Important Nutrients on a Plant-Based Diet

The more food a diet eliminates or restricts, the more educated choices and mindfulness needs to take place for alternative choices to ensure the body is still receiving all the important nutrients that it needs to function healthily. With the elimination of all animal foods and products in the vegan diet, there are several key nutrients to pay attention to to avoid deficiencies.

PROTEIN

Most people consuming a general type of diet do not have trouble meeting their body’s protein needs but in the vegan diet increasing protein rich plant-based foods or introducing new foods is important to ensure adequate protein intake. Eating a variety of plant-based protein sources throughout the day will help meet needs. Protein-rich vegan foods include beans, legumes, organic tofu, tempeh, quinoa, nuts, and nut butter.

CALCIUM

In the absence of dairy products, it’s important to include calcium-rich foods regularly. Calcium-fortified non-dairy products such as soy or almond milk, firm (calcium set) tofu, green leafy vegetables (such as broccoli, kale, bok choy), nuts and seeds and their butters can all contribute to calcium intake. Reading nutrition labels is important to ensure that alternative dairy milks contain at least 100mg calcium per 100ml. Supplementation may be appropriate for additional support.

IRON

Plant-based iron foods contain a non-heme form of iron which is not as well absorbed by the body in comparison to animal derived (heme iron). Iron-containing plant foods include a variety of beans, legumes, nuts (such as almonds, brazil), seeds, tofu, dried fruits (especially prunes, raisins, and apricots), dark leafy vegetables and whole grains. Sprouting the beans, legumes and nuts increases their mineral availability in the body and is especially important when relying on plants alone for your dietary minerals.

Pairing plant-based iron foods with vitamin C rich foods at meals and snacks helps increase absorption. Vitamin C rich foods include fruits and vegetables such as berries, citrus fruit, pineapple, capsicum (red and green), tomatoes, kiwi fruit, and broccoli. Some substances called tannins found in tea and coffee can decrease the absorption of plant-based iron, so avoiding having these drinks with meals will minimize their interference. Supplementation with iron may be particularly appropriate for some individuals, especially women and athletes.

B12

Vitamin B12 is found only in animal foods. It is important to consume foods that are fortified with B12 regularly or include a B12 supplement. Some foods are fortified with B12 such as breakfast cereals and non-dairy milks, so it’s important to read product nutrition labels to find out.

VITAMIN D

Vitamin D is naturally present in very few foods, such as wild grown mushrooms. But it can be produced in the body as a result of direct sunlight exposure to the skin. The amount of sun exposure needed for adequate production depends on a variety of factors including skin colour, geographical distance from the equator, liver and kidney health etc. If someone consuming a vegan diet has limited exposure to direct sunlight, supplementing with a quality vitamin D3 may be appropriate. Fortified foods including organic soy, rice, nut milks,, breakfast cereals, juice or other products as wild mushrooms can provide vitamin D in the vegan diet.

ZINC

A regular inclusion of plant-based food sources of zinc is very important when animal products have been removed from the diet. Zinc is utilised in more than 200 important physical processes in the body and is imperative for immune health and body repair. Plant-based foods to increase to ensure zinc intake include organic tofu, nuts such as cashews and almonds, seeds such as pepitas, sunflower, flax and chia, dried beans and fortified breakfast cereals.

OMEGA 3 FATS

It is essential to obtain omega-3 fats through diet since the body is unable to produce any independently. The best sources of these healthy fats are deep sea fatty fish and other seafood. Plant sources of omega-3 fats include linseeds/flaxseeds (best-consumed freshly ground), walnuts, chia seeds, and hemp seeds. Plant-based sources contain a different type of omega-3 than seafood sources do and while the body can convert plant-based sources into the same form as seafood derived sources the conversion rate is very low. A vegan marine omega-3 fat supplement such as algal oil (made from ocean algae) may be needed to ensure enough of all types of omega 3-fats are available to the body.

Consistently maintaining a variety of food choices with a little extra planning and preparation is key to ensuring the body has all the nutrients it needs to function optimally on a vegan diet. If in doubt, meeting with a Nutritionist like myself is a great way to get personalized advice on the best diet to confirm you are consuming enough of the important nutrients in your day to ensure health and vitality. Also, professional diet analysis can explore whether or not you may or may not need the extra support of quality supplementation for your lifestyle.

In health and love

Deena xo