowledge
- resources on how Registered Dietitians address copper within their scope of work
Recap
Trace minerals are essential to many important functions from immune health to wound healing and are found in a variety of foods including:
- Meat (copper, iron, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc)
- Seafood (copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc)
- Poultry (copper, iron, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc)
- Eggs (iodine, iron, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc)
- Dairy (iodine, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc)
- Grains (copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc)
- Legumes (copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc)
- Vegetables (copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and selenium)
- Nuts (copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc)
- Seeds (copper and zinc)
- Fruit (copper and molybdenum)
Sign-up to access these study tools to help you pass your DPD course exam.
Cheat Sheet
Sign up to access the cheat sheet for a quick reference guide on the common food sources rich in 7 essential trace minerals
Quizlet
Sign up to access the Quizlet study set, created by My Nutrition Notes, to test your knowledge on the 7 essential trace minerals.
Study Course
Enroll in the My Nutrition Notes Copper Metabolism Study Course to learn about the basic topics on copper metabolism.
References
Copper Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National institutes of Health. (2021, March 29). Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Copper-HealthProfessional/
Iodine Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National institutes of Health. (2022, March 1). Retrieved March 2, 2022, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-HealthProfessional/
Iron Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National institutes of Health. (2021, March 30). Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/
Gropper, S. S., Smith, J. L. (2013). Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism (6th ed.). Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Manganese Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National institutes of Health. (2021, March 29). Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Manganese-HealthProfessional/
Molybdenum Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National institutes of Health. (2021, March 30). Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Molybdenum-HealthProfessional/
Rolfes, S. R., Whitney, E. (2013). Understanding Nutrition (13th ed.). Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Selenium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National institutes of Health. (2021, March 26). Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-HealthProfessional/
Thompson, J. L., Manore, M. M., Vaughan, L. A. (2014). The Science of Nutrition (3rd ed.). Pearson Education Inc.
Zinc Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National institutes of Health. (2021, December 7). Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/