If you're following a plant-based diet, you need to watch your vitamin intake. You can get them directly from food sources without supplements. This article explains the key minerals and vitamins and how to get them from plants.
- Plant-based sources of calcium and vitamin D:
Calcium is important to keep your bones and teeth healthy.
Non-vegetarians mostly get calcium from dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt), but vegetarians can get it from other foods.
Good calcium sources for vegetarians include:
Green leafy veggies like broccoli, cabbage, and okra, but not spinach
Unsweetened fortified soy, rice, and oat milks
Tofu
Sesame seeds and tahini
Brown and white bread (in the UK, calcium is added to white and brown flour by law)
Dried fruits like raisins, dried peaches, figs, and apricots
A 30g serving of dried fruit counts as one of the 5 daily portions but should be eaten with meals, not as a snack, to reduce sugar impact on teeth.
The body needs vitamin D to control how much calcium and phosphate it has. These nutrients keep bones, teeth, and muscles healthy.
Good sources of vitamin D for vegetarians include:
Sun exposure, especially from late March or early April to the end of September - remember to protect your skin or shield it before it starts turning red or burning (see vitamin D and sunlight)
Fortified fats, breakfast cereals, and unsweetened soy drinks (with added vitamin D)
Vitamin D supplements.
Plant sources of iron:
Iron is needed to make red blood cells.
A vegetarian diet can have a good amount of iron, but the body absorbs iron from plant foods less well than iron from meat.
Good iron sources for vegetarians are:
Whole wheat bread and flour
Iron-fortified breakfast cereals
Dark green leafy vegetables like arugula, broccoli, and spring greens
Nuts
Dried fruits like apricots, plums, and figs
Plant-based sources of vitamin B12:
The body needs vitamin B12 to keep blood and the nervous system healthy.
Many people get vitamin B12 from animal sources like meat, fish, and dairy. Vegetarian sources are limited and you might need a B12 supplement.
Vegetarian sources of vitamin B12 include:
Breakfast cereals fortified with B12
Unsweetened soy drinks fortified with vitamin B12
Yeast extract.
Plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids:
Omega-3 fatty acids, especially those in oily fish, can help keep the heart healthy and lower the risk of heart disease when eaten as part of a healthy diet.
Plant-based omega-3 fatty acid sources for vegetarians include:
Flaxseed oil (linseed)
Rapeseed oil
Soybean oil and foods with soybeans, like tofu
Walnut
Evidence suggests that plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids may not have the same benefits in lowering heart disease risk as those found in oily fish.
But if you're following a plant-based diet, you can still take care of your heart by eating at least 5 servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day, cutting down on foods high in saturated fats, and watching how much salt you eat.
