Some dabble in veganism once a year when Veganuary rolls around, for others it’s part of the lifestyle they embrace for a variety of reasons. Should you fall into the latter group, or if Veganuary made a lasting impression on you, read on to discover the key nutrients you need to include in your vegan diet to stay healthy in the long-term.
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What is a vegan diet?
A vegan diet is one that excludes all animal products like meat (including fish and shellfish), dairy, eggs and honey, along with any other edibles that come from animals.
The Vegan Society notes that the one thing all vegans have in common is a plant-based diet, but it’s important to distinguish a vegan diet from a whole food plant-based (WFPB) one.
A WFPB diet consists of fruits, veggies, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, seeds, with few or no animal products.
Whilst a vegan would shun meat, dairy, eggs and seafood, someone following the WFPB diet may eat them occasionally. Another key difference is the ‘whole foods’ element of the WFPB diet. Whole food plant-based eaters don’t have processed foods or oils (like vegetable cooking oil), opting for unrefined plant-based oils (think avocado, olive or canola oil) instead.
Vegans, on the other hand, may eat processed foods, such as vegan burgers, nuggets, sausages, desserts and tofu deli meat, which don’t form part of a nutritious diet.
Is a vegan diet healthy?
Studies indicate that consumers of healthy WFPB and vegan diets tend to have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. These diets also support a healthy gut microbiome.
A balanced WFPB diet contains less salt than omnivore diets, contributing to the trend of followers of WFPB diet being more likely to have a healthy BMI and lower blood pressure than meat eaters.
In contrast, since vegans may dine on meat-free processed foods that often contain unhealthy ingredients like sugar, trans fats, and excess salt, which you can learn more about in our ‘What is in a healthy diet?’ article, their diet may not be as healthy as many think.
But it can be.
It all depends on the ingredients and types of foods a vegan chooses to eat. Let’s dive into the key nutrients needed to nourish the body, why vegans may find them trickier to obtain, and how to source them on a vegan diet.
No matter the style of diet you choose to follow, an omnivore (meat) diet or vegan diet can both result in balanced nutrition or malnutrition – it all depends on if you ensure you get the right amount of nutrients and avoid sugar and trans fats and limit salt.
What nutrients does your body need?
Just as a car needs fuel to function, your body needs a balanced combination of nutrients to perform optimally. These include macronutrients and micronutrients:
- The three macronutrients are fat, protein and carbohydrate, all of which are required in relatively large amounts each day.
- Micronutrients are nutrients your body needs in small amounts. They include minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals; these are mostly beneficial chemicals from plants. Most micronutrients are “essential”, meaning your body can’t produce them, so they must be obtained through diet. Some, like phytochemicals, aren’t known to be essential, but can have a positive impact on your health.
Fats
Support: the provision of energy and essential fatty acids like omega-3 and 6, which your body can’t make itself. Good quality fats support the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K.
Did you know your brain is nearly 60% fat by dry weight? Indeed, a type of omega-3 fatty acid called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) helps your brain cells communicate quickly and easily and research has found lack of omega-3 fatty acids could increase the risk of mental health conditions, such as depression.
Bioavailability
There’s no doubt that all of us need adequate amounts of omega-3, no matter which diet we follow. However, some sources are more bioavailable within your body than others. Bioavailability is how easily a nutrient can enter into your circulation to have an effect.
The most bioavailable form of omega-3 is found in fish, which doesn’t feature in the vegan diet.
One of the only adequate plant sources rich in omega-3 fatty acids like DHA and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is algal oil made from marine algae. So, vegans may wish to explore supplementation to overcome deficiency.
Some vegan-friendly foods contain another omega-3 fatty acid, ALA (alpha linolenic acid), which is a precursor to DHA. However, your ALA to DHA conversion depends on having enough of the right nutrients. It’s also worth noting that, DHA found in fatty fish like salmon is comparably more bioavailable than ALA found in vegetable oils, such as linseed.
