Nutrients Lacking In Plant-Based Foods
I’m sure most people have heard a story about someone on a vegan diet who goes back to eating animal protein for health reasons. These stories give the vegan diet a bad name and often unnecessarily discourage and scare people off. The reality is that there are way more non-vegans in poor health than there are vegans with health issues and often, any vegans with health issues are as a result of either some extreme exclusive diet with no variety or choosing vegan foods with little nutritional value . The vegans who educate themselves about basic nutrition, supplement where necessary and stick to a whole foods plant-based diet will do exceedingly well nutritionally. The reason for this is because plant-based foods carry less health risks than animal protein.
It is important to understand what common nutrients are in animal protein and replace those nutrients with common plant-based sources.
The good news is that plant-based sources are generally much healthier because they contain:
- Less saturated fat
- No Cholesterol
- More fibre
- Significantly more antioxidants
There are 6 important nutrients more common in animal foods which vegans need to consider when making their dietary choices. Below are the nutrients as well as the common animal foods containing those nutrients for reference.
- Vitamin B12 – beef, tuna and eggs
- Vitamin D3 – salmon, cow’s milk and eggs
- Omega 3 – Long Chain Fatty acids EPA and DHA – Mainly in salmon, other seafood and eggs
- Calcium – Included in all dairy
- Iodine – seafood, dairy and eggs
- Zinc – meat and dairy
Most of these nutrients are more easily obtained from animal-based foods because people normally consume these animal products in abundance. So let’s consider how much we need and where vegans can get these nutrients.
Vitamin B12 – How Much You Need And Where To Get It
Vitamin B12 is made by bacteria and is naturally found in bacteria-laden water or soil. In the past, we would obtain our vitamin B12 naturally from the harvested crops but currently, the farming soils are excessively sprayed with chemicals and the harvested crops are more effectively sanitised, destroying any B12 obtained from the soil. Also, before commercial farming, farm animals would naturally get their B12 from the soil and groundwater but now farmed animals are being supplemented with B12 in their feed. For adults older than 19 years, the recommended daily allowance for B12 is 2.4 micrograms (mcg).
The highest natural sources of vitamin B12 are contained in animal foods – however, certain plant-based sources are fortified (vitamins added) with B12 such as certain brands of nutritional yeast, breakfast cereals and plant milks. The highest sources of B12 are contained in the following foods:
*DV = Daily Value. FDA developed DVs to help consumers compare the nutrient contents of foods and dietary supplements within the context of a total diet.
A non-vegan would easily get their daily B12 by consuming eggs, cheese, yoghurt and meat, but vegans would have to pay special attention to their B12 source. Plant-based eaters could eat the healthiest plant-based diet packed with fruits and vegetables and still get no B12. In most cases, the plant-based fortified foods might not meet the required daily allowance so it would be far more consistent and reliable for vegans to supplement with vitamin B12 to be on the safe side.
Vitamin D3 – How Much You Need And Where To Get It
The recommended daily allowance for vitamin D3 for adults up to 70 years of age is 15 micrograms (mcg) / 600 international units (IU).
The most available food sources of D3 are contained in animal products. There are however some plant-based sources such as fortified plant milks and cereals and certain mushrooms exposed to UV light. The highest vitamin D sources include:
*DV = Daily Value. FDA developed DVs to help consumers compare the nutrient contents of foods and dietary supplements within the context of a total diet.
Non-vegans would normally get their D3 in common food sources such as trout, salmon and milk. It is a fat-soluble vitamin and would be best absorbed in the body with a healthy fat source. Vitamin D also promotes calcium absorption.
VITAMIN D FROM THE SUN
Your body can produce Vitamin D if it is exposed to direct sunlight. It is recommended that we get 10 – 30 minutes of midday sun exposure as the body is most efficient at making vitamin D at noon. Sun exposure depends on the season and distance from the equator. More sun exposure is required in winter than in summer to get the required level of vitamin D.
Sun exposure also comes with certain skin cancer risks, so it is important to not unnecessarily over-expose yourself. It is important and recommended my dermatologists that we wear sunscreen during the day to protect our skin from UVA and UVB rays.
