8 guides with reference intakes, food-source tables you can sort, absorption notes, supplement guidance and the blood tests that actually tell you something.
Most adults need about 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight per day, and people lifting or training hard do better on 1.2–1.6 g/kg. Legumes, soy foods, seitan, nuts, seeds and whole grains cover that comfortably: 100 g of tempeh, a cup of lentils and 200 g of tofu alone is roughly 60 g. You do not need to combine proteins at each meal — eating a variety of plant proteins across the day supplies every essential amino acid.
Read the guide →Every vegan needs a reliable B12 source: either 50–250 mcg of cyanocobalamin daily, or 2,000 mcg once a week, or three servings a day of fortified food. No unfortified plant food is a dependable source — not spirulina, nori, tempeh or unwashed produce. Deficiency develops silently over years and some nerve damage can become permanent, so this is the one non-negotiable supplement.
Read the guide →Plant foods supply non-haem iron, which is absorbed at roughly 2–20% depending on what else is on the plate, so some guidelines set vegan targets around 1.8 times the standard RDA. Lentils, tofu, pumpkin seeds, tempeh, dark greens and fortified cereals are the workhorses. Pairing them with vitamin C — peppers, citrus, tomatoes — can multiply absorption several-fold, while tea, coffee and calcium supplements taken with the meal cut it sharply.
Read the guide →Adults need roughly 700–1,000 mg of calcium a day, and vegans hit it with fortified plant milk (about 300 mg per 250 ml), calcium-set tofu, low-oxalate greens like kale and bok choy, tahini, almonds and white beans. Absorption from low-oxalate greens is around 50–60%, higher than from dairy. Bone health also depends on vitamin D, protein, potassium and weight-bearing exercise, not calcium alone.
Read the guide →One tablespoon of ground flaxseed, chia or a small handful of walnuts covers the daily ALA target of roughly 1.1–1.6 g. Conversion of ALA to EPA and especially DHA is inefficient — often under 5% — so many vegans add 200–300 mg of algae-derived EPA/DHA two or three times a week. Algae oil is where fish get their omega-3 in the first place, without the mercury or the trawler.
Read the guide →Vitamin D is a sunlight nutrient, not really a diet nutrient, and deficiency is common in the general population regardless of diet. Most public health bodies advise 400–1,000 IU a day through autumn and winter, and year-round for people with darker skin or little sun exposure. Vegan options are D2 (ergocalciferol) and lichen-derived D3 (cholecalciferol); D3 raises and maintains blood levels somewhat more effectively.
Read the guide →Zinc absorption from plant foods is reduced by phytates, so some bodies suggest vegans aim for up to 1.5 times the standard RDA of 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women. Pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, cashews, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, oats and wholegrain bread are the main sources. Soaking, sprouting and sourdough fermentation break down phytates and noticeably improve uptake.
Read the guide →Adults need about 150 mcg of iodine a day, and vegans without iodised salt, a supplement or seaweed frequently fall short. The safest routes are iodised salt or a 150 mcg supplement. Kelp is a poor choice because its iodine content varies enormously between batches and a single serving can deliver thousands of micrograms — enough to disrupt thyroid function.
Read the guide →Yes. Randomised trials comparing soy or pea protein with whey in resistance-trained people find equivalent gains in strength and lean mass when total protein and leucine are matched. The practical adjustment is aiming for the upper end of 1.4–1.7 g/kg.
Not reliably. B12 comes from bacteria; the traces found on unwashed produce or in fermented foods are inconsistent and often inactive analogues. Fortified foods and supplements are the only dependable vegan sources.
Reviews find vegans have lower ferritin on average but similar rates of iron-deficiency anaemia to the general population. Menstruating women of any diet are the group most at risk.
Only at low calcium intakes. EPIC-Oxford found higher fracture risk concentrated in vegans eating under about 525 mg of calcium a day; adequate intake, vitamin D and resistance exercise close the gap.
It is not strictly essential for healthy adults, but it is a cheap way to close a measurable gap. It becomes strongly advisable in pregnancy, breastfeeding and older age.
It works, and it is what many fortified foods use. D3 from lichen maintains blood levels more consistently, so it is the better first choice if available.
Studies find lower average serum zinc in vegetarians and vegans but few clinical deficiencies. Preparation methods that cut phytate largely close the difference.
Unless you use iodised salt daily or eat nori regularly, yes — a 150 mcg supplement is the simplest way to be sure. Intakes in vegans are frequently measured below recommendations.
Reviewed 2026-08-23 by the Veg.ac editorial team · Data: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, EFSA, USDA FoodData Central · Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link back.