This can be summarised in the table below:
| Vegan-friendly sources of DHA and EPA | Vegan-friendly sources of ALA – a precursor to the omega-3 fatty acid DHA | Omnivore sources of omega-3 fatty acids |
|---|---|---|
| Algal oil | Veggies like edamame, non-GMO soybeans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli raab, collard greens, spinach and romaine lettuce | Fatty fish i.e. salmon |
| Pumpkin, sunflower and chia seeds and flaxseeds | Fish oil | |
| Walnuts, pine and Brazil nuts |
How to get choline as a vegan
Phosphatidyl choline deserves a special nod. It’s a type of fat crucial for cognition and good memory. In fact, choline deficiency has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Foods rich in choline are eggs, red meat, fish, and wholegrains. However, vegans can get enough from alternative sources, but watch out for highly processed forms of soy often found in faux meats; opt for unprocessed or minimally processed forms instead.
| Vegan-friendly sources of choline |
|---|
| Certain cruciferous veggies, such as cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts |
| Shiitake mushrooms |
| Unroasted almonds |
| Soy and lima beans |
| Quinoa |
As with all nutrients, phosphatidyl choline is best taken from its whole food source, but some vegans might want to consider choline supplementation.
Not all supplements are equal. There are many poor-quality ones out there, such as those with artificial sweeteners and bulking agents. You may want to keep an eye out for the words “bulking agents” and sweeteners, such as sucralose, fructose and aspartame. If in doubt, you might wish to research the ingredient or seek advice from a healthcare professional.
Protein
Supports: your body’s growth, repair and blood sugar regulation as it helps to slow down the rate at which glucose is released.
How do vegans get protein and amino acids?
Animal products, such as red meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy offer “complete” proteins, that is all nine of the amino acids (protein building blocks) that your body can’t produce itself and are therefore labelled “essential”. Only a few plant-based foods offer “complete” proteins.
| Plant-based foods that are “complete” proteins |
|---|
| Chia and pumpkin seeds |
| Soy |
| Quinoa |
| Buckwheat |
So, a vegan does have to consider their sources to ensure they’re getting all the amino acids they need. If they’re not eating enough “complete proteins” listed above, they need to be sure they’re getting enough foods rich in the nine essential amino acids each day. This is possible with planning.
Although two of the essential amino acids, lysine and methionine, have been found to be up to 50% lower in vegans compared to meat eaters, this can be overcome with a diverse diet featuring the below foods like:
| Some of the vegan-friendly foods that contain amino-acid lysine | Some of the vegan-friendly foods that contain the amino-acid methionine |
|---|---|
| Veggies i.e. peas, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, kale | Veggies i.e. spinach, peas, potatoes, leeks, Beets, peppers |
| Pumpkin seeds | Sunflower, sesame and hemp seeds |
| Beans i.e. kidney, navy and black beans | Brazil nuts |
| Soy i.e. Tempeh | Buckwheat |
| Quinoa | Oats |
| Lentils | Quinoa |
Methionine helps make another amino acid known as cysteine, which plays a role in your liver’s detoxification of harmful substances, providing immune support and promoting antioxidant activity. Cysteine can also be naturally occurring in foods like egg yokes and poultry. It’s possible vegans with a low intake of plant foods rich in cysteine, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, garlic, oats, onions, red bell peppers, wheat germ and yeast, and high in methionine, may be at risk of deficiency.
There’s no need to consciously combine different plant proteins at each meal provided a variety of foods from each plant-protein source are eaten each day, thanks to our bodies maintaining a supply of amino acids, which can be used to complement protein from our diets.
Plant proteins can be more difficult for our bodies to absorb, compared to animal proteins. However, chances are, this difference in absorption is too minimal to cause vegans to lack essential amino acids.
Carbohydrates
Support: the provision of energy through being broken down by your digestive system into glucose (sugar).
How do vegans get the right type of carbohydrates in their diet?
Whereas many may worry vegans don’t get enough protein, a vegan’s diet can be rich in carbohydrates and could very well be high in carbs with little nutritional value, should they be relying on meat-free processed foods and refined carbs like white bread and pasta. To be on the good side of this important macronutrient, stick with a daily healthy helping of:
| Healthy vegan-friendly sources of carbohydrates |
|---|
| A wide variety of vegetables (including salad) |
| Root veggies (i.e. sweet potatoes and parsnips) and wholegrains (wild and brown rice, whole oats, quinoa) |
Iron
Supports: muscle metabolism, healthy connective tissue, and the creation of red blood cells, which carry oxygen around your body. The mineral is also needed for physical growth, neurological development, cellular functioning, and the synthesis of some hormones.