Omega 3 – Long Chain Fatty acids EPA and DHA – Where to Get It
Omega 3’s can be broken down into the short chain fatty acids (ALA) and the long chain fatty acids (EPA and DHA). Vegans can easily obtain the omega 3 short chain fatty acids from nuts and seeds but the long chain fatty acids (EPA and DHA) are obtained from sea vegetables which are less common foods in one’s diet.
The recommended daily allowance for the long chain Omega 3 is 250–500 mg combined EPA and DHA.
Omega 3’s can be obtained from the following food sources:
| Table 2: ALA, EPA, and DHA Content of Selected Foods [29] | |||
| Food | Grams per serving | ||
| ALA | DHA | EPA | |
| Flaxseed oil, 1 tbsp | 7.26 | ||
| Chia seeds, 1 ounce | 5.06 | ||
| English walnuts, 1 ounce | 2.57 | ||
| Flaxseed, whole, 1 tbsp | 2.35 | ||
| Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked, 3 ounces | 1.24 | 0.59 | |
| Salmon, Atlantic, wild, cooked, 3 ounces | 1.22 | 0.35 | |
| Herring, Atlantic, cooked, 3 ounces* | 0.94 | 0.77 | |
| Canola oil, 1 tbsp | 1.28 | ||
| Sardines, canned in tomato sauce, drained, 3 ounces* | 0.74 | 0.45 | |
| Mackerel, Atlantic, cooked, 3 ounces* | 0.59 | 0.43 | |
| Salmon, pink, canned, drained, 3 ounces* | 0.04 | 0.63 | 0.28 |
| Soybean oil, 1 tbsp | 0.92 | ||
| Trout, rainbow, wild, cooked, 3 ounces | 0.44 | 0.4 | |
| Black walnuts, 1 ounce | 0.76 | ||
| Mayonnaise, 1 tbsp | 0.74 | ||
| Oysters, eastern, wild, cooked, 3 ounces | 0.14 | 0.23 | 0.3 |
| Sea bass, cooked, 3 ounces* | 0.47 | 0.18 | |
| Edamame, frozen, prepared, ½ cup | 0.28 | ||
| Shrimp, cooked, 3 ounces* | 0.12 | 0.12 | |
| Refried beans, canned, vegetarian, ½ cup | 0.21 | ||
| Lobster, cooked, 3 ounces* | 0.04 | 0.07 | 0.1 |
| Tuna, light, canned in water, drained, 3 ounces* | 0.17 | 0.02 | |
| Tilapia, cooked, 3 ounces* | 0.04 | 0.11 | |
| Scallops, cooked, 3 ounces* | 0.09 | 0.06 | |
| Cod, Pacific, cooked, 3 ounces* | 0.1 | 0.04 | |
| Tuna, yellowfin, cooked 3 ounces* | 0.09 | 0.01 | |
| Kidney beans, canned, ½ cup | 0.1 | ||
| Baked beans, canned, vegetarian, ½ cup | 0.07 | ||
| Ground beef, 85% lean, cooked, 3 ounces** | 0.04 | ||
| Bread, whole wheat, 1 slice | 0.04 | ||
| Egg, cooked, 1 | 0.03 | ||
| Chicken, breast, roasted, 3 ounces | 0.02 | 0.01 | |
| Milk, low-fat (1%), 1 cup | 0.01 | ||
*Except as noted, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) database does not specify whether fish are farmed or wild caught.
**The USDA database does not specify whether beef is grass fed or grain fed.
The highest sources of the short chain omega 3 (ALA) are from plant sources but it is easier to get the long-chain fatty acids (EPA and DHA) from animal foods, particularly seafood. Vegans would need to supplement with Algal oil or consume uncommon plant-based sources such as seaweed or algae to get the recommended daily intake of EPA and DHA.
