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 2026-09-09 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.
Nutrition without the noise
Plant-based nutrition is unusually well studied and unusually badly reported. A short list of nutrients genuinely requires planning. Most of the rest of the conversation is marketing residue.
B12 is produced by bacteria, not by plants or animals; farmed animals receive it largely through supplemented feed. A plant-based diet therefore requires a direct source: either a supplement of roughly 25–100 µg daily or 1,000–2,000 µg weekly, or consistently fortified foods. Deficiency develops slowly and can cause irreversible neurological damage, so this is not an area for improvisation. Serum B12 alone is a weak marker; methylmalonic acid or holotranscobalamin is more informative if testing.
Plant foods supply non-haem iron, which is absorbed less efficiently but is also better regulated by the body. Vitamin C taken with the meal can multiply absorption several-fold, while tea, coffee and calcium supplements taken at the same time suppress it. Practical consequence: lentils with tomato and a squeeze of lemon, coffee an hour later. Plant-based eaters typically show comparable or higher iron intake with lower ferritin — which, within the normal range, is not itself a problem.
ALA from flax, chia, walnuts and rapeseed converts to EPA and DHA at low and variable rates. An algae-derived EPA/DHA supplement of roughly 250 mg per day removes the uncertainty and is the same original source the fish obtains it from. This is a reasonable-precaution nutrient rather than an emergency one.
Iodine intake in plant-based diets depends almost entirely on iodised salt, fortified plant milk or a supplement; seaweed is potent but wildly variable and easy to overdose. Calcium needs are met with fortified plant milks, tofu set with calcium, tahini, almonds and low-oxalate greens such as kale and bok choy. Vitamin D is a latitude and sunlight question for everyone, not a plant-based one. Zinc requires a modest amount of extra attention because of phytates, which soaking, sprouting and fermenting reduce.
It is worth stating plainly: in every large cohort of plant-based eaters in high-income countries, average protein intake meets or exceeds requirement. Protein deficiency in this context is essentially a disease of insufficient calories, not of plant sources.
Adult targets; requirements differ in pregnancy, lactation, childhood and older age.
| Nutrient | Typical adult target | Reliable plant sources | Attention level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 | 25–100 µg/day or 1,000–2,000 µg/week | Supplement, fortified foods | Essential |
| Iodine | 150 µg/day | Iodised salt, fortified milk, supplement | High |
| Vitamin D | 600–800 IU/day when sun is limited | Sunlight, fortified foods, D2/lichen D3 | High |
| Omega-3 EPA/DHA | ~250 mg/day | Algae oil; ALA from flax, chia, walnuts | Moderate |
| Iron | 8 mg (men) / 18 mg (menstruating women) | Lentils, tofu, pumpkin seeds + vitamin C | Moderate |
| Calcium | 1,000 mg/day | Fortified milks, calcium-set tofu, kale, tahini | Moderate |
| Zinc | 8–11 mg/day | Legumes, seeds, oats, wholegrains | Low–moderate |
| Protein | 0.8–1.2 g/kg/day | Legumes, soy, seitan, grains, nuts | Low |
EFSA · NIH Office of Dietary Supplements · Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Nutrition planning should take about ten minutes a month, not become a hobby.
Choose one delivery method and automate it — a weekly high dose is easier to remember than a daily low one for many people.
If your household salt is not iodised and you drink unfortified plant milk, iodine is your likely gap.
Or eat a tablespoon of ground flax daily and accept the conversion uncertainty.
Structural habit, not supplementation: citrus, peppers or tomato in the same meal as legumes.
B12, ferritin, vitamin D and thyroid function give a useful picture. Testing too early mostly measures your previous diet.
B12 yes, essentially always. Vitamin D during low-sunlight months applies to most of the population regardless of diet. Iodine and algae-based omega-3 are sensible for many people depending on salt and diet composition.
Yes. Human evidence shows no adverse hormonal effect at ordinary intakes, and moderate soy consumption is associated with lower cardiovascular risk and, in cohort data, lower breast-cancer recurrence.
Yes, with fortified plant milk, calcium-set tofu, tahini and low-oxalate greens. Absorption from kale and bok choy is actually higher than from milk; spinach is the exception because of oxalate.
Monitor rather than worry. Intake is usually adequate; menstruating women are the group most likely to need attention, exactly as they are on omnivorous diets.
No. They are a convenience for people with high requirements or low appetite, not a nutritional requirement.
B12 status, ideally via methylmalonic acid or holotranscobalamin rather than serum B12 alone, followed by ferritin and vitamin D.