Iron comes in two forms:
- heme iron from animal flesh, such as meat, poultry and seafood
- non-heme iron from plant foods:
| Vegan-friendly sources of iron (non-heme) |
|---|
| Cruciferous veggies i.e. cauliflower, cabbage, kale, garden cress, bok choi, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mustard plant, and similar green leafy veg) |
| Pistachios |
| Pumpkin and sesame seeds |
| Beans such as kidney, edamame and chickpeas |
| Peas |
| Dried fruit i.e. dried apricots |
| Cacao nibs |
The challenge for vegans is that non-heme iron has a lower bioavailability than heme iron, meaning it’s less easily absorbed and digested than heme iron from animal sources. There’s some evidence to suggest we absorb as little as 5-15% iron from plant-based sources, compared to 20-30% from animal sourced heme iron. What’s more, phytates (in grains and beans), certain polyphenols in some non-animal foods (such as cereals and legumes) and calcium can reduce non-heme iron absorption. So, vegans may need to consume higher amounts of non-heme iron to compensate or consider supplementation.
To support your intake, munch on vitamin C containing veggies like broccoli, kale, tomatoes and bell peppers to optimise non-heme iron absorption. Cooking, fermentation, or germination can also aid your intake by reducing the phytic acid content and improving the bioavailability of non-heme iron.
Iodine
Supports: the functioning of your thyroid gland and its production of the hormones responsible for keeping cells and the speed at which chemical reactions occur in your body, known as metabolic rate, healthy.
How to get iodine as a vegan
Easily forgotten when people switch to a vegan diet, the mineral iodine is essential in that your body can’t produce it itself. With the NHS stating that sources of iodine can be found in cows’ milk, dairy products, eggs, sea and shell fish, vegans could consider ensuring their iodine intake by adding seaweed to their diet. This is because nori seaweed contains the highest iodine content of all foods. You can sprinkle seaweed into stock, soups, stews, curries or blend it into salad dressings, smoothies and dips.
Just as phytates and calcium can affect the bioavailability of iron, cruciferous veggies like cauliflower, cabbage and swede can reduce the use of iodine in the body when eaten in large amounts. This is likely to be because they’re rich in compounds that mess with the normal function of the thyroid gland, known as goitrogens. However, cooking these veggies rather than eating them raw seems to destroy many of the goitrogenic compounds contained within them.
Vitamin B12
Supports: the formation of red blood cells and DNA, function and development of brain and nerve cells. Its absorption is supported by a protein called intrinsic factor. B12 also helps synthesise the neurotransmitters like the happy hormone, serotonin and the pleasure and reward hormone, dopamine.
How to get B12 as a vegan?
One of the eight B vitamins, B12 is naturally found in red meat, poultry, fish, eggs and milk and unavailable naturally in most plant foods.
Whilst there are some foods that contain B12, such as shiitake mushrooms and seaweed, to get adequate amounts, vegans either need to supplement B12, or ensure they’e eating enough fortified food (for example, some plant milks, nutritional yeast, marmite).
It may also be important to note that, according to the NHS, your body can store B12 for 2 – 5 years. This explains why symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can take many years to show and may also contribute to a vegan feeling fine on their diet and then, after a few years, not feeling so well because they’ve become deficient in the vital vitamin. In this case, they may not put their symptoms down to a deficiency because they’ve previously felt fine on their diet.
Vitamin D
Supports: healthy bones, muscles and teeth, may also provide a healthy barrier function, for example, along the lining of your gut, respiratory tract, blood vessels and skin, and helps maintain energy levels and a strong immune system (evidence suggests vitamin D is antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory).
Vitamin D foods for vegans
Vitamin D2, from plant sources, and vitamin D3, from animal sources, are the two main dietary forms of vitamin D. Living up to its name as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, your body can also produce vitamin D3 when your skin is exposed to the sun, which is the best source.
Foods containing vitamin D alone aren’t usually sufficient to meet most people’s requirements, but they’re still excellent to include, not least because they provide ‘co-nutrients’ that support the absorption and function of the vitamin. An example of vegan friendly vitamin D containing food is mushrooms.
Fun fact: The amount of vitamin D2 generated depends on the time of day, season, latitude, weather conditions, and exposure time, but getting your sliced mushrooms outside at midday for 15-120 minutes to catch some UV rays enriches their vitamin D2 levels.
You can find out more about vitamin D testing and supplementing, plus sun exposure, in our our article which covers the sources of vitamin D.
Calcium
Supports: the building of bones, keeping teeth healthy, regulation of muscle contractions including your heartbeat and normal blood clotting.
How do vegans get calcium?