Calcium – How Much You Need And Where To Get It
The daily recommended allowance for calcium is:
| Food | Milligrams (mg)per serving | Percent DV* |
| Yogurt, plain, low fat, 8 ounces | 415 | 32 |
| Orange juice, calcium fortified, 1 cup | 349 | 27 |
| Yogurt, fruit, low fat, 8 ounces | 344 | 27 |
| Mozzarella, part skim, 1.5 ounces | 333 | 26 |
| Sardines, canned in oil, with bones, 3 ounces | 325 | 25 |
| Milk, nonfat, 1 cup** | 299 | 23 |
| Soymilk, calcium fortified, 1 cup | 299 | 23 |
| Milk, whole (3.25% milk fat), 1 cup** | 276 | 21 |
| Tofu, firm, made with calcium sulfate, ½ cup*** | 253 | 19 |
| Salmon, pink, canned, solids with bones, 3 ounces | 181 | 14 |
| Cottage cheese, 1% milk fat, 1 cup | 138 | 11 |
| Tofu, soft, made with calcium sulfate, ½ cup*** | 138 | 11 |
| Soybeans, cooked, ½ cup | 131 | 10 |
| Breakfast cereals, fortified with 10% of the DV for calcium, 1 serving | 130 | 10 |
| Spinach, boiled, drained, ½ cup | 123 | 9 |
| Frozen yogurt, vanilla, soft serve, ½ cup | 103 | 8 |
| Turnip greens, fresh, boiled, ½ cup | 99 | 8 |
| Kale, fresh, cooked, 1 cup | 94 | 7 |
| Chia seeds, 1 tablespoon | 76 | 6 |
| Chinese cabbage (bok choi), raw, shredded, 1 cup | 74 | 6 |
| Beans, pinto, canned, drained, ½ cup | 54 | 4 |
| Tortilla, corn, one, 6” diameter | 46 | 4 |
| Sour cream, reduced fat, 2 tablespoons | 31 | 2 |
| Bread, whole wheat, 1 slice | 30 | 2 |
| Kale, raw, chopped, 1 cup | 24 | 2 |
| Broccoli, raw, ½ cup | 21 | 2 |
| Apple, golden delicious, with skin, 1 medium | 10 | 0 |
* DV = Daily Value. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) developed DVs to help consumers compare the nutrient contents of foods and dietary supplements within the context of a total diet. The DV for calcium is 1,300 mg for adults and children age 4 years and older [13]. FDA requires food labels to list calcium content. Foods providing 20% or more of the DV are considered to be high sources of a nutrient, but foods providing lower percentages of the DV also contribute to a healthful diet.
** Calcium content varies slightly by fat content; the more fat in the food, the less calcium it contains.
*** Calcium content is for tofu processed with a calcium salt. Tofu processed with other salts does not provide significant amounts of calcium.
There are plenty of healthy plant-based sources of calcium such as tofu, soybeans, leafy greens, chia and sesame seeds as well as various fortified foods. The healthy plant-based sources of calcium also come packed with many other nutrients and fibre compared to the risks of dairy-based calcium, which includes saturated fat as well as hormones from the animal.
Iodine – How Much You Need And Where To Get It
The recommended daily allowance for Iodine is:
The highest food sources of Iodine are:
*DV = Daily Value. FDA developed DVs to help consumers compare the nutrient contents of foods and dietary supplements within the context of a total diet.
Unless vegans have access to foods such as iodate dough bread, seaweed, kelp or iodized salt, there aren’t many common plant-based foods to get this nutrient. The good news is that iodine is contained in most multivitamins and is relatively cheap as a supplement.
Zinc – How Much You Need And Where To Get It
The daily recommended daily allowance for Zinc is:
The top food sources of Zinc are as follows:
*DV = Daily Value. FDA developed DVs to help consumers compare the nutrient contents of foods and dietary supplements within the context of a total diet.
Plant-based sources of zinc include pumpkin seeds, lentils, peanuts and kidney beans, whereas the animal-based sources generally have a higher concentration of zinc.
Recommended Supplements for Vegans
It is sometimes very difficult to determine if all the key nutrients are obtained through diet alone. In most cases, a regular vegan multivitamin would allow vegans to obtain all or most of the key nutrients lacking in their regular diet. The same could be said for non-vegans because unless you pay special attention to the nutrient sources from your diet, a non-vegan diet may very well also be lacking key nutrients.
The problem with multivitamin supplementation is:
- Not all multivitamins are vegan
- Most multivitamins do not contain the plant-based long-chain omega 3 EPA and DHA, as this is generally more expensive to produce
- It may provide a host of other nutrients you may be already obtaining from your diet, effectively wasting your money.
