Vegan Diet: The Nutrients You Need to Plan For

A well-planned vegan diet can be healthy, but “well-planned” is the important part. A few nutrients are harder to get without animal foods. Knowing which ones, and how to cover them, prevents problems such as anaemia and nerve damage.

Imagine going vegan for ethical reasons and feeling great for the first year. By year three, you’re exhausted and have tingling in your feet. A blood test shows very low vitamin B12. You hadn’t known it was the one nutrient you couldn’t get from plants without fortified foods or a supplement.

Nutrients to plan for

• Vitamin B12: essential. Take a supplement or eat fortified foods every day.
• Iron: from beans, lentils, tofu, dark leafy greens and fortified cereals; eat with vitamin C to boost absorption
• Calcium: fortified plant milks and yoghurts, calcium-set tofu, almonds and greens
• Vitamin D: sunlight and supplements, especially in winter or with little sun
• Iodine: often low in vegan diets; iodised salt or a supplement may be advised
• Omega-3: walnuts, flax and chia, or an algae-based supplement
• Protein: combine beans, lentils, soy, grains, nuts and seeds through the day

But what about pregnancy and children?

Vegan diets can work in pregnancy and for children, but needs are higher and mistakes have bigger consequences. Talk to a midwife, health visitor, nurse or dietitian to plan supplements, especially B12, vitamin D, iodine and iron.

Sources: NHS (The vegan diet), US National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, British Dietetic Association, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This guide is for general information and does not replace advice from your own nurse, doctor or dietitian.