Where can vegans get their calcium fill when common sources include bony fish (e.g. sardines), yoghurt, cheese and other dairy products? The below are all a good start:
| Vegan-friendly sources of calcium |
|---|
| Green leafy veggies like curly kale, okra, watercress, bok choy and broccoli |
| Cruciferous veggies i.e. okra, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and turnips |
| Apricots |
| Beans, peas and lentils, soybeans |
| Almonds |
| Buckwheat |
| Sesame seeds |
| Tahini |
| Blackstrap molasses |
| Some tofu |
Spinach boasts high levels but your body can’t digest it all. It also contains high levels of the naturally occurring molecule, oxalate, as do okra and Swiss chard. For some, having too much oxalate can reduce calcium absorption and can, in some cases, lead to kidney stones. However, soaking, boiling or steaming foods high in oxalate will reduce the oxalate content, enabling other vital minerals to be more easily absorbed by your body. Different cooking methods can reduce the nutritional value of some veggies, but there are ways to minimise this effect.
Fortified oat milks can also be a good calcium choice for some vegans, though whole foods naturally high in the mineral, like those in the table above, are the ideal.
All healthy nutrition is a delicate balance. Calcium is an example of this balance, as, whilst it’s a crucial nutrient, it can reduce non-heme iron absorption so don’t overdo the calcium-rich foods too much.
Zinc
Supports: the creation of new cells and enzymes, wound healing and the processing of those all-important macronutrients in food.
How to get zinc as a vegan
Some vegans may find it challenging to get enough zinc as it’s found in meat, shellfish and dairy products, but can also be sourced from:
| Vegan-friendly sources of zinc |
|---|
| Sprouted beans |
| Cereal products like wheatgerm |
| Tofu |
| Legumes |
| Wholegrains |
| Bread |
Checking in on your zinc intake can be handy as too much can reduce the amount of copper your body can absorb, resulting in anemia and bone weakening. Copper is an essential mineral that helps produce red and white blood cells and is important for brain development, immune system and strong bones. It also prompts the release of iron to form haemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen around your body.
Creatine, carnosine and taurine
Support: the increase in muscle mass, strength and exercise performance (creatine), improved athletic performance by reducing lactic acid build-up in muscles during exercise (carnosine), adequate hydration and electrolyte balance in cells, bile salt formation (which have a key role in digestion), mineral, immune system and antioxidant function regulation, and brain and eye function (taurine).
How to get creatine, carnosine and taurine as a vegan
Your body can produce about half your creatine reserves from the amino acids glycine and arginine using methionine (see above) in your liver and kidneys and the remaining half comes from your food, particularly red meat and seafood.
| Vegan-friendly sources of glycine | Vegan-friendly sources of arginine |
|---|---|
| Spinach, dried seaweed, watercress, asparagus, cabbage | Pumpkin seeds |
| Legumes i.e. lentils, peas | Soybeans |
| Peanuts and pistachios | Peanuts |
| Seeds like sesame and pumpkin | Spirulina |
| Tofu and soybeans | Chickpeas |
| Lentils |
Carnosine is also made up of amino acids, this time beta-alanine and histidine. The main food sources of beta-alanine are meat, poultry and fish, with vegetarians and vegans having around 50% less carnosine in their muscles compared to meat eaters.
| Vegan-friendly sources of beta-alanine | Vegan-friendly sources of histidine |
|---|---|
| Soybeans | Pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds |
| Peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pine nuts, almonds | |
| Haricot beans | |
| Chickpeas | |
| Lentils |
On the other hand, taurine is already an amino acid, but not one that builds proteins. Instead, it becomes essential only when you’re ill or stressed. Animal proteins are cited as the main sources, explaining why vegans usually have lower levels of the amino acid than omnivores.
| Vegan-friendly sources of taurine |
|---|
| Seaweed |
| Green tea |
| Dark chocolate |
Vegans can find it tricky to source all three from food and some may opt for supplements, but it’s important to consider your individual needs.
Key takeaways
The above nutrients (with the exception of carbs) are thought to be deficient in vegan diets, which is why, for some, supplementation may need to be considered. Many vegans may feel well when they begin following their meat-free diet, but can experience poor health later down the line and, because of the time delay, may not consider a connection between how they’re feeling and their nutrition.
However, with careful planning to account for the nutrient deficiencies highlighted above, and cooking whole foods, it can be possible for some people to obtain what they need on a vegan diet.
Reviewed by:
Ingrid Kitzing Nutritional Therapist
Anna Keeble MA BA Wellbeing Expert
Dr Claire Marie Thomas MRCGP DFSRH DTMH DipNLP MBChB BMedSci Medical Expert
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