Vegans Do Not Need to Supplement Their Protein
Yes, animal-based protein on average has a higher concentration per 100g of protein than plant-based sources, but there are still plenty commonly available plant-based sources of protein for vegans to obtain without any supplementation. Some of the common high protein vegan food sources include:
- Seitan
- Pea protein
- Peanut butter
- Tempeh
- Edamame
- Oats
- Tofu
- Red lentils
- Chickpeas
- Peas
- Quinoa
The recommended daily general guideline for protein requirement is based on 0.8 grams per kilogram of lean body weight.
Example: an 80kg person with 20% body fat requires protein as follows:
- Calculate lean body mass: 80kg less 20% body fat = 64kg lean mass
- Lean body mass of 64kg x 0.8 grams of protein required = 51.2 grams required per day.
As an example, two slices of wholewheat toast with peanut butter would give you about 18 grams of protein which is already 35% of your protein needs in one meal.
Why Do Most Bodybuilding Programs Recommend Animal Protein For Muscle Growth?
Most animal foods provide more protein per calorie than plant-based sources. This allows bodybuilders to obtain more protein by consuming fewer calories. Animal protein, however, comes with many risks. Bodybuilders consuming excessive protein to grow their muscles are often focused on their short-term muscle gains by putting their health at risk. This gets overlooked because their muscular physique misleads them into believing they are healthy. Animal protein has been linked to heart disease and cancer.
Obtaining protein from plants might result in it taking a little longer to achieve one’s bodybuilding goals due to the higher carbohydrate content of plant foods, but this would be a much safer option to protect your health.
Swapping Out The Animal Protein For Plant-Based Sources
Let’s do a rough comparison based on the main protein sources and the nutrients listed above:
| ANIMAL BASED SOURCES | Protein (g) | Vitamin B12 (µg) | Calcium (mg) | Vitamin D3 (µg) | Omega-3 (g) | Iodine (µg) | Zinc (mg) |
| 2 Large Hard Boiled Jumbo Eggs | 13 | 1.3 | 25 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 27 | 1.3 |
| 2 Cooked Chicken Breasts | 54 | 0.6 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.4 |
| Half a Cup Of Unsweetened Dairy Yogurt | 5 | 1 | 183 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 |
| 100 grams of Cheddar Cheese | 25 | 0.8 | 721 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 15 | 3.1 |
| TOTAL | 97 | 3.7 | 942 | 4.1 | 0.11 | 42 | 7.6 |
| VEGAN SOURCES | Protein (g) | Vitamin B12 (µg) | Calcium (mg) | Vitamin D3 (µg) | Omega-3 (g) | Iodine (µg) | Zinc (mg) |
| Half A Can of Chickpeas | 7.3 | 0 | 50 | 0 | 0.1 | 22 | 1.3 |
| Half A Block of Firm Tofu | 10 | 0 | 138 | 0 | 0.3 | 30 | 1.8 |
| 100 grams of Rolled Oats | 16.9 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 0.15 | 0 | 4 |
| 100 grams of Peanut Butter | 25 | 0 | 51 | 0 | 0.01 | 0 | 2.5 |
| Half a Can of Kidney Beans | 7.7 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 0.05 | 9 | 0.8 |
| 50 grams of fortified Nutritional Yeast | 25 | 6 | 500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 92.9 | 6 | 836 | 0 | 0.51 | 61 | 11.6 |
As we can see, vegans are getting almost the same amount of protein from plant-based sources, but could be lacking in some of the other nutrients which they would need to get from other plant foods or supplements. With animal protein, however, Vitamin D3 appears to be low and unless some seafood is included in the diet, no long-chain omega-3 fatty acids will be obtained.
Consider What Foods to Eat to Get All The Nutrients You Need
It is important to learn some basic nutrition so that you can find the right foods with the right nutrients to include in your diet . This information would even give you the edge over non-vegans. Most people don’t look at their diet as a whole and determine if they consumed enough of each critical nutrient from their regular foods. Even non-vegans take multivitamins, but hopefully this guide will allow you to pinpoint specific nutrients to look out for when choosing ingredients for your meals as well as vitamin supplementation.
My recommendation to a vegan would be to supplement with vitamin B12, vitamin D3, iodine and Omega 3 long chain fatty acid (EPA and DHA) daily, and then find enough plant-based sources of all the other nutrients. Find the plant-based sources you enjoy the most and try to include them as much as possible in your diet.