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Many vegans and aspiring vegans care about eating a healthy, balanced diet and want to be well-informed about nutrition. Vegans have a significantly reduced risk for type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure and, on average, have lower cholesterol levels.
Although there are health benefits to being vegan, there are also nutrients to be aware of. We aim to give you all the essential information you need to know about vegan nutrition on this page.
Page info by Jack Norris, registered dietitian and executive director of Vegan Outreach
“Where do you get your protein” is typically the first question vegans are asked. And it’s a bit hard to answer because all plant foods contain protein. In other words, vegans get our protein in everything we eat!
However, some plant foods are higher in protein than others and if you avoid most high-protein foods you might start craving animal products or feeling fatigued.
If you want a thorough discussion about plant vs. animal protein, check out the article Protein Needs of Vegans from VeganHealth.org.
Speaking of protein, soy foods have traditionally been a staple of many vegan diets due to their high protein content. Myths abound that soy is harmful, and that has made some people shy away, but there’s plenty of scientific evidence that two servings of soyfoods per day is perfectly safe. Higher amounts are probably also safe, but they haven’t been studied as thoroughly.
The most robust area of research on soy has been with respect to breast cancer, and the overwhelming evidence is that soy can reduce the risk of breast cancer. There’s also evidence to suggest that soy can reduce the risk of prostate cancer and heart disease (by lowering LDL cholesterol). Soy: Main Controversies.
People often associate iron with red meat, so you might be surprised to know that iron is plentiful in plant foods, and vegans often have higher iron intakes than meat-eaters. Obtaining enough iron from vegan foods is easy if you eat legumes (beans, peas, and lentils) and dark leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and collards).
Iron is found in a range of other plant foods and many countries have foods fortified with iron. Blackstrap molasses is a type of molasses that’s high in iron.
Most vegans don’t need to be too concerned about iron unless they have a history of iron deficiency. One exception is long-distance runners who menstruate, as they have a high amount of red blood cell loss. If you’re prone to iron deficiency, eat plenty of meals containing foods high in iron and vitamin C and avoid coffee and tea (which decrease iron absorption) within an hour of such meals.
Vegan adults should eat 3 servings of good sources of calcium per day while teenagers should eat 4 servings.
Luckily, most plant-based milks are fortified with calcium.If you find it inconvenient to eat foods high in calcium each day, a calcium supplement of about 500 mg per day is another option.
Resistance exercise twice a week, involving lifting moderate weights, is possibly the most reliable way for people to increase the strength of their bones. We encourage everyone to follow such a program. Talk to your health professional about what program is right for you.
Vitamin A is important for night vision and bone density. Vegans should eat at least two servings of good sources daily. Good sources are vegetables and fruits whose edible flesh is orange: carrots and other root vegetables (1/2 cup), squash (1/2 cup), and melons (2 cups). The orange color indicates beta-carotene which our bodies can turn into vitamin A. Dark leafy green vegetables (1 cup cooked) are also high in vitamin A. Foods with yellow flesh are generally good sources of vitamin A.
A great way to help satisfy your vitamin A needs is with Gajar Halwa!
Omega-3 fats are important for the long-term health of the heart and brain but are found in a limited number of plant foods. Walnuts, canola oil, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and perilla oil are high in omega-3s.
A delicious way to get your daily omega-3s is from Falooda (Chia Seed Pudding), which you can eat for breakfast or as a dessert.
Nutrient deficiencies won’t occur in only a few weeks or even months of being vegan. That’s good news because it means you can go vegan at your own pace and worry about perfecting the nutrition later. In the long term, to be a thriving vegan, you’ll want to make sure you obtain a reliable source of vitamin B12, iodine, selenium, vitamin D, and in some cases zinc.
We recommend that vegans take a daily multivitamin that contains the amounts of nutrients listed in the table below. These amounts are not the recommended daily allowances (RDAs), but rather the amounts that will meet the needs of vegans after taking into account what vegans typically obtain through foods.
Good options for meeting these requirements are:
10 Weeks to Vegan is a weekly email series from Vegan Outreach containing tips, recipes, and resources for those interested in learning more about animal-free eating.
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