VeganEating.org

A vegan diet is much healthier alternative to a non-vegan diet but it can result in deficiencies in certain essential nutrients like vitamins and proteins. This however happens only due to poor diet planning and lack of pertinent information to help with such planning.

Vegan diets are healthier than meat diets but due to their restrictive nature extra care needs to be taken when considering what should be eaten in what proportions and what needs to be taken either in the form of supplements or specially fortified vegan food.

Listed below are some of the vegan sources for key nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fats (essential fatty acids), minerals, and vitamins.

A lot of vegan foods are good sources of fiber, phytochemicals, and other micro-nutrients.

Vegan Protein Sources:

Wheat sources include: whole wheat flour, bread and pasta, brown rice, oats, and rye.

Nuts: hazels, cashews, Brazilian, almonds

Seeds: sunflower, sesame, pumpkin

Legumes/pulses: peas, beans, lentils

Soy products: flour, soy milk, tofu, and tempeh

Vegan Vitamin Sources:

Vitamin A

Carrots, spinach, pumpkins, tomatoes, dark greens, and vegan margarines

Vitamin B

Nuts, whole grains, oats, muesli, pulses (peas, beans, lentils), yeast extracts, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, mushrooms, and dried fruit

B12 supplements, fortified yeast extracts, soy milk, TVP products, some breakfast cereals.

Note that Seaweed and fermented products like tamari, miso, and tempeh may contain some B12 but they are not reliable sources.

Vitamin C in Vegan Diet

Red and black currants, berries, citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, grapefruit, green vegetables, and potatoes.

Vitamin D in Vegan Diet

Action of sunlight on the skin, vitamin D-fortified foods like vegan margarines, some soy milk and supplements.

Vitamin E in Vegan Diet

Nuts, seeds, whole grains and flours, and vegetable oils

Vegan Minerals Sources:

Calcium

Nuts, seeds, pulses like soy beans, tofu, fermented soybean curd, molasses, carob, parsley, dried figs, sea vegetables, grains like oatmeal, and fortified soy milks.

Iron in Vegan Diet:

Nuts, seeds, pulses, grains, dried fruit, sea vegetables, parsley, green leafy vegetables, and molasses.

Zinc in Vegan Diet:

Wheatgerm, whole grains like whole wheat bread, rice, and oats, nuts, pulses, tofu, soy protein, peas, parsley, bean sprouts.

Vegan Carbohydrate Sources:

Whole grains: wheat, oats, barley, rice

Whole-wheat bread, pasta and other flour products

Lentils, beans, potatoes, dried and fresh fruit

Vegan Fat Sources:

Nuts and seeds

Nut and seed oils

Vegan margarine

Avocados

Vegan Essential Fatty Acids Sources:

The human body does not make two polyunsaturated fatty acids: linoleic acid (omega 6 group) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega 3 group).

Linoleic Acid (omega 6)

1 Safflower, sunflower, corn, evening primrose & soy oils

Alpha-linolenic Acid (omega 3)

Flaxseed, pumpkin seed, walnut, soy & rapeseed (canola) oils

Note: The correct balance for omega-6:omega-3 intake is roughly 3:1

Folate for Vegans:

Wheatgerm, raw/lightly-cooked green leafy vegetables like broccoli and spinach, yeast, yeast extracts, nuts, peas, green ‘runner beans’, oranges, dates, avocados, and whole grains.